Magokorotei — Restaurant in Niigata

Magokorotei is an unapologetic, polarizing take on Japanese comfort food. The food is flavorful but heavy. It's one of those places that you don't really want to eat at for awhile because you feel guilty for putting this type of food in your body. 😂 There is an English Menu available. They only accept limited forms of electronic payment. Best to bring cash.

I can understand why this place is popular. The food is completely out of left field in terms of it's approach to Japanese comfort food. There is no balance here. It's jammed with as much salt, flavor, and grease as possible while still being within an acceptable limit. Although...I did feel a bit queasy after finishing my meal. I ordered the Special Ginjo Miso ramen, gyoza, and mayo karaage. The ramen was definitely the star here. As I mentioned before, completely different from what you would get anywhere else. It's oily, packed full of salt and garlic, completely in your face flavor. The noodles were the way I like it, on the softer side with some chew. If I knew how greasy the food was going to be I would have just got the ramen and not the sides. I don't recommend eating all these foods together. The gyoza and karaage was fresh, crispy, but overall, a bit standard issue. Best to just get the ramen but do keep in mind, it's still a pretty heavy dish on its own.

The restaurant is quite noisy. Not really a problem just worth mentioning. But we did have the place get smoked out from the cooking. The old man sitting next to me was coughing up a storm/tearing up because of this. I'm not sure if this is a regular occurrence but it's something to keep in mind in case you are sensitive to things like this.

The ramen at Magokorotei is worth a try, especially if you are used to the more mild balanced offerings that most other chefs would produce and want something different. It is a very heavy/greasy version of the dish so best to just stick to the soup and not get any of the fried sides. Service is quick and friendly, but I did have to queue for dining. Around 20 minutes wait. The line was out the door when I arrived and it was still out the door after I...

[良い点] 麺はとても歯応えがあり、しっかりとしたコシを感じられる食感でした．また、スープとの相性も良く、汁がしっかりと絡んで、食べ応えがありながらもスルスルと食べられる美味しさでした．無料でトッピングが豊富に用意されている点も魅力的で、自分好みにカスタマイズできるのが嬉しかったです．特に印象的だったのが炭火焼きチャーシューで、香ばしく、外はパリッと中はジューシーで、とても美味しかったです．さらに、実際に目の前で炙っている様子を見られるのもライブ感があり、味だけでなく視覚的にも楽しめました．料理へのこだわりが伝わってくる演出だと感じました．

[悪い点、改善点] 唯一残念だったのは駐車場の問題です．店舗の駐車場はいつもいっぱいで、近くで空きを見つけるのが難しく、何度も周辺を回る必要がありました．そのため、もし第2駐車場などが設けられていれば、もっとスムーズに利用できると感じました．また、土日は特に混雑しており、いつ行っても長い行列ができていました．待ち時間が長いと、子連れや高齢の方にとっては負担になるかもしれません．受付を電子化して、例えば電話やLINEで順番が来たら通知がくるようなシステムがあれば、待ち時間を有効に使うことができ、快適に利用できると思います．人気店だからこそ、そうした工夫があるとさらに満足度が上がると感じました．

[Good Point] The noodles had a wonderfully chewy texture with just the right amount of firmness, and they absorbed the broth well, making each bite flavorful and satisfying．The variety of free toppings available was impressive and allowed for a personalized dining experience, which added to the overall enjoyment．What stood out the most was the charcoal-grilled chashu—it had a rich, smoky aroma and a crisp outside with a juicy inside that was absolutely delicious．Being able to watch the chashu being grilled right in front of you added a sense of excitement and showed the restaurant’s attention to detail．It wasn’t just a meal but also an engaging experience that appealed to all senses．

[Bad Point] The biggest downside was the lack of available parking spaces．The on-site parking lot was always full, and finding an open spot nearby proved to be quite difficult, often requiring multiple laps around the area．If there were a second parking lot, it would greatly improve convenience and accessibility．Additionally, the restaurant gets extremely crowded on weekends, and long lines are almost guaranteed．This can be a major drawback, especially for families or older customers．Introducing a digital check-in system with phone or LINE notifications when your turn is near would allow people to wait more comfortably without standing in line．Given how popular the restaurant is, such improvements would enhance the overall customer experience...

Very delicious. We were there early but there was already a line. The ramen was really good and the portion sizes are huge. Even though I ordered a smaller size (which only contains less noodles) I barely managed to finish. I highly...