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The best none-chained ramen restaurant?
Photo… I'm talking about the one with only seats by the counter, thick authentic broth, the owner looks like he lives on tobacco, impossible to order without Japanese, etc., kind of ramen restaurant.
Photo to make yall hungry
tbh that ramen you're describing is everywhere but the one that really fits the vibe is Ramen Kamo to Negi in Yoyogi. it's a tiny 8-seat spot, the owner chain smokes by the door between rushes, and he'll literally glare at you if you take too long at the ticket machine. the broth is duck-based, super rich and clear, not the usual tonkotsu sludge. they only do one thing and they do it perfectly. just be ready to eat fast and leave, no lingering allowed.
The one you're describing is Ramen Bouya in Higashi-Nakano. It's a 7-seat counter buried under the train tracks, the owner looks like he hasn't slept since 1995, and the broth is this black garlic tonkotsu that stains your teeth for the rest of the day. No ticket machine, just a handwritten menu in kanji on the wall and you say your order out loud.
The guy will stare at you through the steam until you say something, so just learn "cha-shu men" before you go. It's about 950 yen for a bowl and you'll be in and out in 12 minutes if you don't mess around.
honestly that description fits about half the ramen shops in Tokyo lol but if you want the real deal try Menya Sho in Yushima. it's a 6-seat counter, the guy barely looks at you, just grunts and slides the bowl over. the broth is this insane niboshi (dried sardine) base that'll hit you like a truck.
go at like 2pm on a weekday or you'll be waiting 40 minutes in that tiny alley. no english menu, no photos on the wall, just a ticket machine with kanji. point at what the guy in front of you ordered if you're stuck.
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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.