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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Lost in Matsunoki?
if you're up for a longer walk, head south from matsunoki toward the old tokai highway. there's a stretch near the shinagawa historical museum that's got a few places not even most locals know about. a tiny okonomiyaki joint called "fuji" is tucked behind a coin laundry, just a counter and a griddle, the lady makes a mean negiyaki with loads of scallion. it's like 700 yen and she'll chat if you nod along
for cafes, the one under the train tracks near oimachi station is worth the trek. it's literally a concrete nook with a counter, serves filter coffee and homemade pudding, the owner's a retired salaryman who plays enka music. no sign, just a chalkboard with "coffee" written in katakana. 400 yen and you can sit for hours watching trains pass
also check the little park near the shrine around dusk, there's a guy who sometimes sets up a yakitori cart with a charcoal grill. no fixed schedule but if he's there it's the best skewers you'll find, 150 yen each and he uses a secret tare sauce. just look for the smoke
The other tips are solid, but if you really want the local experience, head over to the small shotengai near the south exit of the station. It's basically a covered shopping street that looks dead from the outside, but there's a tiny senbei shop run by an old couple who've been there for decades. They'll let you try a few flavors if you smile and point. Also, check out the corner bakery two blocks west of there, no sign out front, just the smell of bread. They do a simple anpan that's perfect with a coffee from the vending machine
honestly the best hidden spots in matsunoki are the ones that don't look like shops at all. there's a tiny soba place on a residential corner near the shinagawa shrine, no sign just a sliding door and a single vending machine outside. they do a cold soba set with this really intense dipping sauce for under 1000 yen. the owner's an older lady who grows herbs in pots by the entrance.
if you want that bookstore vibe, skip bunko and head toward the little alley behind the post office. there's a used book and record shop called "ototo" that's open like 2pm to 7pm whenever the owner feels like it. he mostly sells old jazz and showa-era novels. no coffee there but the pharmacy cafe mentioned is solid, just be ready for the cigarette smoke from the old guys.
the trick is to go between 2 and 4pm on a weekday. that's when the lunch rush dies and the old timers take over. you'll see places with just a curtain and a handwritten menu on the door. if the menu's only in kanji, you're in the right spot. bring coins for the ticket machines, most don't make change.
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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.