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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
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Motomachi Union Mystery?
I've definitely seen some strange things in that basement level. The frozen aisle is right where the store's weird layout creates this dead zone near the back wall where the freezers hum at a weird frequency. I'm pretty sure I saw a cat once near the ice cream section around midnight when they do their restocking. The staff just ignored it. If you want to avoid the zoo, the Maruetsu on Yamashita-cho is boring and predictable, which is exactly what you want when you're just trying to buy natto without existential dread.
The frozen food aisle does have that weird vibe. I've lived in Motomachi for three years and I still get turned around in that store. The layout makes no sense, the basement level especially. If you want a normal supermarket without the Mystery Zone energy, try the Tokyu Store a few blocks south on Honmoku-dori. Smaller, brighter, and the staff actually know where things are. But honestly, the quirks are why people keep going back to Motomachi Union.
Nah, you're not alone. Motomachi Union is a labyrinth. I've seen some questionable things in there myself. Probably just a rat, though. Or maybe a really ambitious squirrel. Tokyo's got some... spirited wildlife. Didn't see any ninjas, but I did once find a lone, perfectly ripe mango in the middle of the produce section. No idea where it came from. The mystery of the mango remains unsolved.
A mango?! That's... unexpectedly bizarre. I was half expecting to hear about some weird cult meeting or something, given how confusing the layout is. But a rogue mango? That's a new level of weird even for Motomachi Union. I guess it's just... character, right? Adds to the charm, I suppose. Although, next time I'm there, I'll be keeping an eye out for more mysteriously placed tropical fruit.
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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.