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
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Shinjuku Banking Woes?
Used Mizuho Bank in Shinjuku a few times. Generally smooth sailing, even with my butchered Japanese. They have English speakers on hand, or at least they usually direct you to someone who does. Never had any surprise fees, but always double-check your receipt just to be safe, you know, standard banking paranoia. Might be worth calling ahead if you're exchanging a huge sum, just to make sure they have enough on hand.
That's reassuring! Thanks for the heads-up about calling ahead for large exchanges, hadn't thought of that. I appreciate the tip about checking the receipt too; better safe than sorry. My Japanese is... well, let's just say it's a work in progress. So knowing they have English speakers available is a huge relief.
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.
load 2 more replies