Have a Bowl of Saimin!

If there’s one food that should be Hawaii’s state dish it’s Saimin? And what is that? Noodle soup. But it’s not just any noodle soup. It’s fantastic. What you see in the above picture is a bowl of it—my lunch--from Hamura, a Kaua’i saimin restaurant that’s been in business since 1952.

I ate my first saimin at Hamura, and for me, it’s the gold standard. I could eat saimin every day because noodles are one of my favorite foods. I buy them fresh.

The name saimin—pronounced sighMIN—comes from two Chinese words, “sai,” meaning thin and “mein,” which means noodles. And we’re talking thin noodles. Whether egg is included is up to the noodle maker.

Fresh saimin noodles from Sun Noodle. Although golden in color, the noodles are eggless. This package makes enough for two servings. And the soup base is included.

You may ask what’s the difference between saimin and ramen. The answer: a lot. Ramen noodles can be thin or wide. They’re eggless. Alkali is mixed into the dough giving ramen noodles a special slipperiness.

Saimin and ramen broths are not alike. Ramen broth is usually made with fatty pork, so it’s heavier and richer on the tongue than a saimin broth, which is light and sippable.

Saimin broth is traditionally made with dashi, a combination of powdered kombu (dried sea kelp) and flaked dried bonito (a tuna). Dashi is a Japanese condiment used widely as a foundation flavor in the cooking of Japan. Dashi powder is sold in packets and can be stored in a kitchen cupboard. You can find dashi in Asian markets and online.

To make the easiest saimin broth, you add 2 teaspoons dashi to 4 cups of water and bring to the simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with some salt, more dashi or soy or fish sauce. (I’ll have more to say about this later).

Tofu Ramen. You can’t see the noodles, but you can see how thick the broth is.

Saimin varies from restaurant to restaurant and family to family, which is what good food is all about, and probably reflects saimin’s origins in the late 1800s. At that time, when plantations were thriving, immigrants from Portugal, Japan, China, and other countries flocked to Hawaii for work.

Having food that field hands could bring to work and quickly heat up—noodles, broth, perhaps some cut up meat—may have been how saimin was born.

About a week ago we went for lunch to Tip-Top Café. I wanted to taste what their saimin was like. It came in a huge bowl with half a hard-cooked egg on top and a small side dish of freshly grated ginger and minced cilantro. Delightful.

Tip-Top Saimin garnished with hard-cooked egg, slices of tender pork, and a scattering of chopped scallions. The broth is clear as can be. Good to the last drop!

Now back to some basics. When making saimin, get all your toppings ready before boiling the noodles. Fish cake, green onions, ham (or Spam—my favorite!), and hard-cooked eggs are all popular. And you can add or sub in anything else that strikes your fancy. (In the Hamura saimin photo that opens this newsletter the toppings include ham slivers, sliced pork, dumplings, celery, and scallions).

You can season your broth any way you like. I sometimes stir in oyster sauce and chili paste with garlic.

Fresh saimin noodles cook in about 3 minutes in boiling water. Have your broth ready in a separate pot on low heat. Drain the cooked noodles and divide them into serving bowls. Pour on the broth, arrange the toppings over the noodles, and serve.

Enjoy your saimin!