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Late-Night Ramen Run?
fwiw the famima ramen is really just a backup plan, not a destination. but if you're set on hot noodles without leaving the konbini, grab the 7-Eleven brand instead - their gyoza and the spicy miso cup are way better than Family Mart's stuff, and the broth actually tastes like something besides salt.
that said, you're two blocks from Golden Gai's main gate. most of the bars are tiny and expensive but there's a standing soba place on the corner of the main alley that does bowls till 4am for like 500 yen. it's not fancy but it's real food, hot broth, fresh noodles, and you can watch drunk salarymen stumble around while you eat. way more memorable than peeling a lid off a cup.
head to the basement of the odakyu halc building instead, it's a five minute walk from where you are. there's a 24-hour ramen spot called ichiran that's open till morning, you get your own little booth and the whole experience is way more satisfying than anything from a plastic cup. the tonkotsu broth is legit and it's like 980 yen for a standard bowl. plus you can add extra garlic if you're feeling it after a long day
The Family Mart ramen is fine for what it is, but you're right to be skeptical. The broth stays hot and the noodles have a decent texture, but it's basically just MSG and salt in a cup. If you're already at Takano Nishishinjuku, walk five minutes toward the Yodobashi Camera and you'll find a tiny 24-hour ramen stand called Nagi. They do a really solid tonkotsu with a proper pork broth, real chashu, and it's like 800 yen. Way better than peeling open a plastic lid at 11pm.
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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.