Saimin is a popular noodle soup hailing from Hawaii. Although at first glance you might compare it to ramen, it’s really quite unique. This recipe uses simple shortcuts to create a flavorful and uncomplicated broth that really hits the spot!

A bowl of saimin garnished with ham, scallions, fish cakes, and a halved boiled egg.

Saimin (pronounced “sigh-min”) is pure Hawaiian comfort food. The name comes from the Chinese words sai meaning thin or small and min meaning noodle. That being said, this dish isn’t Chinese nor is it Japanese, though it clearly has influences from both cuisines. Its origins aren’t crystal clear but this dish likely came about in the plantation era in Hawaii in the late 1800s.

Despite the hot Hawaiian climate, saimin is a local comfort food. Locals enjoy saimin year-round for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a late-night snack. It’s so popular on the islands that it’s served in restaurants, snack bars, diners, high-end resorts, sporting events, movie theaters, cafes, and you can even find it on the McDonald’s menu in Hawaii.

This saimin recipe takes basic chicken broth and doctors it up with additional umami ingredients, also adding instant dashi powder, to create a simple alternative to flying to Hawaii for a bowl. Wherever and whenever you enjoy your saimin, serve it with chopsticks and a deep Asian-style soup spoon.

I was lucky enough to enjoy my first bowl of Hawaiian saimin at one of the best known ramen institutions on the islands, Hamura Saimin Stand in Lihue, Kauai. It’s a local favorite which opened in 1952 and was recognized by the prestigious James Beard Foundation as one of America’s Classics in 2006.

A bowl of saimin noodle soup at Hamura Saimin in Kauai. — A bowl of saimin at Hamura Saimin in Lihue, Kauai

What’s the difference between Saimin and Ramen?

This noodle soup may look a bit like Japanese ramen, but there are some key differences.

One of the biggest is the broth. Hawaiian saimin features a light and clear dashi-based broth which often features shrimp flavor as well. Meanwhile, ramen comes in many varieties (e.g. shoyu, tonkotsu, miso, shio), but all broths are typically richer, saltier, and oilier than saimin broth.

While both styles of soup feature wheat noodles, saimin noodles also contain eggs while ramen noodles do not.

Another difference is in the toppings. Saimin is often topped with ham, spam, or char siu (or a combination), and the meat is often cut into matchsticks instead of slices. Ramen often has slices of fatty, unctuous char siu on top (unless it’s a chicken or vegetarian variety).

Also, the types of steamed fish cakes (kamaboko) sliced on top of saimin and ramen differ. The ones topping saimin (uzumaki) have the red layer pinwheeling from the outside while the fish cakes used on ramen (narutomaki or naruto for short) have the white layer pinwheeling from the outside.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for Hawaiian saimin noodle soup on a beige background.

Noodles and Broth

Noodles: If you can find Sun Noodles or S&S brand noodles, you’re in luck! These noodles are produced in Hawaii (Sun Noodles actually owns S&S now, and their factory is located in Honolulu). Ideally use noodles specifically labeled saimin noodles, which are made with wheat and egg (I ordered mine online). If you can’t find those, other wheat noodles such as ramen or fresh chow mein noodles will work too. Some people even like to swap the thinner saimin and ramen noodles for thick udon noodles, though that’s not typical.
Broth: Store-bought chicken broth is a great shortcut to making saimin broth. It’s light (not fatty and rich) and clear, and easy to build additional flavor to enhance it.
Instant Dashi Powder: Dashi is a popular type of stock in Japanese cuisine. It's made with kombu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (dried, shaved fish flakes). Instant dashi powder is a wonderful time saver instead of making dashi from scratch (which isn’t hard but it is much simpler to use the instant granules). I use Shimaya Awase dashi powder but Ajinomoto HonDashi is a popular option you can try as well. Here in the saimin broth, the instant dashi powder provides a bit of that flavor of the sea that sets saimin apart from ramen.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Dried shiitake mushrooms provide additional umami flavor to the broth. If you don’t have any or can’t find any, you can certainly skip them, but I think they pack a lot of intensity to help build up the broth without making it from scratch.
Dried Shrimp: Dried shrimp can be pricey and a bit hard to find. I get mine from a local Chinese market. This ingredient is optional, but adds more shrimp flavor (common in saimin) and generally more umami and salty flavors to the broth.

Toppings

Keep in mind that saimin is extremely versatile and you can adjust the toppings noted below to your taste. Add the ones you like, omit those you don’t like or can’t find.

Scallions: Green onions are a typical topping for bowls of steaming hot saimin.
Pork: Matchsticks of ham or spam are perfect for garnishing saimin. You can also use Chinese roast pork (char siu) sliced or cut into matchsticks, or a combination of ham or spam and char siu.
Eggs: Eggs are another optional but delicious topping choice. Either top each bowl with one or two halves of a peeled boiled egg (depending on preference), or with slices of a thin egg omelet (a bit more typical for saimin). If making an omelet, use two eggs to serve four people (half an egg per serving).
Kamaboko: Kamaboko, or steamed fish cakes, are sliced and used for topping noodle soups such as saimin and ramen. There are differences in the types of fish cakes used, noted in the section above. You may not be able to find the kind used in Hawaii (uzumaki) depending on where you live, so you can swap for the other kind most often used in ramen (narutomaki) if you need to. Note that I ordered mine online as it was not locally available to me. Keep in mind that fish cakes can be an acquired taste. I like them, but don’t love them. My sister doesn’t like them at all. They can have a slight sweetness to them as well.

A bowl of Hawaiian noodle soup garnished with ham, scallions, fish cakes, and a boiled egg.

How to make it

To make the broth, combine chicken broth, dried shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, dried shrimp if using, soy sauce and dashi powder in a medium pot.

Broth in a pot with shiitake mushrooms, sliced ginger and garlic cloves floating on the surface.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes to develop the flavors. Strain the broth, pressing firmly on the solids to release all the liquid, and keep hot until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain.

Divide the noodles between four large, wide soup bowls. Ladle the broth over the noodles, dividing evenly between the four bowls (about 1 ¼ cups per bowl). Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve immediately.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

A bowl of saimin noodle soup next to a board that says "serve with aloha."

Expert tips

If your fresh or frozen noodles are sold in individual packets (mine were), that’s fine. It means they’re already perfectly portioned out!

In that situation, what I like to do instead of boiling four portions all at once is to boil one portion at a time according to package directions (for me it was 30 to 60 seconds). I then use a small strainer or spider skimmer to remove the cooked noodles from the boiling water and transfer directly into the serving bowl. Then repeat with the remaining portions.

You can definitely modify the broth to your personal taste. Dried shrimp and instant dashi powder will also add some saltiness. If your broth is already salted versus low-sodium, adjust the amount of soy sauce (start with less and add more later) to achieve your desired result.

Hawaiian noodle soup in a white bowl with matchsticks of ham, scallions, fish cakes, and egg.

Other recipes you may like

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!