Review Kumako - San Jose

Junhua Chen

The food is not only delicious but also beautifully presented, making each meal a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The flavors are authentic and rich, truly capturing the essence of traditional ramen.

Melina Truong

Literally the best service I have ever experienced at a restaurant. I was visiting from Canada and decided to check his place out because my partner loooves taken. The staff noticed I could barely eat my food due to the spice level (I wasn't aware it was a spicy dish) and made me ramen of my choice for no extra charge. All of the food was amazing!

Glen Yu

Decided to get lunch here out of the many choice available in Japantown. Was not disappointed. The restaurant is cozy and I would say it is not suitable for large parties of more than 4. Service was prompt and friendly. In terms of food, I’ve had ramen from many shops before but this place had a chilled ramen (hiyashi ramen) which I don’t often see so thought I’d give it a try. I also got an appetizer order of Japanese pork sausages (kurobuta) — another menu item I don’t see very often. Both were very delicious. The chilled ramen in particular. I didn’t mind that there was no broth. Would come again next time I’m in the SJ area.

David Hoover

Casual ramen joint located in San Jose’s Nihonmachi, with the feel of a place one might find in Hawaii or rural Japan. Tried the shio (salt-based) bowl with black garlic seasoning and char siu. Broth was nicely flavored, sliced pork meat and fat were flavorful and tender. Asked waiter if noodles were firm or soft; she responded that cooks could make them as I like, and they came slightly firm as requested. Gyoza nicely browned on one side, interior minced finely. Solid place. Note: Located along main street in Nihon Machi (“Japan Town“), which has a nice series of plaques and engraved stone benches describing the history of Japanese American families who have lived, farmed, and operated businesses in this area for more than a century.

Jill Bacon

Great Service, Great Food, Great Beer Pairing Selections. The owner was super friendly and made excellent suggestions of things for us to try since we were from out of town. Milwaukee actually and our Bucks were on the news on the screen during playoffs. Milwaukee has some great ramen places, but this beat them all. The frozen glass for the beer was a nice touch. Great food experience for sure.

Jennifer Teu

The karaage was generous and tasty, but slightly less crisp than I like, and I would’ve preferred the okonomi sauce on the side rather than drizzled on top. The charsu don was very flavorful. The noodles in all our ramen were perfectly al dente. The tonkotsu broth was rich and yummy, the duck broth was tasty but the meat was a little tough, and the vegetarian miso was nice, especially with the addition of a tiny bit of hot sauce. At 5pm on Sunday on a holiday weekend (Presidents Day), we waited about 20 minutes for a table for 4.

Jay g

I've been to a couple Ramen places here in San Jose. This one is definitely the best. Broth isn't super salty like other places. It's a small place but that's a nice appeal. Will go again soon

Lee Rhea

This is my favorite place to eat in Japan town! If you are a fan of ramen, definitely check this place out! The restaurant is small and feels a little cramped but the food is worth it!

Kristy ShanYun Chung

Went to Kumasi for lunch as I was carving some ramen, and saw they have duck ramen! Never had before so wanted to give it a try. We got: -Shumai: okay but nothing particularly special about it. I may choose other appetizers next time if we go again. - Tan Tan Ramen: this one really disappointed...the broth flavor was a bit "thin", probably won't get it again. - Duck Ramen: Came for it and it's the right choice. The broth was pretty good (funny thing was the duck ramen broth was 2/3 of tan tan ramen's broth volume...kinda tell you which one is better ) The duck tasted like HK style roasted duck and I liked it. Overall I would give it 3.5 instead of 4, it's a place that if you are near by than go for it, but probably won't worth a trip as there are other better ramen places in the Bay Area/South Bay.

RNDM Reviewer

This place is small but can serve hot ramen fast! The spicy tan tan wasn’t too spicy (compared to Mexican food) and was full of flavor and was very filling. Definitely recommend to anyone who is willing to try new things.

Jonas De

Their ramen is excellent! Also, the owners are a great bunch with a friendly attitude that makes one feel really welcome there. Very homey feeling. Furthermore, they have among the spiciest chili there is. But you have to ask for it explicitly. Big warning on that if you're not a seasoned chili warrior. It's not part of the normal dishes so don't worry, but if you're looking for a challenge, this could be it !

Angela Lai

Long wait even on a Sunday Cleaning of the table was a little rushed Duck ramen was special but very oily

Jason “제이슨” Latorre

We tend to come here for lunch on the weekends. Nice little Ramen shop in Japan Town with friendly staff and great food! I usually get the Vegetable & Tofu Ramen, Hiyayako and the Daikon Salad, while the rest of the family loves the Tonkatsu Ramen, Shumai and Calamari.

Teresa Carrillo

Came here for lunch on a Thursday. It was a little busy since the place is small. There are only a couple tables and a bar stool area. As soon as we were seated our orders were taken. We ordered the Siu Mai it came with wasabi and soy sauce. It was good. Then I ordered the kids shoyu for my toddler that loves noodles. It was a good size for $9. My teen ordered the gyudon rice bowl. I ordered the katsu curry ramen. The katsu was crispy and still moist. The curry broth was full of flavor. Definitely a must try. I can't wait to come back and try more dishes. Check out my IG for more pictures @foodie_wit_a_bootie_408

Lang Yu

Located in San Jose Japantown, it is a Small but cozy restaurant. Very friendly staff. Great ramen and side dishes. Highly recommended for a quick meal!

Dannmarionne Jumaoas

learned of this place from their 2nd location actually. heard a lot about thier gyoza so i waited to try it at this location and it did not disappoint. Brought 2 new friends which they loved all the food we got. Mike was such a great host and made sure everything was good.

John Tortolano

A super coazy place with great atmosphere and friendly staff. I got there at 1 and was able to sit right away at the counter. I was able to place my order right away and the food came out quick. The ramen was amazing, super creamy and flavorful and the karaage was some of the best I had. Not too pricy and good portions definitely recommend.

Fatima Saldivar

Here you will find a place where the owners care and deliver quality food, provide friendly and personalized service, and perfectly clean/sanitize each area before and after vacating. Bonus point: They don't rush you to finish your meal, pay, and leave. You don't feel pressure of any kind, so you can calmly enjoy your meal. But be aware: it is a little tiny place, so the waiting time is longer than you will expect. Don't wait until you are hungry to go. Take your time, put your name on the list, go for a walk in Japantown, then come back to eat whatever you want.