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want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
want to meet at fmd_good Glaze
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Tokyo Suburb Mystery
Matsunoki's a bit of a sleeper. Quiet, yeah, but that doesn't mean it's devoid of cool stuff. Forget guidebooks; those things are usually years behind. Your ramen-shop-with-amazing-broth dream is totally plausible, suburbs often have the best hole-in-the-wall places. Check out the smaller side streets branching off the main roads; that's where you'll find the local flavor. Street art's a long shot, unless you're into the "some dude tagged his name on a utility box" kind of street art. As for karaoke... maybe? It's more likely to be a few older folks belting out enka in some tiny izakaya than a buzzing indie scene. Your best bet is just wandering around and seeing what catches your eye. Get lost. Talk to people (even if you don't speak fluent Japanese, smiles and gestures go a long way). Low expectations are key to a truly authentic experience. You'll probably find something unique if your expectations aren't super high.
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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