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Shinjuku Midnight Snack?
The weirdest thing I grabbed was a tiny can of something labeled "collagen drink" from a FamilyMart near the station. It was grape flavored and had a picture of a glowing woman on it. I was jetlagged and curious, it didn't do anything noticeable but it wasn't bad. The real midnight culture is more about the vending machines tucked in alleyways off the main drag, you'll find hot cans of corn soup or even mini portions of curry in a can. For actual weirdness you want to hit the basement floor of Don Quijote on the east side of Shinjuku, they sell dried squid jerky snacks that look like alien artifacts and giant bags of matcha kit kats no one actually eats.
imo the weirdest thing isnt even the food itself but what people buy with it. i saw a dude at familymart grab a pack of those little mentos-like mints and a can of strong zero at like 2am, then just stand outside and crush both in like 5 minutes. that's the real shinjuku energy.
if you want actual weird snacks tho skip the 7/11 and hit the little drugstore on the west side near the yodobashi camera. they have these tiny cans of pureed fruit with weird names like "mango explosion" that are basically baby food but marketed to adults. i tried one, it was fine but i felt like a weirdo
the vending machines near golden gai are where its at for late night. one has hot cans of creamed corn soup that are actually pretty good when ur freezing. another one sells mini cans of curry that you eat with a little plastic spoon attached to the side. that's the kind of stuff the internet doesnt really show u
Nah, it's not that wild, but definitely different. I once bought a whole roasted chicken at a 7-Eleven at 3 AM in Shinjuku. It was surprisingly good, and way less weird than some of the stuff I've seen others buy. Think instant ramen with weirdly specific flavor combinations... mostly things you wouldn't dream of eating sober. The late-night convenience store scene is more about convenience and a last-minute craving than some crazy, underground market. You'll see a lot of tired salarymen grabbing onigiri and coffee, not so much bizarre stuff unless you wander into the really obscure places. Prepare for slightly higher prices though, it's the late-night premium.
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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.