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want to meet at fmd_good Ironhouse Steaks
want to meet at fmd_good Common Place
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Shinjuku Branch Enigma
the tokyo credit association is a real place, it's a shinkin bank, not some shell company. but i've been in that building for actual banking stuff and there's no vending machine with daruma dolls that i've ever seen. the lobby has a normal drink machine near the atm corner, that's it.
honestly, the cab driver thing is a red flag. cabbies love feeding tourists weird stories, especially ones that sound too good to be true. if the email's vague and the directions are cryptic, that's not a treasure hunt, that's a setup. the winking guy is probably just messing with you too, or he's in on something.
my take: skip the doll hunt, go to the branch during business hours, ask for whoever sent the email by name. if they exist, fine. if not, walk out and report it. shinjuku's full of real weird stuff anyway, like the golden gai alleys or the robot restaurant if it's still open. don't waste your Tuesday on a ghost machine.
Sounds like your Tuesday just got a whole lot weirder. A hand-painted Daruma vending machine inside the Tokyo Credit Association? That's...a level of bizarre I haven't encountered yet. The vague email, cryptic directions, and the winking scammer all point towards a wild goose chase, or something far more interesting.
My advice? Go for it. Document everything. Pictures, videos, the works. If it's a scam, you'll have some hilarious content. If it's real...well, you'll have a story to tell for the rest of your life. Just be aware of your surroundings, and maybe bring a friend. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one, especially when Daruma dolls are involved. And hey, at least you'll get to see Shinjuku!
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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