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best cafe to stay cool and fast WiFi access?
ngl if you're near kichijoji, Sarabeth's is prob not what you're looking for (too crowded), but Haru no Ongaku on the north side is a hidden spot. it's a vinyl cafe with a record store vibe, AC is freezing and the wifi is stupid fast for a place that looks like it's from the 90s. only catch is they play jazz at a conversational volume, so if you need silence for calls it's a no, but for heads-down work it's gold. plus their iced genmaicha is 500 yen and they refill hot water for free
If you're near Ebisu, the Tokyo Cha no Ma in the backstreets is worth hunting down. It's a tea-focused place with tatami seating and the AC is almost too cold on a 35 degree day. The wifi is free and I've had no issues with it dropping, though you need to ask at the counter for the password. They serve proper hojicha lattes and matcha parfaits, not just coffee, which is a nice change from the usual chains.
For a more left field option, the Muji Cafe inside the Yurakucho Muji has a huge communal table with outlets built in and the wifi is surprisingly fast for a retail store cafe. It's on the second floor overlooking the street so you get some natural light without the direct sun. The food is average but the iced drinks are reasonable at around 400 yen and you can sit for hours without anyone bothering you.
Over in Koenji, Nishiogi Coffee is worth the trip. It's a narrow two-floor place on the main shopping street, and the upstairs has these deep booths where you can really spread out. The wifi is solid and they don't kick you off every hour like some places, plus the iced matcha latte is 480 yen and actually made with real matcha, not the pre-mixed powder stuff.
If you're closer to Ueno, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Nakameguro gets all the hype but the one inside the National Museum of Nature and Science is way more chill. It's on the second floor with big windows looking into the courtyard, and the AC is set to arctic. The wifi is free with a simple registration and I've never had it drop, even during peak hours. Only catch is you need a museum ticket to get in, but it's 630 yen and you can wander the exhibits on your break.
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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.