Saimin in Hawaii?
By World Wide Ed
Rice Fest countdown =
5 days! 
A Monday post! Wha-WHAT!? Yes, I'm working on a local saimin series (like I did with my previous Ramen Quest series) and need your help y'all!
So far, I've documented my experiences at Shige's, Shiro's, Hamura's, Nakai, and have a few others up my sleeve, but I wanted to put the call out to you folks to see if you had any other suggestions. In the comment area below, please post your list of fave saimin eateries around town and why and I'll go check um out. If you have da time, let's eat there together so I can include you in the article! 
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Other than that, my life has been pretty much all Rice Fest (I may even be on tomorrow morning's news on Hawaii News Now). Hope y'all can make it this Saturday!
This year's Rice Fest will be held next week Saturday, September 29th from 11am-7pm at Ward Centers! There will be cooking demonstrations from Chef Mavro of Chef Mavro Restaurant and his partners Stephanie Lum and Shawn Ching of Hawaii News Now, and Grant Kawasaki of Hawaiian Grown TV & Hawaiian Grown Kitchen and his partner Justin Cruz from KHON2, Santa Miyoshi of Tokkuri Tei defending his "Riceipe" contest belt, live entertainment by Jody Kamisato & 'Uke's Rising Stars and Jon Yamasato, and taiko drumming from Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii, our 3rd annual SPAM Musubi eating contest, and our attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the world's Largest SPAM Musubi! Don't forget to also bring your brown rice or monetary donations for our beneficiary Lanakila Meals on Wheels. Can't wait! See you there...
3rd Annual Rice Fest
Saturday, September 29, 2012
11am-7pm @ Ward Warehouse
Interact: RiceFest.com / Facebook / Twitter
RSVP: Facebook Event / Twtvite
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World Wide Ed
September 24th, 2012 at 10:13 am
My husband & I just went to Palace Saimin, across the street from the Kalihi-Palama Post Office. It's like going back in time. Won Ton Min is their specialty, along with their teri beef skewer and prices are so reasonable. If you cannot make up your mind between saimin or udon noodles, you can get the combo; their dashi is simple, clean, pure ono! They open Tuesday - Saturday.
September 24th, 2012 at 11:28 am
Palace rocks! Gotta try that place. There's a place across the street too that is pretty good, old saimin house I think it is called. But Palace is #1! I gotta agree with Jean the dashi is simple and clean tasting. Not too "shrimpy", which I don't like. The parking sucks and it is hot in there, but prices are reasonable and they are fast!
September 24th, 2012 at 11:29 am
Dillingham Saimin is actually not bad either. I'll take Palace over it anyday, but they have other stuff on the menu so if you want a cheeseburger also this is a good option.
September 24th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
A long time favorite of ours is New Saimin House (now called Old Saimin House, I think).
I'm definitely going to try to make a stop at Rice Fest on Saturday!
September 24th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Tanaka Saimin over on Nimitz is very good. Same family as Boulevard Saimin. Found out recently that the old location at Dillingham and Waiakamilo is still open as Dillingham Saimin. Taste the same as to say very good. Palace is best of all imho.
September 24th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Hiya Ed. My family's favorites include Tenkaippin (thick, velvety kotteri ramen unlike any other I've had anywhere); Goma Tei ramen - Tan Tan ramen!; also, the variety of ramen-ya Shirokiya brings in from Japan are oishii, AND if you're a member of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, you get a 10 percent discount! You must also try the Hakata-style ramen at Menchanko Tei, now on Keeaumoku Street. Delicious and super-filling!
September 24th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
If you're on Maui, gotta do Makawao's famous Katada Store,
and Wailuku's Sam Sato's & Tasty Crust too.
September 24th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Don't forget Forty Niners in Aiea next to KFC. Been there forever and they just got a bigger parking lot.
September 24th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
A chilly and rainy night . . . gotta have a steaming bowl of won ton min with a BBQ stick or two. Love ramen but it doesn't say Rough Riders vs. the Bulldogs after the game at the Honolulu Stadium on a Friday night in Moiliili.
September 24th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
idk if maybe you've heard of a little place called Shiges? ;D
September 24th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
49ers?
September 24th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Zippy's take out saimin!!!
September 24th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Zippys haha boulevard in kalihi
September 24th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Fort Street Grill on Fort Street Mall, really good tasty food. Across from HPU on the mall. Try it!
September 24th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Hamura's on Kauai!
September 24th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Sam Sato's!
September 24th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
shiro's...yum
September 24th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
No go Liliha Bakery!
September 24th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
... hey Ed ... funny, I can't think of too many saimin stands now ... in the old days, there seemed to be one on every block ... but most are gone now ... the ones I remember have been mentioned already ...
... but maybe you can try the saimin at Violet's Grill ... I never ate the saimin there, but I remember my old friend would treat me to lunch ... and I ate regular plate stuff, but he would order saimin looking bowl ... not sure ... but looked like saimin to me ... but this was a few years back ... it's one of those old-style places ... not a saimin stand, but a restaurant ... near Palama Super-Market on Dillingham ...
... I only eat at ramen places now ...
... Have a Good One Everyone!!! ...
September 24th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Sekiyas in Kapahulu
September 24th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
That's on my list for sure Jeans! You're making me drool with the description though!
That's two for Palace! Wow!
I went back when it was Boulevard. A lot different?
Yay! Hope to finally meet you pinky!
Funny about the New/Old Saimin House naming...
I may be wrong, but I heard that Tanaka was a spin off of Boulevard after there were some issues internally. I wonder if anybody else knows the true story.
All good tips Erika, but I covered all of those in my Ramen Quest series.
http://www.world-wide-ed.com/2011/10/01/hawaii-ramen-quest-part-i . For dis one, I'm going for the old school Hawaii classic Saimin. Get any in mind?
Daaaaang. Never tried Katada, but sounds interesting. Yes, Sam Sato's will definitely be a part of the series. Thanks for the tips L'luna!
Ooooh. Been there once, but yeah da parking... Good to know. Gotta get back there! Like go?
Is dat S&S kine K-POI?
Hmm... where could that be? I only go there like 100 times a month!
Mos def!
I like the Zip Min best but no can take out... right?
Eh, Zippy's Zip Min not bad.
Interesting... Gotta try that one day.
Chee, I wonder why you're voting for something in Kauai?
Haha! Booya! http://www.world-wide-ed.com/2012/04/01/sam-satos-dry-mein-more
Why you nevah call us!?
Ha-cum? Junkie?
Ho, sorry ah ramen snob! haha, nah, I like dat too.
Good call Roxie!
September 24th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Yah, no go Liliha Bakery if you like eat saimin. Da last time we went, they just went nuke da s&s right in front of us!
September 25th, 2012 at 6:07 am
I live in Calif now and I wish there were enough places to search for the ultimate saimin but it's more like, search for ultimate burrito up here. When Sekiya was on Kapahulu Ave. (and the small was 20 cents, 40 for large) we always went there for saimin. That's the taste I remember. Sekiya's to me still has the "old time" taste. Maybe the recipe changed but I'm can't tell. Why shop around vast Honolu when Sekiya's is still in my old neighborhood. I will try Palace next time though. That will be my ultimate taste test. Aloha.
September 25th, 2012 at 8:10 am
Although I now live on the Big Island, we always make a stop at Palace Saimin when on Oahu for the best saimin and teriyaki sticks in town. Saimin House used to be the best when it was located next to Tamashiro Market; now they are across the street from Palace Saimin. When we lived on Maui, Sam Sato's in Happy Valley was THE place for saimin and cheeseburgers!
September 25th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Heh. A Grease late to the party here. With Erika here -- Goma Tei is great. Best on the island. Their more Szechuan (I know I messed up that spelling) style soup for noodles is simply terrific. Their gyoza could be a lit-tle bit bigger, but, then again, so would a Grease be so if they did that. I dunno where else you can get a comprehensive (just the right vegetables, savory sauce) cold noodle that they serve. Great interior.
Ichi Ben in Pearl City's (near Cattle Company; tough decision when I'm around there and hungry) another good one. These just recently added tempura to the menu. You can get kal-bi and BBQ chicken (really, more like teriyaki chicken; no cannibalism from a Grease here, heh) plates if you don't want their ramen, of which you can choose three (3) different soups for: miso, shoyu, and paitan (which is basically a pork-based broth for your ramen).
Both places give ramen/saimin the respect it deserves: inside restaurant dining with hard plates, hard bowls.
A Grease will be at Ricefest this weekend! Yay! Looking forward to stuffing myself
.
September 26th, 2012 at 12:19 am
Yikes!
Mahalos for the feedback petes! Let me know what you think of Palace next time you're in town...
Maaaan, you guys are making me drool for Palace already cpkamuela. Who wants to come with?
Sweet! Looking forward to meeting you Grease! But eh, saimin and ramen stay different. Those places you listed are mean (in fact, I wrote about Goma Tei in Part II http://www.world-wide-ed.com/2011/11/01/hawaii-ramen-quest-part-ii and IchiBen in Part III http://www.world-wide-ed.com/2011/12/01/hawaii-ramen-quest-part-iii or my Ramen Quest), but I'm looking for old school, traditional, Hawaii kine saimin l'dat. See you soon!
September 26th, 2012 at 9:35 am
Let's uh . . . aha . . . let's make it that they are the same.