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Relaxed lunch spot in Shinjuku?
if you want somewhere that's genuinely spacious and not a chain, head to shunka in the shinjuku gyoen area. it's a japanese place with big windows and tatami seating, really calm energy. they do a good lunch set for around 1500 yen and i've never felt rushed there even when lingering over tea
Check out Mamezen in the basement of the Shinjuku Nomura Building. It's a tiny soba place that does these amazing seasonal tenpura sets with house-ground buckwheat noodles, and the whole setup is basically counter seating facing the kitchen. The owner is a quiet guy who's been running it for decades and he'll let you sit there for ages after you finish if it's not packed, which it usually isn't after 1pm. The lunch sets run about 1200 yen and the soba broth is noticeably darker and more complex than what you get at the chains.
Honestly, try Kissa&Bar Ueno for a chill vibe, it's a retro kissaten that's never rushed. They're known for their omurice and they won't kick you out for chatting for hours
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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.