As the most isolated population center on earth — located more than 2,000 miles from the closest continent — the Hawaiian Islands are unique. Everything from our culture to the food we eat is a bit different than the mainland, and we can confidently guess that you won’t find saimin quite this delicious anywhere else in America. This wildly-popular noodle soup dish is inspired by Japanese ramen, Filipino pancit, and Chinese mein. It was developed by immigrants during Hawaii’s plantation era, became an essential part of the islands’ culture in the 1930s, and has become a staple of Hawaiian cuisine ever since. While you can find ramen elsewhere, saimin is special, and this timeless 1950s restaurant serves some of the best.

Welcome to Humura Saimin, a timeless restaurant in Lihue that only gets better with age. Founded in 1951 by Aiko and Charlie Hamura, this classic eatery may not look like much, but the saimin served here is some of the world’s best.
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Housed inside a humble bungalow that was once used as barracks for the United States Army and has since been declared a state historic site, tourists and locals alike come to Hamura’s to slurp saimin at a U-shaped counter.
Yoonie L/TripAdvisor
The most popular dish is a saimin with traditional Chinese-style noodles in a Japanese broth, full of handmade wontons, char siu pork, egg, and green onion.
Bonnie M/TripAdvisor
With a secret-recipe broth and noodles made daily at the family’s home-run-factory nearby, there's no better place to eat on a windy and rainy Kauai day — or any day, for that matter.
vvendygirl/TripAdvisor

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The humble restaurant’s well-loved saimin menu has kept Hamura’s a favorite among foodies and the hungry for decades. While the eatery has grown since it was opened nearly 70 years ago, it’s retained its no-frills atmosphere and mouthwatering food.
Carl B/TripAdvisor
Hamura's serves more than 1,500 bowls of Saimin a month, but that’s not all you’ll find on the menu here: enjoy everything from udon, wonton soup, and friend noodles to a side of shrimp tempura or barbecue chicken sticks.
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Don’t forget to save room for dessert! A counter near the restaurant’s exit sells some of the tastiest lilikoi chiffon pie you’ll ever taste as well as shave ice.
BBM M/TripAdvisor
Honored by the James Beard Foundation as an American classic, it doesn’t get much better than Hamura Saimin. If you haven’t been, you’ll want to add it to your Hawaii dining bucket list as soon as possible.
Norm1983/TripAdvisor

Hamura Saimin is located at 2956 Kress St., Lihue, HI 96766, and is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Saimin is just one of the food cravings you’ll have if you ever leave Hawaii. Click here to be reminded of ten more.

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