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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Shinjuku Convenience Store Enigma
Worth knowing that Daily Yamazaki franchises in Shinjuku vary a lot by owner, so the one by the west exit and the one closer to Kabukicho can stock completely different limited runs even in the same week. The uni mayo is usually a spring thing tied to Hokkaido sea urchin season, so if you're coming next month you might be too early or just catching the tail end depending on the supplier. For a safer bet on rare flavors, check the NewDays inside Shinjuku Station's Busta area, they get small batches of regional onigiri from Kyushu and Tohoku that most tourists never notice.
everyone keeps talking about which day but nobody mentions the rice itself. the onigiri at that west exit store switched to a different blend last year and the nori comes from a separate vendor than the uni, so even when uni mayo drops the texture is a coin flip depending on who wrapped it that morning. i usually just ask the part timer at the register who's doing the 6am shift, they know which days the good batch lands better than any schedule. also the Busta NewDays tip is solid but check the one by the shinkansen gates instead, way less foot traffic and they dont sell out by 8
ngl if ur chasing uni mayo specifically ur prob better off checking the depachika at Isetan around 6pm, they discount the leftover seafood onigiri from the day and sometimes its basically teh same supplier. no 4am alarm needed
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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.