For vacation my family decided to take a five-day jaunt to the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Our first stop off the airplane was the hole-in-the-wall Hamura's Saimin Stand in Lihue, which received an "America's Classics" award from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. Apparently the "America's Classics" award to given to small establishments that celebrate America's cultural heritage, and as saimin is one of classics of Hawaiian cuisine, I was looking forward to it. I had tried saimin only once before, at a nondescript shop in Maui on my previous trip to Hawaii a few years prior, and had come away unimpressed.
Hamura's is a bare-bones operation, with a w-shaped counter and a few extra tables along the sides. The offerings all fit on a board above the kitchen:
My fiance and I both ordered the specialty saimin, regular portion, which came out with some greens, wontons, sliced fish cake, ramen-style cha sui, ham, green onions, and half a hard-boiled eggs:
The wontons had a lovely gingery bite, and though the bowl was certainly warm and satisfying, it didn't seem particularly special. My fiance remarked that it seemed like a bowl of noodles he could get anywhere, and while I didn't necessary agree with him, I'd say he wasn't too far off the mark. However it was a welcome reprieve from the upcoming days of exorbitant Hawaiian prices on the rest of our trip.
Hamura's Saimin Stand
2956 Kress Street
Lihue, Hawaii 96766
808.245.3271
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