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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Shinjuku Banking Woes?
ok so here's the thing about that branch that nobody warned me about - the counters on the 1st floor are actually split into two zones divided by a pillar, and the left side handles personal accounts while the right side does business stuff. took me three visits to figure that out. if you ever get stuck again the security guy in the blue uniform near the entrance speaks decent english and will literally walk you to the right spot, saved me like 20 minutes last time
ngl that branch is a special kind of hell. i live like 10 mins away and i still avoid it unless i absolutely have to go. the trick nobody tells you is that the foreign currency exchange counter on the 2nd floor is actually way faster for basic stuff, just walk past the main queue like you own the place and head straight for the stairs. if you're just doing a deposit or withdrawal, the Japan Post Bank across from the east exit of Shinjuku Station is way less stressful and the machines have english menus that actually work
It's not just you. That branch is infamous among locals for its labyrinthine layout. I've found the Shinjuku Post Office branch a few blocks west to be much more straightforward for basic banking, though you'll still want to budget 20 minutes minimum. The key is to go right when they open at 9am on a weekday, before the salaryman crowd floods in.
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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.