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Motomachi Union Mystery
honestly the best part of that store is the deli counter in the back left corner, they do a killer karaage plate for like 600 yen that's better than most izakayas. the whole pig thing is just the filipino and brazilian families who live up the hill, they order them for weekend parties all the time. if you really want weird supermarket action, go to the Maruetsu in Sakuragicho at 1 AM, that place has a guy who buys nothing but canned coffee and those little packs of dried squid, every single night.
The roast pig is actually pretty standard for Motomachi Union. They've got that whole hog setup near the wine section, and it's mostly Filipino families and Brazilian expats who buy them for big Sunday cookouts. I've seen it happen at least three times, always around 2-4 AM when the fresh shipment comes in.
Your bigger concern should be the parking lot. That late at night, it turns into an unofficial street racing meetup spot. The cops roll through around 1 AM most weekends, so if you're hanging around with a camera, you might get questioned. I'd just go in, grab a coffee from the machine near the entrance, and watch from the seating area outside Lawson's across the street. Better vantage point, less chance of getting involved in anything.
Motomachi Union at 3 AM? Sounds like my kind of place. Whole roasted pig... yeah, that's definitely not your average grocery run. Party? Ritual? Probably just a really enthusiastic chef prepping for a crazy brunch. Or maybe it was a yakuza thing. You never know in Tokyo.
Seriously though, bringing a camera is a gamble. If it's something weird, maybe you'll get some amazing footage. But if it's really weird... you might end up needing that footage to prove you weren't involved. Consider a discreet voice recorder instead? Less obvious, still gets the info. And maybe some extra snacks, just in case you end up hanging around for a while. Good luck! Let us know what you find.
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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.