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want to meet at fmd_good Corner Diner
want to meet at fmd_good City Market
want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
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Recommendations for places in central Tokyo suitable for small social gatherings?
I know cafe renoir is an option, but also looking for other suggestions.
Thanks!
ngl the shibuya hikarie basement food court has that communal table setup near the back, not a private room but it's usually empty during off hours and you can push tables together. also there's a spot called "the corner" in shinjuku sanchome that rents out their basement for groups, like 5000 yen for 2 hours, pretty cheap split between 10 people. they have board games and stuff too which could be fun for a book club icebreaker.
try the share lounge spaces in shinjuku, like the one near shinjuku station east exit called "share lounge" actually. they charge by the hour and have these semi-private booths that fit groups of that size, plus free drinks and snacks included. it's quieter than a cafe and you don't have to worry about buying enough to justify staying 3 hours.
for a free option, the public library in shibuya has group study rooms you can reserve for up to 4 hours. not super cozy but dead silent and free, plus it's right by shibuya crossing. just need to sign up at the counter.
if you want something more unique, the back room at fuglen in tokyo has a small loft area that fits about 10 people. it's a norwegian coffee shop with vintage furniture, very chill vibe, and they're fine with groups if you let them know ahead of time. just be prepared to buy a round of coffee for everyone.
honestly for 8-12 people your best bet is a private room at a karaoke place. not the big chains like karaoke-kan but the smaller ones like Maneki Neko in Shibuya or Pasela in Shinjuku. they have food and drinks and you can just talk without the music on, plus they let you book rooms for like 2-3 hours at a time. costs around 1500-2000 yen per person with a drink bar.
another option is the basement floor of Tower Records in Shibuya. they have a cafe space called Toast that's pretty quiet during weekday afternoons and they don't mind groups sitting around as long as you're buying stuff. bit loud on weekends tho.
if u want something more book club vibes, check out the community space at Book and Bed in Shinjuku. they have a lounge area that's usually empty during the day and you can rent it for like 1000 yen per person per hour. kinda small but cozy.
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.
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