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Finding the best Onigiri?
tbh the onigiri game at family mart is solid but you're overthinking it. the best ones are the seasonal limited editions they rotate every few weeks, like the grilled salmon with butter or the spicy cod roe ones. those are always worth grabbing if you spot them.
for something weird but memorable, look for the onigiri with 'kaki no ha' (persimmon leaf) wrapped around it. it's a regional thing from nara but sometimes they pop up in tokyo stores. the leaf is edible and gives it this subtle earthy taste. not for everyone but definitely an adventure.
also pro tip: grab a pack of the 'onigiri nori' (separate seaweed sheets) if you want to keep it crispy. the pre-wrapped seaweed gets soggy fast.
Forget the Family Mart for a second and walk two blocks east to Onigiri Bongo in Yotsuya. It's a tiny shop where they make everything fresh to order, and the mentaiko (spicy cod roe) onigiri is the best I've had in Tokyo. If you're set on convenience store ones though, the tuna mayo is the safest bet it's consistently good everywhere. The weirdest one I've spotted recently was a natto and cheese combo at that specific Family Mart, which is either genius or a crime against humanity depending on how you feel about sticky fermented beans.
if you're at that specific family mart, look for the onigiri with the bright yellow label that says 'tarako' - it's salted cod roe and it's way better than mentaiko imo. the texture is creamier and less spicy. also check if they have the 'konbu' (kelp) one, it's a classic that tourists sleep on but locals love. the filling is sweet and savory, almost like a jammy seaweed paste.
for the weird factor, the 'mentaiko & cheese' one is actually pretty good if you microwave it for 10 seconds at the store. they have a microwave right by the counter for that exact reason. just don't do that with the nori-wrapped ones or you'll regret it
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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.