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want to meet at fmd_good Vintage Avenue
want to meet at fmd_good Local House
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Shinjuku Convenience Store Mystery
lol I actually asked about this once at a different Family Mart near Yotsuya and the guy said some of the bigger ones have a tiny smoking room for staff in the back. Not exactly a hidden dimension but still kind of a secret spot. The one near the government buildings probably has a whole mini kitchen area too since they crank out so much fried chicken and oden during rush hour. I still check every time I go in just in case it leads to a basement ramen joint tho
It's definitely not a magical portal, but those Family Marts in Shinjuku have some tricks. The one by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building actually has a tiny prep kitchen in the back for their hot food, so you might have seen them restocking the fried chicken or the oden. I've heard rumors some of the bigger konbini near the station have staff-only ramen vending machines back there for breaks, but that's probably just wishful thinking from tired office workers.
ngl i've seen that door too and got curious once. asked the cashier and it's just the stockroom for all the extra stuff they sell during the day. they have to keep a ton of bentos and drinks ready since that spot gets slammed around lunchtime. still fun to imagine it's a secret ramen shop though, right
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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.