A Hawaii-specific noodle soup in a clear shrimp-and-pork dashi, topped with char siu, fish cake, scrambled egg and green onion. Lighter than ramen, sweeter than udon, deeply local.

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.

Where to eat Saimin in Honolulu

2 editor picks for Saimin in Honolulu, ranked by editorial score. All Honolulu signature dishes · Saimin across every city.

  • Palace Saimin

    Order A regular saimin and a BBQ stick on the side.

    Palace Saimin in Kalihi Honolulu is one of the state's oldest saimin shops, opened by Kame Ige in 1946 and still serving the shrimp-and-pork-dashi broth.

    DetailsDirections

  • Zippy's Kapahulu

    Order A bowl of Zippy's chili and rice, plus a Zip Pac bento on the way out.

    Zippy's Kapahulu in Honolulu is the 24-hour diner of the local Higa-family chain that sells over 110 tons of chili per month, founded by Francis and Charles.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 440 minEasy

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

  1. 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.
  2. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Discard the solids. Return to the pan and season with shoyu, sugar and a pinch of salt.
  3. Boil the saimin noodles in a separate pot of unsalted water for 2 minutes only; drain and divide between four bowls.
  4. Bring the dashi back to a simmer. Ladle over the noodles to fill each bowl.
  5. 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.

Editor tip. 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.

Common allergens: Gluten, Shellfish, Egg, Soy.