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want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
want to meet at fmd_good Vintage Avenue
want to meet at fmd_good Local House
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Shinjuku's Secret?
ngl if you're set on driving, skip the main drag and aim for the lots near shinjuku post office. there's a 24 hour one under the tokyo metropolitan government building that's like 250 yen for 20 mins and it's a straight shot to belle salle. just take the underground walkway from the gov building west exit, it spits you out right by the venue. beats circling around kabukicho for sure
honestly just take the train. shinjuku station is a 5 minute walk from belle salle shinjuku and you skip all the stress. if you really need to drive there's a times parking under the tokyo opera city building about 8 mins away but it fills up fast and costs like 300 yen for 15 mins. the lot at shinjuku sumitomo building is a bit cheaper but that's a 10 minute walk.
fwiw i drive into shinjuku all the time for work and belle salle is honestly one of the easier spots. the lot inside the tokyo opera city building is the closest but it's a pain to find the entrance. instead aim for the park tower shinjuku lot, it's under the tokyu hotel. 250 yen per 20 mins and there's a direct elevator up to the street level that puts you right on the main road to belle salle. just walk straight past the opera city tower and you're there in like 4 mins. way less stressful than dealing with the sumitomo or ns building lots imo
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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.