To me, there’s nothing better than sharing food with friends, especially on trips.
I like to sample a lot of different things — nearly impossible when you’re dining alone. So it’s almost mandatory I have help.
Plus, it’s no fun talking to myself.
On my last day on Kauai, I enlisted the help of my girlfriend, Joy, on my last stop: Hamura Saimin, the famous saimin stand on Kress Street in Lihue.
She was game. Hamura’s was near her workplace, and she hadn’t eaten there in awhile — like, I’m sure, a lot of Kauai residents — so we set a time and me there.
It’s been a year since I’d been back on Kauai, and I always think fondly about the saimin here. Sometimes I think my taste buds are always better in my memory.
Luckily for me, they weren’t. The saimin was just as good as I had remembered.
Here’s what my last few hours on Kauai looked like:
Sunrise on Kauai
Thanks for following my adventures on Kauai on Twitter @thedailydish and on Instagram @catherinetoth.
Special thanks to the Kauai Visitors Bureau for setting all this up!
Hello Cat!
Hamura’s Yummy! It wasn’t even crowded, everytime I been there I had to wait for a table.
We went at 11:30 a.m. and there was literally no one in there. Can you believe that!
CAT: For me, my taste buds in the 60′s was better for Hamaura’s. My tastes must have changed because last year it was a disappointment. To me Shige’s is better.
OoooOooO, I love Shige’s. I think the broth is different at Hamura’s, but I can’t say for sure.
I love your blog Cat. I miss Hawaii so bad when I see some of your pics.
Aw, thanks for reading! Where are you now?
The pie looks delicious, like it would melt in your mouth. As the years go by I think that retiring to Kauai or the Big Island makes a lot of sense. Not a big fan of big crowds anymore. Maybe retire Kaaawa.
I’m surprised someone doesn’t open a chicken centric restaurant. If you are clever there a plenty chickens for free… You could call it the Kauai Free Range Chicken House or maybe the Roadside Chicken House. Just no call it the Kauai Chicken Ranch.
Kauai is nice, but lemme tell you, you really have to FIND things to do!
There was a chicken-centric restaurant — can’t remember the name off-hand — that I was going to go to but ran out of time.
To be honest, I wasn’t really impressed with Hamura Saimin, likening it to packaged S&S stuff.
I still say, believe it or not, Zippy’s is in it to win it with their famous “Zip Min”. The broth is EXCELLENT. Noodles have perfect texture and flavor. And you can’t beat the variety of toppings, including Choi Sum and a big honkin’ Shrimp Tempura thrown in for good measure. Winnahz!
Next to them, I’d go with Palace Saimin for best saimin on Oahu. I have yet to try Shige’s out in Wahiawa. As you said, it’s just so far!
Now I gotta’ go dig through your blog for Japanese Ramen coverage!