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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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846 tennis legit?
Yeah 846 is legit, they're a massive parallel importer so they buy surplus stock from overseas distributors and pass the savings on. The racquets are real, you're just not paying for the Japanese distributor markup that normal shops add. They're not making a loss on them, they just operate on thinner margins than somewhere like Victoria or Wimbledon Sports.
846's pricing works because they're not an authorized dealer for most brands, so they don't have to follow the manufacturer's suggested retail prices that normal shops like Victoria or Wimbledon Sports are contractually obligated to stick to. They buy from grey market channels where the stock has already been written off as surplus by the original distributor, so their cost basis is way lower than what a standard retailer pays. The racquets are real, just with no official support from the brand if something goes wrong.
Your friend should also know that 846 frequently gets racquets from different regional markets, so the grip shape might feel slightly off compared to what you'd buy at a Japanese shop. European and American grips tend to have a rounder profile, while Japanese and Asian market grips are flatter on the sides. If he's particular about that, it's worth checking before he hands over the cash.
honestly 846 is legit, been going there myself for years. the catch is those "new" racquets are usually last year's models or surplus from overseas markets that didn't sell well, so the manufacturers themselves are cutting prices to move them. 846 just buys in bulk and passes the discount along, they're not making a ton per racquet but they move volume
one thing nobody mentioned yet is that the strings on those "new" racquets are often factory strings which are garbage, so your friend should factor in the cost of a restring when comparing prices. also the demo policy is nonexistent there, you can't try before you buy like you can at Victoria in Shinjuku. if he knows exactly what he wants and doesn't need to test it first, it's a steal
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.