Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Spicy food
honestly for buffalo wings specifically you gotta hit up HUB or one of the British-style pubs in Roppongi or Shibuya. They usually have a "devil's wings" or "fire wings" option that's legit spicy, not just that mild tabasco nonsense. The one near Shibuya crossing has a habanero sauce that'll make you sweat through your shirt.
for non-wing spicy stuff, try the Takeda family-run ramen shop in Koenji. They do a "hell ramen" where you pick your spice level from 1 to 10, and 7 is already brutal. tell them you want the chili oil they keep under the counter, it's not on the menu but regulars know about it. cost like 1200 yen for a bowl and you'll be crying happy tears.
Check out some of the izakayas in Shinjuku's Golden Gai. They often have off-menu spicy options, and the chefs are usually pretty open to requests for extra chili. You might get lucky and find something wilder than mapo. Failing that, hunt for a good Korean restaurant, they'll absolutely understand your need for fire.
tbh the best spicy food in Tokyo is hiding in Korean joints in Okubo, not in izakayas. Go to Seoul Kitchen near Okubo station, their dak galbi is already a 7/10 heat level but if you ask for "maeun" they'll double the gochugaru and add fresh chili slices on top. costs about 1500 yen for a portion and you'll need two beers to cool down
for buffalo wings specifically, skip the chains and try the basement food court in Shinjuku's Lumine 1. there's a tiny stall called Spice Bomb that does a "ghost wing" set with a sauce made from actual bhut jolokia paste. they only make 20 orders a day and it sells out by 7pm, so go early. 980 yen for six wings and a side of pickled radish to calm your mouth down between bites
load 1 more reply
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.