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 Nature Park
want to meet at fmd_good Corner Diner
want to meet at fmd_good City Market
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Lost in Translation?
the trick is to use landmarks that never change, like the neighborhood's jizo statues or the little red post offices. those are way more reliable than street names out here. also, if you're near a train station, grab a free area map from the ticket counter, they're printed with every tiny alley and have english labels for convenience stores and police boxes
Those blue signs on the poles are a lifesaver, but they take some getting used to. Another thing that helps is looking for the neighborhood association maps posted on bulletin boards near the local park or community center, they usually show every tiny path and are color coded by block. If you're near a train station, the free paper maps from the ticket counter are way better than Google for those residential mazes, they even mark the local police boxes and convenience stores with English labels.
honestly the trick is to look for the little blue signs on telephone poles or streetlights, they have the neighborhood block number and a small map. most locals dont even notice them but theyre way more accurate than google for those tiny winding streets. also if you're really stuck just walk into a kobini and show the clerk your destination on your phone, theyll point you in the right direction without needing to talk
load 2 more replies
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.