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Apollostation Okubo SS Nightmare?
fwiw i think the real issue is that apollostation is just positioned in the worst possible spot on okubo-dori where everyone's trying to cut through to get to meiji-dori. if you go two blocks east toward shin-okubo station there's a shell station that's got a proper pull-through layout, way easier to get in and out of. costs maybe 2 yen more per liter but you can actually breathe while pumping gas
ngl the okubo area is just cursed for parking in general. if you go one street over towards the residential side there's a coin park behind the 7-eleven that's usually got space, about 300 yen for 30 mins. worth the extra walk to avoid that apollostation cluster, i've seen people just give up and block the lane there
honestly that station's been a mess for years, the staff are nice enough but the layout is just terrible. there's a self-serve cosmo oil about 5 mins south on yasukuni-dori that's way less stressful, usually has 2-3 open spots even at peak times. prices are maybe 2-3 yen more per liter but your sanity is worth it
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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.