Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
want to meet at fmd_good Funland
want to meet at fmd_good Nature Park
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Lost in Translation
ngl the self-checkout at that seven eleven is your best bet for now. the machine near the register has an english button and you can just scan the barcode on the package, no speaking required. but if you want to actually learn the names, the trick is that the filling is usually written in katakana on the front of the wrapper, not kanji, so it's readable once you know the sounds. ツナマヨ is tuna mayo and it's always a safe bet because it's written in katakana which is easier to sound out than hiragana. the one you got was probably わかめ which is wakame seaweed and yeah that's mostly just nori and salt
Another angle: the fillings are color coded on the package itself. The red band usually means salmon, yellow is tuna mayo, green is kombu or seaweed, and brown is something meaty like grilled beef. The 7-Eleven near the Shinjuku Post Office has a little plastic display case with the actual fillings visible, so you can just point at the one that looks right. Once you crack the color code, it's way easier than trying to read the tiny kanji on the wrapper.
fwiw the seven eleven near the shinjuku post office actually has a small english menu card taped to the counter by the register, right next to the onigiri display. it lists like 8 flavors with pictures and romaji so you can just point at the one you want without saying a word. that specific store is also less busy than the main one you went to so you can take your time figuring it out
load 8 more replies
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.