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want to meet at fmd_good Vintage Avenue
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Gas Station Gourmet?
The trick with gas station food in Japan is to hit the ones with a bakery section. I'm partial to the Deo Kobo or Baker's Street spots that pop up at some of the bigger stations on the Kan-Etsu. They do a warm egg salad sandwich or a curry pan that's leagues above any packaged onigiri. If you're set on rice balls, look for the ones with a sticker showing they were made that morning, usually near the register.
If you're heading out past the city and stop at a Cosmo or an ENEOS station, they sometimes have a little food counter inside that does hot items, not just packaged stuff. I've had a surprisingly decent karaage bento from one near the Chuo Expressway, it was like 500 yen and actually fresh. The onigiri at those places tends to be the standard convenience store stock, so nothing special, but the hot food counter is where you might find a hidden gem. Just avoid anything that looks like it's been under a heat lamp for hours.
Depends on which gas station you're talking about, honestly. Some are total dives, others... surprisingly decent. Tokyo's got a huge range. If it's one of the bigger chains, like a FamilyMart or a Seven-Eleven, your chances of a decent onigiri are pretty high. They usually have a good rotation and they're made fresh-ish. But a tiny, independent place? Could go either way. My advice: look at the onigiri themselves before you buy. If they look dry or sad, move on. Good luck with your road trip!
Yeah, that makes total sense. I figured it'd be a crapshoot. I'm mostly concerned about the ones out in the sticks, not the big city convenience stores. Thanks for the onigiri tip, I'll definitely be checking for the sad ones! Hopefully, I won't end up with something that looks like it's been sitting there since the last millennium.
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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