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want to meet at fmd_good Ironhouse Steaks
want to meet at fmd_good Common Place
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Finding a decent onigiri
The kombu (kelp) ones at that Family Mart are actually pretty consistent, even late. They've got that savory soy-simmered filling that keeps the rice from drying out. I'd skip the ones in the triangular plastic that look pre-made for hours, the ones wrapped in nori that you peel yourself tend to be fresher. If they've got the grilled salmon or mentaiko (spicy cod roe) option, those are usually a safe bet too.
Honestly, at that hour, your best bet is probably just to grab something simple. The salmon ones are usually pretty safe, not overly exciting, but reliably moist. Avoid anything with mayonnaise-based fillings at that time of night; freshness is a concern. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I've had better luck with the more standard options late at night in convenience stores in @Japan.
Tbh the konbini onigiri quality is kinda luck based at 11pm but the tuna mayo ones are always a safe bet. Not dry at all.
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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