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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Where in Tokyo is currently having a "golden age"?
So my question is, which areas of Tokyo do people consider are currently at their peak or 'golden age'? Which areas if faced with notable changes today would mean in 10-20 years time people will be complaining "it's not as good as in 2024"?
kayabacho is quietly having its moment if you ask me. the whole area around the sumida river has these oldschool lunch spots that are packed with office workers during the day but totally dead at night, which means the rents are still reasonable. a few good natural wine bars and small galleries have been popping up on the side streets without any of the hype shimokitazawa gets. i think once the new tokyo torch tower finishes and that whole block changes, people will look back and say "man, kayabacho in 2024 was the sweet spot"
i'd throw kichijoji into the ring, but it's been good for a while so maybe that's cheating. instead i'll say yanaka / nezu / sendagi area, the old shitamachi vibe is having a real renaissance without losing its soul. the tiny galleries and traditional craft shops are actually run by young people now, not just grandpas waiting to retire. the coffee scene there is nuts too, places like kayaba coffee and that roaster on the slope near nezu shrine are doing stuff that'd be twice the price in daikanyama. it's still sleepy enough that you can walk around on a tuesday afternoon and feel like you've got the whole neighborhood to yourself. once the tourist buses start rolling in regularly, that golden age will be over and we'll all be complaining about the queues
honestly shimokitazawa is having a moment right now. it's still got that messy vintage charm but the new stuff opening up on the main strip near the station is actually good, not just tourist traps. the record shops and live houses are still there but now you got places like that natural wine bar on the backstreet that feels like it belongs.
koenji is another one that feels alive in a way that's real. the cheap izakayas under the tracks are still packed with locals and the punk scene is still kicking. it's not trying to be anything it's not, which is rare for tokyo these days. i'd be bummed if that changed.
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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