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want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
want to meet at fmd_good Vintage Avenue
want to meet at fmd_good Local House
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The best way to explore the Okutama area?
Is the bus service in this area frequent - as I'd ideally not want to waste too much time on public transportation. Or would it be possible to rent a car near the station, and drive this area on our own? Though, i'm not 100% sure what the road conditions are like here in December. I'll have an international driver's license, and have experience driving in Japan and in winter conditions.
My plan is to also go to Kurochaya for dinner or lunch for my gf's birthday. Any other neat bday ideas in this area would also be appreciated.
driving is really the only practical way to hit all those spots in one day, the buses are basically useless for a tight schedule. that said, if you do drive, take the time to go up the tozura tunnel road instead of the main route along the lake, it's a narrow winding road through the forest but the views over the valley are way better and there's almost no traffic. for the caves, just know nippara closes early in winter, like 4pm, so hit that first before it gets dark. kurochaya is a good pick for the birthday, their grilled river fish is legit and the setting right on the river feels special at night with the lights reflecting off the water. if you want a dessert stop after, there's a tiny kakigori shop near the station called mizore that does a winter version with sweet chestnut paste, it's random but nice
car's definitely the move for hitting all that in one day, the bus schedule is brutal out there and you'll waste half your daylight waiting around. roads are fine in december, i've done the drive plenty, just watch for black ice on the mountain side of the road near the lake in the morning
for a birthday dinner, kurochaya is good but honestly the view from the restaurant at okutama lake side hotel is hard to beat, they do a nice kaiseki course and the windows face the water. if you're driving up from the caves direction, stop at the little bakery near the dam, forget the name but it does these grilled mochi with sweet soy that's perfect after hiking
one thing people skip - the trail from lake okutama to the nippara cave entrance is actually a nice 40 min walk through the forest along the river, way more scenic than just driving to the cave parking lot. just check the cave closing time, they stop entry at 3:30 in winter
The train ride out from Shinjuku is part of the experience honestly, grab a window seat on the left side for the best river views once you pass through Hachioji. Renting a car is the move if you want to actually see more than one or two spots, the bus runs about every 90 minutes and you'll lose patience fast. Road conditions are fine in December, just watch for black ice on the shaded mountain curves near Lake Okutama in the early morning. For the birthday, Kurochaya is a good bet but if you want something different, the soba place up at Nippara Caves is surprisingly nice and has a legit kamado fireplace that makes it feel special in winter.
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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.