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Toyama's Best Kept Secret?
your aunt's playing it smart honestly, the best ramen in toyama isn't on google maps. there's a place called "sakura" on a side street off the main shopping arcade, no sign just a wooden door with a sliding paper panel. they do a shio ramen with a crystal clear broth that's been simmering for like 18 hours, it's almost sweet. i've seen salarymen cry over that bowl. if you walk past the arcade toward the river you'll see a narrow alley with a single lantern, that's the entrance
toyama station's west exit has a row of tiny shops under the train tracks that most tourists miss. there's one called "ra-men jiro" that does a heavy garlic pork broth, not the typical toyama black style but locals line up for it. if your aunt's into the old-school vibe, she might be taking you to the place on suwa street that's been there since the 70s, the one with the faded red sign and no name in english
honestly, it's probably not some hidden underground spot. toyama's known for "toyama black" ramen - a soy-based broth that's darker and richer than usual. the most famous shop is i think called "ibaraki" or something near the castle... but your aunt might be taking you to "ramen taisho" which is a tiny hole-in-the-wall by the river. no english menu, cash only, closes by 8pm
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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.