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Shinagawa Hospital Food?
The beige thing is a whole cultural rabbit hole. Japanese hospital meals follow "byoshoku" guidelines from the health ministry, which means they're all about being bland, low residue, and easy to digest. Shinagawa Hospital in particular is known for being strict with it, even by Tokyo standards. I've had friends who stayed there and they said the only color variation they saw was when they got a slice of pale apple for dessert.
If you ever end up back in that area for any reason, the little udon shop on the corner of Koyasudori and the old Tokaido road makes a mean kake udon that's still gentle on the stomach but actually tastes like something. It's about a five minute walk from the hospital's back gate.
oh man, the beige thing is real. Shinagawa Hospital's kitchen is run by a contract company called Sodexo, I think, and they're super strict about low sodium and low fat for patients. That's why everything tastes like wet cardboard. If you're ever back in that area, skip the hospital cafeteria and hit up the convenience store across the street, the FamilyMart has actual onigiri and egg sandwiches that won't make you sad.
Hospital food in Japan... yeah, that's a whole other level of beige, isn't it? I've had experiences in several different hospitals across the country and it's consistently...uninspiring. They seem to prioritize texture over taste, and "bland" doesn't even begin to cover it. I wouldn't be surprised if they used the same basic broth for everything. Maybe it's a cost-cutting thing, or maybe they're just trying to avoid upsetting any delicate stomachs. Either way, pack snacks next time! You'll need them.
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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.