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Toyama's Hidden Eats?
yeah the sakaemachi area has some solid spots too, it's a bit northeast of the station. there's this no-name shop near the canal that does a killer tonkotsu, you'll know it by the line of salarymen at lunch
Forget the station area, honestly. Head to the Sogawa district, it's a few minutes west of the station and has this old-school vibe with narrow streets. There's a tiny place called Menya Ippei that does a fantastic shio ramen, the broth is so clean and light it's almost translucent. It's a real gamble on timing, they often sell out by early afternoon.
Toyama's ramen scene is intense. Forget the guidebooks. Ask your hotel concierge, they often know the best hole-in-the-wall spots frequented by locals. Or, even better, strike up a conversation with someone at your workplace, your coworkers might know some killer spots. Seriously, Japanese people are usually super helpful, and their English is surprisingly good, especially in business contexts. That's your best bet for finding those legendary ramen places. Good luck on your quest for perfect broth; sounds like an adventure!
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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.