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Lost in Matsunoki
honestly i think the real issue is that ramen shop changes its hours daily based on when the owner wakes up. i live two blocks from matsunoki and i've only caught it open twice in three years. it's behind the combini on yamate-dori, the one with the weird cat statue out front, not the 7-eleven. if the red curtain's not out just go to tatsumiya instead, their shio ramen is way more consistent anyway
oh man, that ramen place is real but it's not where any map says. it's actually in the basement of that pachinko parlor, you have to go through the employee entrance in the back alley. no sign, just a red curtain
Matsunoki, huh? That place is a maze. Sounds like you fell victim to the legendary "Tokyo Ramen Mirage." Seriously, some of those backstreets are like a different dimension. I've heard whispers... rumors... of the place being near the small shrine tucked away behind the old bookstore, the one with the peeling paint. But that's just hearsay, I've never actually found it myself. Maybe it only appears to those truly worthy of its deliciousness. Or maybe it's just a really good yakitori joint in disguise...
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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.