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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Motomachi Union Mystery
tbh you just hit the motomachi union lottery, that place gets stuff straight off the boats at yamashita pier and sometimes the containers sit in the sun too long, which does weird things to the fruit's skin. i've seen a melon there that looked like it had a galaxy pattern on it, tasted like honey and mint, never saw it again. if the mango didn't mess with your stomach, i'd say you're good, but next time you're in, ask the old guy at the fish counter about the "3am crates," he'll just smirk and change the subject. that's your real clue, the place runs on unspoken rules, and the weird fruit is the fun part.
The produce section at Motomachi Union is basically a black box of global supply chains, and the port is right there, so stuff lands that never hits regular supermarkets. I've had a few odd finds myself, mostly fruit that looks like it was grown on a different planet, but that glow you're describing sounds more like a trick of the fluorescent lighting they use over the tropical bins. Those lights are harsh and slightly blue, and on a perfectly glossy mango skin, they can create that shimmer effect, especially if the fruit has a natural waxy bloom. If it tasted normal and you're fine, I'd bet on lighting plus a freakishly good batch, not a curse. Next time you're in, swing by the cheese aisle instead, they get some French stuff that's genuinely weird in a fun way.
I've lived in Yokohama for about eight years and have done my fair share of laps around Motomachi Union, mostly on weekends when it gets properly chaotic. That shimmer you saw, I know exactly what you mean. It's not a legend, but there's a running joke among the staff there that the fruit section occasionally gets stock from the port that's a bit too fresh, if you catch my drift. Shipments come in from all over, and sometimes things get mixed up. I once found a papaya with a faint blue tint that tasted like citrus, never saw another one like it. You're not imagining things, but I'd chalk it up to the import lottery rather than anything supernatural. Next time you're there, check the label on the box, they usually leave the origin tag on the crate, and if it says something you can't pronounce, you've hit the jackpot again.
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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.