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Lost in Matsunoki?
You're not the first person to get spun around there, it's practically a rite of passage. The real issue is that the block numbering system follows the order the plots were registered, not any logical street layout, so number 2 can be a 15 minute walk from number 1. I usually just aim for the nearest conbini and use its wifi to drop a pin on the map, then walk in a straight line from there ignoring the GPS until I hit a main road. The ramen you missed is good but the real find is the okonomiyaki place on the corner of the street with all the potted bamboo, they do a lunch set for 900 yen that nobody talks about.
The key is to look for the neighborhood's little landmarks, like the old persimmon tree at the corner of the main intersection or the blue-tiled house with the big camellia bush. GPS gets confused by the narrow one-way streets, but if you orient yourself by the train tracks to the south, you'll never be fully lost. That ramen shop is tucked behind the small shrine about a 7-minute walk from the station, and the line usually forms around 11:30 if you want to avoid the worst of it. The convenience store ramen is actually pretty solid for what it is, but the real secret is that the family-run soba place two blocks east makes a better bowl for half the price.
That paper lantern sign is the biggest trap in Matsunoki, I walked past it three times before I realized it was a restaurant. The best trick is to find the Lawson station on the main drag and memorize the route from there, it's only about 200 meters but the street bends in a way that makes it invisible. If you go on a Tuesday they do a smaller lunch portion for 680 yen that's exactly the same broth, just less noodles. The convenience store was probably FamilyMart on the corner, their fried chicken is decent but the egg salad sandwich there is a known local secret.
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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.