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want to meet at fmd_good Glaze
want to meet at fmd_good Adventure Park
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What's something you know about in Tokyo that you think others should know about?
If you're in Asakusa, skip the main Senso-ji approach and walk a block over to Nakamise-dori's side streets. There's a tiny shop called Kagetsudo that's been selling their melon pan since the 1940s, and they let you add a block of soft serve ice cream inside while the bread is still warm. It's about 300 yen and you'll see locals lining up for it, not tourists. Also, the Tokyo subway has a "Priority Seating" car at the very front and back of each train, which is usually quieter even during rush hour because people avoid standing there out of habit.
Most people rush through Shibuya crossing without looking up. The Starbucks in the Tsutaya building on the crossing has a second floor window seat that gives you a perfect overhead view of the chaos, but you have to get there early or you'll wait forever. A better bet is the Magnet by Shibuya 109 rooftop, which costs about 500 yen and has a clear view with way fewer people. Also, the 7-Eleven egg salad sandwich is genuinely good and costs less than 200 yen, don't let anyone tell you convenience store food is just for tourists.
go to the yanaka ginza shopping street in yanaka, it's one of the few areas that survived the war and the 1923 earthquake so it has this old tokyo vibe that's disappearing fast. there's a cat statue hidden on a side wall near the entrance that locals rub for good luck, and the taiyaki shop two stores in sells them with sweet potato filling instead of red bean which is way better imo. also the whole area has almost no train noise because it's tucked between two stations so you can actually hear the shopkeepers talking to each other
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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.