History
Saimin emerged in the plantation camps in the early 1900s as a fusion of Japanese udon, Chinese mein and Filipino pancit. The broth was historically clear and built from dried shrimp, konbu and a touch of ginger. Palace Saimin in Kalihi opened 1946 with thicker custom Sun Noodle and the dashi recipe unchanged today. Zippy's Kapahulu carries the most popular chain version; saimin is sold at Hawaiian McDonald's, the only US state where you can buy it as a fast-food side.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Shellfish, Egg, Soy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres water
- 30g dried shrimp
- 1 piece konbu kelp, 10cm square
- 1 thumb ginger, smashed
- 30ml shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Sea salt
- 400g fresh Sun Noodle saimin (or substitute fresh ramen noodles)
- 200g char siu pork (or roast pork), thinly sliced
- 8 slices kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)
- 2 large eggs, scrambled in a thin omelette and sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
Method
- Bring the water to a simmer with the dried shrimp, konbu and ginger. Simmer 25 minutes; do not boil hard or the broth turns cloudy.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Discard the solids. Return to the pan and season with shoyu, sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Boil the saimin noodles in a separate pot of unsalted water for 2 minutes only; drain and divide between four bowls.
- Bring the dashi back to a simmer. Ladle over the noodles to fill each bowl.
- Top each bowl with sliced char siu, two slices of kamaboko, a small mound of egg ribbons and a generous pinch of green onion. Serve at once.
Tip from the editors. Substitute fresh ramen noodles only if Sun Noodle saimin is unavailable; the texture should be slightly thicker than ramen, almost udon-like. Dried instant saimin is acceptable as a last resort.
Where to eat saimin
Saimin in Honolulu
Palace Saimin ★ 4.2
Palace Saimin is tourists rarely make it past chinatown to kalihi for this 1946 saimin counter, but locals have eaten here for three generations.
Why locals goTourists rarely make it past Chinatown to Kalihi for this 1946 saimin counter, but locals have eaten here for three generations.
TipTuesday to Friday only. The custom-order Sun Noodles thicker than the city standard; broth is the secret shrimp-pork dashi.
Zippy's Kapahulu ★ 3.8
Zippy's Kapahulu in Honolulu is the 24-hour diner of the local Higa-family chain, the city's most reliable late-night sit-down with chili, saimin and the Zip.
OrderChili and rice plus a side of mac salad.
TipOpen 24 hours, dine-in and drive-through. The chili and rice and a saimin bowl are the late-night order.
More places near Palace Saimin and Zippy's Kapahulu
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Sushi Izakaya Gaku Japanese Izakaya, about 450 m away
- Sushi Sasabune Sushi, about 550 m away
- Side Street Inn Ala Moana Local Hawaiian, about 1.1 km away
- MW Restaurant Modern Hawaiian, about 1.1 km away
- Foodland Farms Ala Moana Market, about 1.3 km away
- Merriman's Honolulu Hawaiian, about 1.4 km away
More cities are in research. Want saimin covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.