Saimin Noodles

[Jason Perlow]

Recently while watching a new History Channel documentary on Pearl Harbor, I saw some photos of various circa-1940's restaurants advertising "Saimin Noodles".

I looked up Saimin, and the pictures look like traditional Ramen or Chinese noodle soups in a thin broth with various toppings. How is Saimin different from those? Is it the way the noodles are made?

Also while Googling on Saimin, I found an interesting article on "Dry Mein" which appears to be indigenous to Maui:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials...alia032101.html

[Jason Perlow]

Interesting Wikiverse peice on Saimin:

http://saimin.wikiverse.org/

[torakris]

Interesting Wikiverse peice on Saimin:

http://saimin.wikiverse.org/

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I think that just answered all of your questions...

I would say the most noticeable difference is the broth, fish (bonito) based for saimin and normally pork based for ramen. It just tastes lighter.

On every trip my husband and I make back to Hawaii the first thing he does when he gets off the plane (before we even leave the terminal) is to get a bowl of saimin...

[skchai]

Great article by Gerald Farinas.

We did have a thread while back that covered some related issues. . . plus the fact that wesza was one of the team that brought saimin to McDonald's.

[VivreManger]

I looked over the thread quickly, but it was not immediately clear to me despite all the delightful reminisicences, where good saimin is to be had in Honolulu today. Admittedly my Hawaiian geography is weak, but many of the favorites seemed to be on other islands or outside of Honolulu. Aside from saimin at MacDonald's, not my first choice, where is good saimin to be gotten in Honolulu?

[Kiem Hwa]

I don't go out for saimin much....usually I go out for ramen .

However, for good saimin, Shiro's Saimin Haven in Pearl City is yummy and has a humongous menu of practically anything you could possibly imagine adding to a bowl of saimin.