344155 Sun Nov 19 08:00:02 -0800 2006 0 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2033534 A couple weeks ago I made a second swing by San Jose's Japantown to try Kumako's ramen again. The walls were papered with signs promoting appetizers and toppings added since my first visit. Inside Kumako - http://static.flickr.com/101/284459225_3e4b974b4b_o.jpg I was interested in the egg for a buck and asked my waitress if it might be seasoned, plain, hard-cooked, soft-centered, etc., and it turned out to be a mystery to her other than that it was boiled. So, I axed that idea and decided to give the homemade pork dumplings (gyoza) a try. Good move, as the gyoza (5/$4) were quite good, fried to a golden crispness on one side and bound together by the browned juices. Their aroma was tantalizing with the garlic-like scent of Chinese chives and a deep porkiness. The pork filling was coarse and nubby with a hint of fermentation in the flavor, perhaps from miso paste. The price for the ramen bowls has increased to $7.95, which seems to buy a less skimpy portion of noodles and a thicker slice of pork than at opening. I tried the curry ramen, and it was pleasant enough with less sweetness than I expected and the occasional bit of carrot or beef mixed into the soup base. Ordered "hard" once again, this time the noodles were a little better yet still far from firm. The roast pork continues to be stellar and cooking the bean sprouts is a plus. On the downside, the broth is still lacking in concentration and verve. Also the bowl was barely hot and lacking a steam cloud. The waitress holds the bowls in her hands to bring them to the table, whereas other ramen need a tray to serve steaming hot noodle soup. Image of gyoza and curry ramen - http://static.flickr.com/102/284459228_6e4dfe0d23_o.jpg Kumako moves up one notch to #21 in the ramen ranking. At current prices that are higher than the top-rated ramen-yas, I doubt I'll be back for the noodles here. But the gyoza might hit the spot when I'm in the neighborhood again. Kumako 211 E. Jackson St. San Jose 95112 408-286-2111 Closed Sundays Beer only http://www.japantownsanjose.org/kumako_ramen.htm Previous post on Kumako - http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/327131 PERSONAL RAMEN RANKING 1. Ramen Halu, 375 Saratoga Ave Ste M, San Jose 2. Santa, 805 S B St, San Mateo 3. Ryowa, 2068 University Ave, Berkeley 4. Himawari, 202 2nd Ave, San Mateo 5. Maru Ichi, 368 Castro St, Mountain View 6. Ryowa, 859 Villa St, Mountain View 7. Tanto, 1063 E El Camino Real, Sunnyvale 8. Do-Henkotsu House of Tokushima Ramen, 4330 Moorpark Ave, San Jose 9. Gen Ramen, 47890 Warm Springs Blvd, Fremont 10.BY Grill, 3226 Geary Blvd, San Francisco (closed) 11.Norikonoko, 2556 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley 12.Hana, 4320 Moorpark, San Jose 13.Katanaya, 430 Geary Blvd., San Francisco 14.Masa's Sushi, 400 San Antonio Road, Mountain View 15.Gochi, 19980 Homestead Rd, Cupertino 16.Oyaji, 3123 Clement St, San Francisco 17.Maru Ichi, 530 Barber Lane, Milpitas 18.Hatcho, 1271 Franklin Mall, Santa Clara 19.Tomoe, 810 3rd St, San Rafael (closed) 20.Ringer Hut, 1072 Saratoga Ave, San Jose 21.Kumako, 211 E. Jackson Street, San Jose 22.Izakaya Mai, 212 2nd Avenue, San Mateo 23.Ramen Club, 723 California Dr, Burlingame 24.Tazaki Sushi, 3420 Judah St, San Francisco 25.Ramen Rama, 19774 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino 26.Ogi-San Ramen, 10789 Blaney Ave, Cupertino (closed) 27.Kaimuki Grill, 104 S El Camino Real, San Mateo 28.Tanto, 1306 Saratoga Ave, San Jose 29.Okazu Ya SF (Noriega), 2445 Noriega St, San Francisco 30.King's Garden Ramen, 39055 Cedar Blvd, Newark (closed) 31.Sushi Bistro, 445 Balboa St, San Francisco 32.Mitsuwa Hokkaido festival booth, 675 Saratoga Ave, San Jose 33.Lakuni, 325 E 4th Ave, San Mateo 34.100% Healthy Desserts, 1155 Taraval St., San Francisco 35.Mifune, 1737 Post St, San Francisco 36.H2A Noodle, 42318 Fremont Blvd., Fremont 37.Iroha, 1728 Buchanan St, San Francisco 38.Miraku Noodles, 2131 N Broadway, Walnut Creek 39.Manpuku, 2977 College Ave, Berkeley 40.Tanpopo, 1740 Buchanan Street, San Francisco 41.Sushi Yoshi, 39261 Cedar Blvd, Newark 42.La Shang Niang Ramen (OEC), 42 Dixon Rd, Milpitas 43.Oidon, 71 E. 4th Avenue, San Mateo 44.Taraval Okazu Ya, 1735 Taraval St., San Francisco 45.Suzu Noodle House, 1581 Webster Street, San Francisco 46.Sapporo-ya, 1581 Webster St, San Francisco 47.Tokyo Ramen, 678 Barber Lane, Milpitas (closed) 48.Kamakura, 2549 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda 49.Mama-san!, 312 8th Ave, San Francisco 50.Katana-ya Ramen, 10546 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito 51.Hotei, 1290 9th Ave, San Francisco 52.Bear's Ramen House, 2521 Durant, Berkeley Sun Nov 19 08:00:02 -0800 2006 10039 Melanie Wong