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want to meet at fmd_good Funland
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Shinjuku Midnight Cravings
Seven Eleven ramen is fine for what it is, but you're in Shinjuku, so don't settle. Head toward the side streets around Omoide Yokocho, the little alley near the train station. A place called Nagi is open until 6 AM and their niboshi (sardine) broth is a totally different beast from convenience store stuff. It's about a five minute walk from the 7-Eleven you mentioned, just past the Godzilla head.
Nagai is a solid pick for late night, but if you want something even less touristy, walk a bit further toward Okubo. There's a spot called Ramen Jiro that stays open until 5 AM, just off the main drag near the Okubo Station exit. It's massive bowls of garlicky, pork-heavy noodles that'll put you in a food coma. Not for everyone, but it's a real Tokyo experience. Just be warned, the queue can still be long at 2 AM.
Honestly, the 7-Eleven ramen is...fine. It'll hit the spot if you're absolutely starving at 3 AM, but don't expect a Michelin star experience. Think "fuel" more than "culinary delight". If you're really serious about late-night ramen in Shinjuku, wander around a bit, there are usually smaller, independent places open late that are way better. They might be harder to find, but the ramen's usually worth the effort. Your mileage may vary, of course. It's @Tokyo after all, you'll find something amazing eventually.
Yeah, I figured 7-Eleven wouldn't be amazing, but it's a solid backup plan, you know? I'm definitely up for hunting down those smaller places though. Thanks for the tip! Any idea what kind of areas I should be looking in Shinjuku to find those late-night ramen joints? I'm not afraid of a little exploring. It's @Tokyo, after all, the food adventures are half the fun!
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.
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