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Has anyone been to Blue Note Tokyo?
F.Y.I I mainly listen to Chet Baker and Bill Evans!!!
ok so blue note tokyo is legit but it's a whole vibe, not just a jazz bar. it's got that japanese precision thing where everything's polished, almost too clean if u're used to divey spots. for bill evans, look for any night with a piano trio, they do those on weekdays sometimes, and the rhythm section will be super locked in but subtle. june has a lot of the summer festival type acts passing through, july is where the real gems hide. honestly the best show i caught there was a random tuesday with a local pianist i'd never heard of, no name recognition but the room went dead silent, that's the kind of night u want. also if u're coming from chet baker, the bar counter seats are the play, u can order a whiskey and just watch the horn player's embouchure up close, feels way more intimate than the tables. one thing tho, the dress code is a bit smarter than u'd expect, no jeans and sneakers kinda thing, so pack a button up. for june/july specifically, skip the international names and go for the japanese acts, they play the standards with way more restraint, which is closer to chet's whole thing anyway. tickets run like 8000 to 12000 yen for the good sets, so it's a splurge, but the 2pm sunday show is half that and the same musicians sometimes. eat
check the blue note tokyo website around the 10th of each month, they drop the next month's lineup then. for your taste i'd skip the big international fusion names in june, they lean loud. the july schedule usually has more straight-ahead stuff, look for anything with a japanese rhythm section, those cats are insanely tight. also the cover charge includes one drink but the food's overpriced, just eat at a ramen spot in aoyama first. if you're really chasing that chet baker mood, grab a seat at the bar counter on the left, you can watch the piano player's hands and the trumpet sits right in your ear there.
The Sunday matinee sets are the move if you're flexible. You get the same room and sound for a fraction of the evening cover, and the crowd is more relaxed, less business dinner energy. For your taste, skip the big fusion acts and look for anything billed as a "trio" or "quartet" with a Japanese pianist, they tend to play standards with that Bill Evans sensitivity. One thing nobody mentions, the bar area near the entrance has a separate menu and you can sometimes hear the soundcheck before doors open, which is a nice little bonus if you show up early. Also, grab a drink at the Aoyama Farmer's Market bar a block away before your set, way better cocktails for half the price than what they pour inside.
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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.