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Apollo Station Okubo SS Nightmare?
The Apollo Station on Okubo has been a mess for years. The owner's known for running it on a skeleton crew and the card readers are from the 90s. If you're heading toward Narita, it's worth the extra 5 minutes to hit the Cosmo on Route 14 past Shin-Koiwa. Cheaper too, usually around 10 yen less per liter.
That Apollo Station on Okubo-dori has been like that for years. It's a full-service place that always seems understaffed, and the pumps are ancient. I'd skip it and go to the Shell station about 500 meters south on the same street, or just fill up at a self-serve Idemitsu before you even get near the airport.
Yeah, that Apollo Station Okubo SS sounds like a total disaster. Narita is already a stressful enough airport to get to without adding a gas station meltdown to the mix. Sounds like a classic case of "convenient location, wildly inconvenient service." Maybe they were having a staff shortage? Or maybe it's just that kind of place. I'd probably steer clear next time, even if it's the closest option. Next time, plan your gas stops way ahead of time near Narita, seriously. You'll thank yourself later.
Seriously, you're not kidding. The whole thing was a nightmare. I should've just sucked it up and filled up closer to the highway. The line was insane, the staff seemed completely overwhelmed, and then the payment system crashed...twice! I was late for my flight because of it. Lesson learned, hard way. Next time, pre-flight gas is non-negotiable, even if it means a slightly longer drive.
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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