Saimin

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Saimin is a traditional noodle soup that’s considered the national dish of Hawaii. There are several variations on the dish, but it usually consists of thin noodles in clear broth with fish cakes, scallions, and often char siu pork or ham. Additional ingredients often include shrimp, poultry, and eggs. The noodle soup is always served hot and it’s eaten at any time of day with a spoon or with chopsticks. The leftover dashi broth is drunk from the bowl. Saimin is a result of Hawaii’s Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino culinary influences. Nowadays, the dish can also be bought in stores as a ready-mix instant package because it’s considered the staple comfort food.