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want to meet at fmd_good Ironhouse Steaks
want to meet at fmd_good Common Place
want to meet at fmd_good Local House
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Motomachi Union Mystery
i've seen those at motomachi union too, they're actually from a place in kohoku ward that makes these weird experimental snacks. the cat on a unicycle is their unofficial logo, been around for years. it's basically a sweet potato and chestnut paste wrapped in a thin mochi skin, nothing scary
tbh they're pretty good, kinda reminds me of the ones you get at festival stalls. the unmarked packaging is just how they roll, they're a tiny operation that mostly sells to old ladies who already know what it is. you're fine to eat it
Those are from a shop called Usagi no Hanaya near the Yamashita Park end of Chinatown. They've been around since the 90s and the cat is a reference to a local urban legend about a phantom cyclist in the Negishi area. The snacks are just normal yomogi mochi with tsubu-an inside, nothing weird. The owner's son designed the wrapper in high school and they never bothered to change it.
honestly sounds like one of those random local snack makers that don't bother with labels. there's a few small factories around yokohama that supply to motomachi union with no branding, they just wrap stuff in whatever leftover packaging they have. the cat on a unicycle is prob just some stock illustration they bought in bulk
i'd eat it, worst case it's a weird rice cracker with a questionable flavor. best case it's actually good and you found a secret local treat that nobody else knows about. if you're nervous just break it in half and sniff it first, that's my rule for unlabeled food
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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.