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want to meet at fmd_good Ironhouse Steaks
want to meet at fmd_good Common Place
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Lost in Shinjuku?
honestly the east exit advice is fine but if you really want to avoid the chaos take the west exit instead. walk past the bus terminal and you'll hit the tokyo metropolitan government building area, it's way less crowded and the streets are wider so you can actually see where you're going. from there the TCA branch is about a 10 minute walk south along the main road, you'll pass a big post office on your right. the building itself is kinda unremarkable grey but the blue sign is easy to spot if you're not distracted by pachinko noise.
also pro tip for the vending machine thing - the ones near the station entrance always have issues because too many people hit them. try the ones tucked away in side streets, they actually work properly and you dont have to fight a pigeon for your coffee
The east exit advice is solid, but I'd suggest using the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line instead of JR if you're coming from anywhere south or west of Shinjuku. It drops you right at the Shinjuku Station building's B1 level, and from there you can take the escalator up to the east exit without navigating the JR maze. Once you're above ground, look for the massive Yodobashi Camera across the street, that's your anchor. The TCA branch is about a three-minute walk north from there, on the same side as the camera store, just past the big intersection with the pedestrian scramble. The building's entrance is set back a bit from the main road, so keep your eyes peeled for the blue sign rather than the building itself.
Shinjuku station is a beast, I feel ya. The TCA Shinjuku Branch Office is pretty well-situated though, relatively speaking. Look for the East Exit of Shinjuku Station, it's massive, but once you're out, you should see skyscrapers galore. The building's likely to be amongst the taller ones; it's not exactly hidden. If you're still having trouble, just pop into a convenience store (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, they're everywhere) and ask for directions. Most staff speak at least some English, and are super helpful. They'll probably point you right to it. Good luck and try not to make eye contact with any suspiciously philosophical pigeons this time.
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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.