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Tsukiji Outer Market vibes on Sundays?
thank you! I hear since Toyosu is closed on sundays, so is tsukiji outer market. if i were to go on a sunday, how many stores would be open? would it be crowded?
thank you!
nah u should be fine honestly. the outer market is a different beast from the inner market and toyosu - most of the shops along the main street stay open on sundays. prob like 70-80% of the stalls will be running, the ones that close are usually the tiny wholesalers tucked in the side alleys
sundays are actually pretty busy though, lots of tourists and locals doing their weekly shopping. if u go before 9am it's manageable but by 10-11am ur gonna be shoulder to shoulder near the popular spots like the tamagoyaki stands. bring cash, some of the smaller places don't take cards
i think people exaggerate how much is closed honestly. the outer market is its own thing and sunday is actually a good day because some of the regular neighborhood shoppers come out too, gives it more of a local vibe than the tourist crush on saturdays
the real difference is the fishmongers selling live stuff, those are mostly closed. but the prepared food stalls, knife shops, and kitchen supply stores are all open. there's a knife sharpening guy who sets up near the south exit on sundays only, he'll do a quick edge on your kitchen knife for like 500 yen while you wait
the crowds are real but it's not as bad as people say if you stick to the outer edges. the area around the old police station has a few stalls that are way quieter and they sell the same grilled scallops for 100 yen less than the main strip
fwiw the outer market is mostly fine on sundays, the main street with the grilled foods and souvenir shops runs like normal. the whole "tsukiji is closed sunday" thing is about the inner auction area which moved to toyosu years ago anyway
crowd wise it's a zoo from mid-morning, but if you loop around the back alleys near the Higashi Honganji temple side you'll find way less people and some hidden stalls selling fresh wasabi root and dried shiitake. the coffee stand run by the old guy with the cat on his shoulder is open sundays too, his iced coffee is solid and he doesn't rush you
the real trick is going around 2pm, most tourists clear out for lunch elsewhere and the afternoon lull hits. shops stay open til 4-5pm usually so you get the same food without the shoving
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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.