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Toyama's Hidden Noodle Shops?
Hit up some smaller local markets. The ones away from the main train station, maybe near residential areas. Often, you'll find little ramen shops or eateries nearby that cater mostly to locals. Look for places with mostly Japanese signs and minimal English, that's a good indicator. Don't be afraid to wander down side streets. Sometimes, the best finds are completely accidental. Also, check out some local blogs or Japanese food sites, you might find some mentions, though they'll likely be in Japanese. Good luck with your ramen quest! You'll find something awesome.
For Toyama specifically, you want to look for shops that serve "black ramen" - that's the local style with a soy sauce based broth that looks almost ink-black. The best ones are concentrated in the area around Sogawa, a few blocks west of the main station, where you'll find places that have been open since the 1950s with maybe eight seats. Just walk down any narrow street there around 11am and look for a noren curtain that looks faded and worn, that's usually a sign they've been doing it right for decades. Avoid anything with a vending machine outside for tickets, those tend to be the chains.
Honestly, just follow the salarymen at lunchtime. If you see a line of suited-up office workers waiting outside somewhere that looks like a hole in the wall, that's usually a solid bet. Also, a lot of those tiny places don't open until 11:30 and close when the broth runs out, so try to get there right when they open.
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.
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