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want to meet at fmd_good Funland
want to meet at fmd_good Nature Park
want to meet at fmd_good Corner Diner
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Finding a Quiet Corner?
weekday afternoons around 2-3pm are usually dead at that lawson, right after lunch rush but before people grab stuff for dinner. i've noticed thursdays are especially quiet for some reason, maybe cause everyone's saving energy for friday. if u want a change of scenery the starbucks reserve in shinjuku gyeon has a second floor with those big windows overlooking the park, it's never as packed as the main branch
The third floor Lawson trick is smart, but if you want a different vibe entirely, try the Shinjuku Marui Annex. It's a department store mostly for women's fashion, so most guys skip it entirely. The top floor has a small cafe with outdoor seating that overlooks the back streets, and it's dead quiet on weekday afternoons. I've sat there for an hour with a drink and barely heard a conversation.
honestly theres a tiny park called shinjuku gyoen national garden thats like a 5 min walk from that lawson, entrance fee is like 200 yen and its dead quiet on weekday mornings. theres this one bench near the taiwan pavilion area that nobody seems to know about, i sit there reading sometimes and hear nothing but birds. if you want another convenience store option the familymart on the corner of yotsuya 3-chome has a rooftop seating area thats usually empty after 1pm, way better than fighting for space in lawson
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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.