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Why are all shisha (hookah) places so high rated on google maps?
i think a lot of it is just japanese review culture being inflated in general, a 3.5 here is like a 2.0 in most countries. but specifically for shisha places, they're almost always in those tiny multi-tenant buildings in dogenzaka or kabukicho where the turnover is high and owners aggressively manage their google presence. if you scroll past the top 50 reviews you'll start seeing the same complaints about weak smoke and overpriced mint flavors. try the place under the train tracks in shinbashi, it's called kazoku and they actually change their tobacco brands monthly
the free drink thing is real but another factor is that japanese google maps culture is weirdly generous in general, like 4.0 here is a 3.0 anywhere else. shisha places specifically also benefit from being late night options when everything else is closed, so drunk people leave glowing reviews at 3am. if you want a real test of quality check the 3 star reviews, those are usually the ones mentioning bad service or burnt tobacco, the 5 stars are mostly just "had fun with friends" filler
yeah it's a thing lol. most of them run those "free drink with a review" promos at the register so you get a flood of 5 stars before you even sit down. a lot are also run by the same few owners in shinjuku and shibuya so they share tactics. if you want an honest vibe try the places in koenji or kichijoji where they don't do that stuff
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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.