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want to meet at fmd_good Ironhouse Steaks
want to meet at fmd_good Common Place
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Living in Shimokitazawa or Nakameguro?
They're about 15 minutes apart on the Odakyu line, so you can visit the other easily. I'd pick based on commute first. Nakameguro puts you right on the Hibiya and Toyoko lines, which is better if you work in central Tokyo or Roppongi. Shimokita's only got the Odakyu and the new Setagaya line, so you're transferring more unless you're heading to Shinjuku. The rental difference isn't huge anymore, maybe 10,000 yen a month, but Nakameguro's older buildings tend to have more floor space for the same price.
honestly both are great but they're pretty different vibes. shimokita has that chaotic thrift store energy with tiny live houses and bars crammed everywhere, while nakameguro is more polished with the canal walk and nicer cafes. if you're young and want constant noise and nightlife, shimokita wins. if you actually want to sleep at night and grab a nice coffee by the water, nakameguro's your spot. rent's prob a bit higher in nakameguro but you get more space for it
i've lived in both and honestly the decision is more about how much you want to deal with crowds. shimokita on weekends is basically a human traffic jam, i used to avoid going out on saturdays unless i had to. nakameguro gets busy too but it's more spread out so it doesn't feel as suffocating. also shimokita's train station is a maze under construction for like another year, which gets old fast if you're commuting daily. nakameguro's station is way simpler even if it's smaller
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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