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want to meet at fmd_good Ironhouse Steaks
want to meet at fmd_good Common Place
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Shinjuku's Hidden Stage?
honestly sounds like someone mixed up two things. there's no secret bar inside belle salle itself, but the whole shinjuku east side area is full of these tiny basement bars that feel like speakeasies. if you walk toward golden gai after your conference you'll find dozens of places that are literally hidden behind narrow staircases and unmarked doors. one of my favorites is death match in heaven on the 4th floor of a random building near the shinjuku tokyu milano, tiny joint with maybe 6 seats and the owner just plays death metal vinyls all night
theres a spot called the old imperial bar thats actually in the basement of the shinjuku gyoen building next door, not belle salle. you gotta go down this narrow staircase behind a fire door that looks like a maintenance exit. they do a proper old fashioned with japanese whisky, around 1800 yen. way easier to find than some hidden door inside the venue
i've actually heard this before, but it's not in belle salle itself. there's a tiny whisky bar called "bar high five" tucked in a basement a couple blocks east on yotsuya-dori, no sign outside just a plain door. it's not hidden in the building, but it's close enough for a conference break and way more legit than a rumour
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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.