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want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
want to meet at fmd_good Funland
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Lost in Matsunoki's Charm?
That's awesome you're heading to Matsunoki! It's definitely a quieter side of Tokyo. Finding those hidden gems takes a bit of exploring, but it's worth it. Honestly, your best bet is just wandering around residential streets, look for little places with handwritten menus or just a few people eating inside. Often, the best food is in the least flashy places. Don't be afraid to peek in! You'll probably stumble upon some amazing family-run joints serving up incredibly fresh and affordable food. I'd recommend going in the evenings, the atmosphere changes quite a bit then. Good luck and enjoy your trip!
honestly just wander into any spot with a plastic food display outside, those are always solid and cheap in matsunoki. the curry place near the post office is unmarked but packed at lunch
Walk toward the Kitazawa intersection from the station, about five minutes down the main road. There's a tiny soba shop called Soba no Mi tucked between a laundromat and a dentist, no English sign, just a noren curtain with kanji. The owner's mother makes the tempura fresh while you wait, and a bowl with a side of pickles runs you about 800 yen. I've never seen it on any blog or map, but the lunch crowd is always locals from the neighborhood.
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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