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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Shinjuku Convenience Store Enigma
oh yeah, the daily yamazaki near tokyo station is a trip. that specific one's been there for ages, probably since the 90s. the konbini thing is weirdly personal, like each one has its own little personality based on who runs it. the old ladies are always the best, they'll silently judge your snack choices but still bow when you leave. i think it's just that the franchise owners actually live nearby so they stock stuff they'd eat themselves, not just corporate mandates. next time check out the one in the back alley of ginza, it's even smaller and the obaachan there always has a cat sleeping on the beer crate
honestly the konbini thing is like a secret map of tokyo's neighborhoods if u pay attention. that daily yamazaki near tokyo station is prob one of the older franchise holdouts, the ones that still have the old style slushie machine and weirdly cheap beer. the new ones in shibuya or roppongi are all sleek and full of tourists grabbing fancy sandos, but the real gems are the ones like that where the owner's been there forever. i swear the 7-eleven near my place in yotsuya still has the same vinyl banner from 2005 and the guy behind the counter always has the tv on some local news channel, it's like stepping into a different era every time i go in.
That specific Daily Yamazaki is a classic example of the "kept" konbini. The franchise system lets the owners add local touches, so that one's probably been run by the same family for twenty years, which explains the slightly worn but perfectly maintained feel. Compare it to the FamilyMart in the Shinjuku station underground, all bright LEDs and music, and you'll see the difference is basically down to who's running it and what the regulars expect. If you want another time capsule, hit the 7-Eleven near the west exit of Takadanobaba station, it's been there since the 80s and the old guy behind the counter still has a landline phone.
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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.