• 4
• Excellent Beachside Experience

Some of the previous, unnecessarily persnickety reviews of this chill beachside cafe prompted me to get an account and finally start writing some of my own. My boyfriend and I went to Magokoro yesterday after a morning at the beach, and it was everything we wanted it to be. Much of what they have is vegan or can be made so, the portions are NOT ridiculously tiny, and the food itself is very good. We had the curry (which was the better of the two) and taco rice sets, both of which also came with a few tasty sides. My personal favourites were the little cups of vichyssoise with hemp seeds and the homemade tabasco - not really tabasco, but an awesome kick of vinegar that immediately subsides into a gentle aftertaste - in a tiny earthenware jar on the table. One of the kitchen staff members in particular spoke quite good English and was very friendly. After sitting down and ordering we were able to move to the bar facing the beach, and he was genuinely interested in making sure I selected a shochu I'd like and that it was served in a refreshing way (mixed with a little soda and ice, for example). I ended up getting one distilled from sweet potatoes with just a couple of ice cubes, and the Ebisu draft my boyfriend had was also very refreshing. An artist named Oukubo Akiko is currently exhibiting a wide variety of works all around the cafe, and a few of the smaller ones are definitely affordable. She came in as we were about to leave and I chatted with her for a few minutes. All in all this was a wonderfully pleasant experience, and the atmosphere was exactly right for a hippie cafe in a popular surfing town. It wouldn't kill them to have a couple more fans going, and while the prices are slightly high, considering how fresh the dishes are, how many of their components are homemade and/or local, and the fact that you're sitting on a piece of prime real estate, they are very reasonable. I'm looking forward to going back.