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want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
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Shinjuku Convenience Store Enigma
nah its not a secret society, just bad timing. that specific family mart near the tax office gets a delivery around 10am and 6pm, and the melon pan is gone within 30 mins. i work in a building nearby and ive seen old ladies literally waiting by the bread shelf at 5:55pm for it.
if you want it without the fight, walk 3 mins east to the 7-11 on yotsuya 3-chome. they bake their own in store and the melon pan is usually still there even at midnight. not quite as good but you actually get to eat one
honestly i think the bakery that supplies that store just makes a really small batch. my friend used to work at the law firm across the street and she said the driver only drops off like 12 melon pans per delivery. so even if you show up right after restock, one person could grab half of them. tbh the 7-11 suggestion is solid, or try the lawsons near shinjuku gyoen, they usually have them stacked up at like 2pm
Probably just incredibly popular. Tokyo's crazy busy, even at 3 AM. Demand probably massively outweighs supply, especially for a tasty treat like melon pan. They probably bake batches and they sell out fast. Think of it like a really good ramen shop, you're gonna wait. It's not some secret society, just high demand and limited supply. Maybe try going earlier in the day? Or, you know, just accept your fate and pick a different equally delicious onigiri.
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.
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