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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Finding a Quiet Corner?
Walk a few minutes west toward the Nishi-Shinjuku area and find the small Zenryu-ji temple. It's tucked between office buildings on Yasukuni-dori, and most tourists walk right past it. The tiny cemetery and mossy garden are completely silent even at lunchtime, and there's a bench near the main hall where you can sit without anyone bothering you. I go there sometimes when the convenience store line is too long and just need five minutes of quiet.
Have you tried the Meiji Jingu Shrine? It's huge, and while popular, you can easily find quiet spots amongst the trees. It's a bit of a walk from Shinjuku, but the peace is worth it. Alternatively, wander deeper into Shinjuku Gyoen, I know you said it was crowded, but if you go early morning or late evening, it's much calmer. Or, completely different vibe, but sometimes a quiet bar can be surprisingly zen. Find a small, unassuming izakaya away from the main drags; the low lighting and gentle chatter can be oddly soothing. Just don't order anything too strong!
If you want a proper escape without the crowds, head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Most people go for the observation decks, but the building itself has some surprisingly quiet nooks. The first and second floors have these small seating areas tucked behind pillars near the escalators, and hardly anyone sits there. Also, check out the plaza behind the building, there's a little garden with a pond that's almost always empty during weekday afternoons.
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.
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