Hamura’s Saimin

Managed to slip in without a wait Sat afternoon at 3 pm. The authentic island feel of the place makes it unique, (Like it’s never had any updating) with the continuous low slung Formica bar winding it’s way thru the whole dining room. Nice hawaiian /​asian woman holding it down. Got only the house special x 2. The portions were fair sized and priced around $ 8 – 9.Nothing spectacular or remarkable just a good piping hot bowl of noodles and broth that will keep you going for a while. I thought the place had a unappetizing pork smell. But would still return, in an age of chains and high end concepts this low key spot is a welcome find. Remember cash only.

Pretty good with generous portions. Friendly staff and good flavors. Best of all, this is a safe choice in finding a restaurant that’s not overtly for show; no surprises :)

What can I write that hasn’t been written? Enter… look around the room at everyone standing… and note your place in the non-​queue. When it’s your turn sit and order a regular special saimin (the XL is for sumo-​sized folk only). I like to make an umami broth using the egg yolk and hot mustard, my wife passes me her egg and adds the chili vinegar to make a hot, clear broth, and the kids eat it straight. No matter which way you like to doctor your soup it will be the best saimin you’ve ever had (which I will admit is not really a demanding standard). Assuming you haven’t any room left after the saimin order a piece or two of the lilikoi chiffon pie to take ‘home’ — though my vegetarian mother-​in-​law enjoys a ‘lilikoi lunch’ when she eats here.
We showed up at 11:50 on Sunday and were happily surprised to find four seats waiting — a first for us — though the ‘queue’ along the windows started to form almost immediately thereafter. So my advice to avoid waiting in line is now to come before noon on Sunday or before 11:30 on weekdays… or between 2:30 and 4:00. Come. Eat. Enjoy.

Really cool, local spot that is just a bunch of snaking, low countertops. You come in and sit down and one of the old (likely Filipino-​Hawaiian) ladies will hand you a menu.
We shared a Special saimin, chicken bbq, and beef bbq stick. Saimin is interesting because it’s a mix of all the Asian noodle dishes. It reminded mostly of traditional Filipino ‘pancit bihon’ but with broth. Tasty, filling, and cheap. Nothing out of this world, but good food that I would return to. This was a light dinner before our flight out so it’s a great spot if you’re flying out or have just landed.

It’s as if I walked into my grandma’s house and she made me noodles.

Definitely worth a try at least once when on Kauai. Come earlier in the evening for dinner, like we did, and avoid the line out the door of hungry tourists & locals alike.
If you do get stuck waiting in a long line, know that it’ll be worth it. What you get here is simply a good ol’ bowl of saimin with all the fixings (order the Special! Add some of the chili pepper water!) at a hole in the wall restaurant that has stood the test of time. Don’t come here with an attitude expecting a fine dining experience — Hamura’s is an unpretentious little spot that serves one of Hawaii’s favorite local comfort foods. And does it well.
We came in on a busy early Wednesday evening to a full house. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes for two seats to open up. Service was friendly & extremely efficient. It was a one woman operation in the kitchen, with one woman cranking out bowl after bowl of piping hot, perfectly al dente saimin bowls. Phone orders kept coming in, & we watched as the waiting line outside got longer. The staff here definitely hustles — providing service with a smile.
Oh yes, and come prepared — cash only!

Saimin is not to be missed while on Kauai. It may sound counterintuitive to order a piping hot bowl of broth and noodles and other yummy goodness while you’re on the island. Don’t worry, it’s a good idea! I had the Regular Special and was told by some locals sitting next to me to try the BBQ beef and chicken sticks.
Hamura is really casual with a mix of locals and tourists. My trip was in the off season and I was here on a weekday during lunch. When I arrived there were plenty of seats available, but all were full by the time I left with a couple waiting for people to clear.
Save or make room for dessert. The lilikoi pie is amazing! So light and airy, so it isn’t very «filling» but perfect flavor and a great end to a hearty meal.
This is a great stop right before you head to the airport in Lihue, just don’t forget about actually catching your flight. Or, have a plan for how you’re going to spend an indefinite time in Kauai. On second though, maybe that’s the better option! More Saimin!

Three words: lilikoi chiffon pie.
I don’t even like lilikoi (passion fruit).
I’m a savory person.
I came here for the saimin.
Everyone said go for the saimin.
The saimin was okay, but oh man that lilikoi chiffon pie! So light. Amazingly fluffy. Not too sweet. Not too rich. Flakey, buttery crust. Perfect.
It was so good that we came back the next day and bought a whole pie. And now we are about to leave Kauai and are discussing getting frozen pies to-​go to bring home.
TLDR: Don’t skip the lilikoi chiffon pie.

You don’t get to choose where you sit since it’s usually packed and whichever available seats come up are the seats you get. Despite that, it makes a difference in the dining experience to where you sit. From experience if you sit near one of the open windows with a breeze then you’ll enjoy your food. If you sit closer to the center of the restaurant and there’s no breeze coming from anywhere then you’ll probably be too hot to enjoy your food.

Local restaurant catering mostly to a local crowd. Great saimin, udon, wonton soups. Also beef and chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura. Lilikoi pie delicious. $ 17 for the entire pie

The special Saimen comes with char-​Sui (Chinese BBQ pork), kamaboko (fish cake), wontons and egg. The noodles were a tiny bit soft, but the flavor of the soup was good. It’s a very light broth that can be kicked up with soy sauce, mustard or vinegar to your liking. We were recommended this place by a local and it’s definitely a local spot. No frills, cash only spot. The service is atrocious, so don’t expect smiles or your food quickly. The BBQ chicken skewers are a must.
4 — food
1 — service

It’s been over three months since our Oahu-​Kauai vacation, and I still find myself craving Hamura Saimin! Flying to Kauai to just get Hamura Saimin can definitely be worth it. We went at least twice, almost three times, while we were in Kauai for our 4-​day Kauai stop. It was that good! The broth is hands-​down the best saimin broth I have ever tasted! Pretty strong and super delicious shrimpy broth! I was hooked right after my first slurp, and it was the perfect antidote to my motion sickness acquired during a bumpy small-​plane sightseeing ride all over Kauai. Adding on hot mustard made it even more amazing! Observed a few locals adding chili water to their saimin, but I loved the broth so much that I didn’t want to alter it. The regular saimin comes in different sizes, from a small at $ 4.75 to an extra large for $ 1 more! Definitely a great value! After you’re done with the saimin, a perfect dessert awaits. The lilikoi (passion fruit) chiffon pie is also to die for! You definitely have to save some room for the lilikoi chiffon pie!
Hamura Saimin is a hole in the wall, no-​frills type of place. Tourists and locals frequent the place. They don’t seat you as you come in. Just look for any available wooden stools, sit down, and wait to be served. Menu is posted at the front of the restaurant overlooking the kitchen, but they’ll give you a paper menu if requested. Service was friendly and welcoming the two times that we went, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. A little perplexed though that this place only has 3 ½ stars overall! What gives?

4.5 stars.
A hole in the wall for saimin noodles. It’s the best al dente noodles I’ve around Kauai and Kona.
You find your own seat, getting your mustard/​chili vinegar set up.
Ordered the Special with all the fixin’ and the Wonton mein.
The broth is light and flavorful, the roast pork is a bit chewy but not inedible. Noodles was cooked just to the right texture. Wontons are decent. The mustard chili vinegar really brightens up the flavors even more.
Their lilikoi (passionfruit) chiffon pie is heavenly. The lilikoi cream is super light in texture, lighter than soufflé. I can eat half of the whole pie but that would make me a glutton. :P

This place came highly recommended by my sister. Once we came in, we notice the very interesting seating arrangement. It’s a small place, they have three sections where the seating resembles «U» structure. This way, the waitress standing in the center, can be accessible since everyone is facing her .
We ordered specialty Saimin. It was quite good, but not spectacular. Quite large portion, but the soup seems to lack a bit in flavor.
You can also get cascarone (sweet fried mochi), and their famous Lilikoi Chiffon (soft and packs a lot of flavor in a bite).

We ate here a lot in high school just because it was one of the few places that was still open after basketball/​volleyball games would end. The price is good, service is lacking (of course if I’m eating at a place like Hamura’s I’m not really going for the service), and the food is a little hit or miss.
I usually order a medium regular saimin and a couple of the bbq beef sticks. The broth for the saimin is pretty average; usually a bit too salty and not a ton better than the S&S kind you can buy at the grocery store. The noodles are great though and the perfect amount of chewy. The BBQ sticks are kind of hit or miss, the past few times I’ve had them they’ve been a bit too salty but still pretty good. I’ve also had the special which is pretty much like the regular with the addition of bbq pork, a boiled egg, and won ton. I personally think the won ton skins are a bit too thick for soup and kind of hard to eat.
If you’re looking for someplace cheap to eat in Lihue, this is a good choice. Everything on the menu is under $ 10 and will definitely fill you up.
This place is packed, especially on the weekends so the wait for a seat can take quite a while but luckily they also do to go orders if you don’t want to wait for a table.
If you’re ever visiting Kauai and want to eat how the locals eat, this is a place you should try.

People rag on Hamura’s, especially the locals, but still always a must-​stop while in Kauai and always recommended by me!
Yeah, there’s a long wait. Yeah, it’s not air conditioned. Yeah, the soup broth tastes like the packaged S&S kind. But their egg-​noodles in the saimin are their claim to fame; chewy, dense, and undeniably delicious. And there’s nothing better and more comforting than a simple bowl of saimin at the end of a long day.
Recommended not only for its iconic status, but also its delicious bowls of noodles, Hamura’s is always a great choice. Cash only.

Hamura’s is a must stop for me when visiting Kaua’i. I spent a lot of time on Kaua’i as a child and always looked forward to hamura’s.
The place hasn’t changed much. Very nostalgic. Walk in and find a spot at the «bar». The kitchen area is open and you can watch our saimin being prepared. The saimin broth has a lot of flavor and the saimin itself is loaded with noodles. We also get the BBQ chicken and beef sticks. Yummmm. Great place to go for a cheap meal. The service is quick. I like to go during off peak times, otherwise you are standing and waiting for a seat at the counter to open up.

A trip back home can never be complete without a stop or two at Hamura’s Saimin. Yes it’s as good as it gets! Don’t hate. LOL. OK maybe I’m a little bias I’ve had them many many times being from Kauai but really I haven’t found a bowl of saimin that can compare. The taste is a little different from what I remembered but still it’s way up there for me.
Order the XL Special Saimin. You want the XL Special Saimin. You need the XL Special Saimin. I didn’t take a good picture of it but others have. It’s a ginormous portion of saimin, boiled egg, roast pork, ham, won ton, kamaboko, green onion, and whatever else that makes it so delicious. One order can settle any debate or put you to bed. If the XL sounds like to much they have regular size. The bottom of the bowl is full of saltiness if you’re into that.
Almost everything on the menu is under $ 10. They have the regular saimin which comes in various sizes, won ton soup, shrimp saimin, beef/​chicken BBQ sticks you can’t forget about those, and other items. Make sure to save room for their lilikoi chiffon pie, you can’t just not get it.
I like it when its busy and you can sit next to any random person.

Everyone told me if I’m going to Kauai, I have to try Hamura’s Saimin. Maybe it’s the high expectations, but I thought this place was good but not great. It is a good representation of old Hawaii so I can see its appeal.
They only take cash and are super close to the airport, maybe a mile away. Everyone said they’re super packed so be prepared to wait. When we went, there were only 4 people at the counters. I will say their counter layout is interesting, it isn’t one long counter but kinda of weaves throughout the place.
They are known for their saimin and apparently their lilikoi chiffon pie which I did not know. They have a basic menu of various saimin, chicken or beef sticks and their pie. They were out of fried saimin which is what I wanted to try. I’m not sure if it’s because we got there late in the afternoon around 2pm. We decided to get the Special Saimin which was loaded with garnishes. I will say that it wasn’t super filling. The noodles were good and I like that they cut them so they weren’t super long. The broth was light and not too salty. It was topped with half a boiled egg, green onions, kamaboko (fish cake), mustard cabbage, half a boiled egg and char siu. It was simple but good.
We saw they had pie so thought we should try it. I’m not a pie fan but this pie was good. I wish I could have brought some home. The lilikoi chiffon was light and whipped. It had a nice hint of lilikoi that wasn’t overpowering and the crust had a good firm texture.
I agree you should try this place if you’re nearby or have the time but I wouldn’t go out of my way. And if you go, please bring me home a slice of that pie.

Extra large special saimin — comes with pork, won tons, veggies, fish cake, and other goodies in a nice broth. — 4 Stars for the food
It’s kind of community booth seating. — 3 stars for the seating
Didn’t take a look at much of the rest of the menu as we came for saimin. Saw some bbq chicken on some other’s plate which looked pretty good, and the pie in the clear frigerator looked good also.
I’ll let the pics do the talking.