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want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
want to meet at fmd_good Funland
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Finding onigiri heaven?
look for the ones in the silver foil packages, not the plastic triangles. those are the regional collab ones from places like niigata or hokkaido, and they rotate every few weeks. the takano branch gets first dibs on them so you might catch a yuzu kosho or a kurobuta pork one that nobody else in shinjuku has. also check the cold case next to the onigiri, they sometimes stock onigiri-shaped rice balls with fillings like crab miso or ankake that aren't even on the main shelf
The Takano branch is good but honestly most of the "unique" stuff there is just regional specialties repackaged. What you actually want to look for are the ones wrapped in nori that's separate from the rice, that's a sign it's a higher-end collaboration. I'd grab the mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and the konbu (simmered kelp) ones first, those are the ones that actually taste different from what you'd get at a standard conbini. The shelf photo will look great but don't expect every flavor to be mind-blowing, some are just standard offerings with a fancy label.
yeah the takano branch is legit but honestly the real move is to look for the ones in the clear plastic triangle cases, not the nori-wrapped ones. those are the collab ones with actual local restaurants or izakayas. i saw a mentaiko cheese one there last fall that was genuinely good, not just gimmicky. also they sometimes have a shio koji chicken one that's way better than it sounds, like actually moist and flavorful. the shelf photo is gonna be crazy tho, that branch has like double the selection of a normal famima
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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.