Kumino Restaurant
| Address: | 580 N Rengstorff Ave J, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA |
| Phone: | +1 650-964-3300 |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | Closed 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
CI
Cindy Toh
Craving for Japanese Ramen or Pork Bun? Visit this place right now! == Food == Pork Belly Bun (5/5) Da bomb! Served on a fancy wooden serving board, the bun super mouth watering (presentation matters!). True enough, it tasted so so good. The pork belly was juicy, slightly crunch and oh so yummy! The buns were superb, it was really soft and fluffy, I would like to think they made this from scratch! Spicy Beef Ramen (5/5) When it arrived, I thought I was in for some trouble. The redness of the soup made me think its gonna be ultra spicy. The first mouth I had, it was love at first mouth! The combination of the vegetable, the meat, the bouncy noodles, corn and spice that made this an amazing combo. Super super love it. Soy Sauce Beef Rice Bowl (4/5) Sizeable bowl, nicely spread out. Steamed vegetables on one side, beef chunk, beef slices, rice and the soy sauce on the beef. It was a delightful and tasty meal. Even so, the two above beat this dish by miles. The next time Im back, Im going to try a different bun and a different noodles. == SERVICE / AMBiENCE == Cozy restaurant, expect to be seated considerably close to other patrons. Might be tough for groups to get sitting and likely would have to wait for quite awhile. Parties < 4 should be able to secure a seat decently fast. We were lucky and there were two seats available, patrons after us had to wait approx 10-15mins before they were seated. They have a name list where you would need to put your name down. Servers were polite and prompt. Food was considerably ok speed given how busy the restaurant is. I am in love with their food now, excited to be back for more!
EI
Eileen Neelie
Small restaurant feels very cozy. We came by once they were open at 5:30, and the restaurant was already half full. That goes to show that the restaurant is pretty popular. I love the casual atmosphere here and the nose level isnt to overbearing. The pork belly bun is definitely my favorite among all the other buns with the smoked salmon a close second. The noodle bowls are delicious, but I feel they might be lacking in something. We ordered the Pork Noodle and didnt have to wait too long for the dish. The pork and the broth was very savory, I feel like it needed something sweet to go along with it (possibly sweet daikon or something along the lines of a hoisen sauce) to cut through the strong flavors. Aside from this, Im giving 4 stars, not just for food, but also for the service. There is only one server on hand for the whole restaurant (probably seats 30 people total) most of the time. Shes very nice, but when the restaurant is full, its hard to get her attention when you need something since shes running around. They do have a second server now so its a bit easier to get your needs met. Aside from that, Im definitely coming back here.
CL
Clare Lee
Surprised by how tasty the vegetarian ramen was. I liked the creamy soup more than my friend did - it was a bit too rich for her. For me, it was a good balance - Ive had richer tonkotsu or torisoba so... I agree with the reviewer who thought the ramen was more Chinese-Japanese style. This is definitely a fusion place. The brussel sprouts in the warm eggplant salad were great. The eggplant wasnt bad but the oil got a bit heavy. The poached salmon rice bowl was average. Next time Id like to try the beet salad and the other noodle options. A slight side-eye to the waitress who wouldnt seat my 2 person group at a corner 2 person table saying it wasnt clean, and later let a couple sit at a 4 person table, and then let another couple sit at the same "dirty" corner table. Someone at the 4 person table right next to me kept burping. I guess one cant help burping.
LI
Lindsey Johnson
Im so disappointed to report, we tried this place not just once, but twice, and we wont try it again. First, we tried the ramen. Super fresh, really pretty, nice portion.... but it was terribly bland in flavor. Even so, we gave it another shot and tried the pork and garlic noodles the next week. An even worse experience. Again it looked great and the portions big, but the pork was terribly fatty, I couldnt even tear it or chew it. The noodles were just okay, pretty bland, and the asparagus wasnt fully cooked. We really wanted to like it,and always try to support local businesses, but simply cannot recommend this place.
MA
Margaret Guo
I initially had high expectations for this place. But was thoroughly disappointed by the service and quality of the food. The pork belly bun we ordered was way over cooked. We waited for 45 minutes for the rest of the dishes and then had an order mixup, then waited again. While the salmon in the salmon rice bowl we ordered was pretty flavorful and well done, the rice was coated in excessive amount of butter which made the dish overall very unappetizing. So overall pros Great food presentation Well done meat Cons Long waiting time Greasy food Hectic service
NE
Neil Raina
Called simply to ask 2 questions about the menu (what kind of ramen was served bc there was no menu online, and whether we could make additions). First time I called, phone was hung up halfway through second ring. Called again. Lady answering the phone tried to hang up on me twice, immediately after she answered each question. If I had a third question, it would not have made it out of my mouth. Incredibly rude over-the-phone service. Im sure the food is delicious, based on other reviews here, but thats not a license to be rude to callers. Disappointing.
PA
Pablo Nusenovich
I tried to come here once before with friends but it was packed and the wait was long. They dont have many tables, and the ones they have are pretty close to each other. On the bright side, parking is easy! With that said, I gave it another chance and I dont regret it. The buns were to die for and the ramen was simply delicious and big portions. I didnt see in the menu some of the food items I was craving for from the photos here, which means they might rotate them... another incentive to go there more often!
SA
Sarah Chan
The menu was simple and the food was delicious. This place feels like a home-y yet quality restaurant. I had the garlic noodles with the chasiu. The chasiu is not really chasiu - more like a cross between chasiu and ribs. They were tender and not too fatty. Noodles were perfectly al dente and the flavour was really good, especially with the fried onion garnish stirred in. It did feel a bit oily and salty towards the bottom of the dish. Asparagus was amazing: nice balance between crisp and soft.
AM
Amy Zhou
Im so happy this place opened up! The cassava fries were great - better texture and flavour than normal potato fries - and the dip they came with was addictive. The chicken in the chicken cutlet rice bowl was maybe even better than the pork cutlets I loved growing up, and the pumpkin and apple chutney that accompanied it made the rice bowl feel sophisticated without losing the sincere comfort food loveliness. All in all, very tasty and a welcome addition to the neighbourhood!
JI
Jimmy Lee
For a casual place, this hits the spot. Im a sucker for Asian buns and this Korean-fusion does deliver for local needs. You would probably need to find something across the Pacific to beat quality of the dough. My only gripe is that the buns follow a strict flavour limitation which for me. The first bite is tasty but second and repeating bites are not building on the first. Yes food should do that but this is me nit picking.
