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Finding the Perfect Onigiri?
The Pokemon shaped ones are a trap, they use a different rice blend that gets gummy faster. At that Nishishinjuku store, the real play is the yaki onigiri in the hot case near the register, they get a fresh batch around 10:30am and the soy sauce glaze caramelizes on the griddle. Grab one while it's still warm and peel the nori off to eat it like a grown up, the texture contrast is way better than the plastic wrapped ones.
i know everyone's saying stick to the konbini but that seven eleven actually has a little handwritten sign near the register sometimes, if you ask the older guy with the glasses who works weekday mornings he'll point you to the onigiri they made in the back that morning, it's not a regular thing but the salmon teriyaki one he recommended was legit way better than the usual factory stuff. just gotta catch him before 9am or he's gone
You're overthinking the konbini onigiri game. That particular Seven Eleven on Nishishinjuku is fine, but the real move is to hit the one on the corner of Meiji-dori and Yotsuya-dori around 11am. That's when they restock the fresh ones from the back, not the sad ones that've been sitting under the heat lamp all morning. The mentaiko mayo triangle is the one you want, they sell out by noon most days. If you're still chasing the Pokemon vibe, the character-shaped ones are just for looks, stick to the plain triangles for actual flavor.
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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.