Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Lost in Translation?
if you're worried about the language thing just look for places with the little wooden menus out front or those plastic food displays, even in quiet neighborhoods they usually have them. worst case scenario you can do the classic "sumimasen" and then just say "kore" while pointing at whatever someone near you is eating, that's how my friend ended up with a bowl of natto ramen he didn't expect but honestly it was a win. konbini counters are also super easy because they have numbered buttons or pictures, just tap and pay
ngl you're overthinking it a bit, quiet suburbs are actually the easiest for this. a lot of those family-run places have those ticket machines at the entrance where you just put in money and press a button with a picture, no talking needed. if they don't have that, just walk in and say "sumimasen" with your phone out showing a pic of what you want from google maps or tabelog, they're used to it. worst case you end up with something random but that's how you discover the good stuff anyway
yeah you'll be fine honestly, most places in quieter suburbs have picture menus or little laminated cards with photos. if not just say "osusume wa nan desu ka" and they'll point at something good, worst case you get a funny story out of it
load 1 more reply
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.