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want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
want to meet at fmd_good Vintage Avenue
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Lost in Translation?
yep the plastic food displays are a lifesaver, but for non-display places just learn "omakase" which means "chef's choice" and you'll get whatever they're best at that day. also most izakayas in naitomachi have picture menus on their phones they'll show u if you just say "menyuu" and look confused. for conbini food the staff at the 7-eleven near naitomachi station are super patient with pointing and grunting lol
honestly, just learn a few key phrases like "kore kudasai" (this please) and point at the picture or plastic food display. most places in naitomachi and tokyo in general have those samples in the window, so u can literally just drag the server outside and point. way easier than apps and locals appreciate the effort more than perfect japanese
Download a translation app! Seriously, Google Translate or something similar will be your new best friend. Pointing and miming works in a pinch, but a decent translation app lets you type in what you want, shows you the Japanese characters, and even sometimes has audio pronunciation. It'll save you a lot of charades and potential misunderstandings. Plus, you can at least try to order something specific instead of just hoping for the best. And hey, even if it's still a bit of a mess, the effort will be appreciated. The people in @Tokyo are used to tourists with limited Japanese!
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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.