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They've been open ever since 1983 and the experts of classic saimin with generous toppings. They do not skimp. There is spam, egg, char su, and wonton if you choose the Hilo special. The broth is on the salty side and is based from dried seaweed. At this time it's take out only. No dine in. Accepts card and cash. Call in ahead of time to avoid a wait. They are a no fufu business, just straight to the point saimin. They got rice plates and BBQ meat too! (: Happy yelping and eating!
I never would have found this spot if it wasn't for a recommendation from my Yelp friend, Dan O.! After a day of exploring Hilo, the three of us were ready for some saimin! With this being a popular Hawaiian dish, it was something I was really eager to try once I set foot on the Big Island. Nori's is not visible from the street and it was a little tricky finding the restaurant. Google Maps took us to Kukuau Plaza, so we parked and found it on the bottom floor when we walked up to the building. I was impressed to see that they have been serving lunch and snack items for over 40 years, evidenced by numerous awards and recognition posted on the wall. Each of us ordered a noodle entrée, and we had no idea how huge they would be! Although the serving sizes are apparently intended for one person, they could easily feed at least two or provide more than one meal. My Fried Saimin ($12.95) contained a hearty portion of sliced Spam and fish cake, topped with green onion. Since the meats were charred on the grill, this added some extra flavor to the dish. My meal also included a chicken skewer which had a light sweet glaze, but was on the dry side. We also ordered the Garlic Fried Saimin ($13.95) which was addictive! The noodles were full of garlic flavor and even topped with fried garlic chips. This one came paired with a side of glistening BBQ pork. Finally, my dad had the Fried Noodles ($12.95), which included cabbage, carrot, chopped BBQ pork and a chicken skewer. I didn't get to try this one, but it must have been good since he gobbled it all up! Customers were in and out picking up orders and our food was ready in about 20 minutes. The staff was friendly and they made sure we were comfortable while waiting, offering us a seat in one of their booths. This is a promising spot if you're craving noodles, but they have a variety of other entrees as well. If I were a local, I'd be a recurring customer to explore more of their menu.
I guess they used to be good when hilo had only a few places to eat, old establishment that closed to takeouts only, they do mostly catering. The salmon tsukemono good portion but not freshly cooked, like preheat, like I mentioned they do catering so i guess everything is premade, the plus was the red salmon they used. The old timers boosted about this place, we tried it was meh and won't be coming back.
This was our first stop after arriving in Hilo, and the food here did not disappoint. Due to COVID, there weren't as many seats available, so we had to wait for a table. The worker was kind and let us wait inside and take a look at the menu. I had the Bi Bim Kook Soo. The beef was soft and flavorful, and the fresh vegetables added a nice touch. The dish was gigantic and was enough to last me two meals. My dad had the Super Deluxe Min, and since he finished the entire meal, he got a free chocolate butter mochi to take home. I really liked how light the butter mochi was.
My spouse read a few good reviews so we picked up a nori burger and a big platter to share. The interior is quite quirky, there was a new huffy bike displayed on top of a cabinet for sale and like ten gum ball machines lining the hall leading to the dining area. The place looks pretty dilapidated but gives off a homey hole-in-the-wall vibe that serves banging food. Wrong! The burger patty was dry ASL. But the pickles were crisp, the lettuce was not soggy, and tomatoes and onion were sliced thin. Not bad. Everything in the big platter sucked - teriyaki was dry as hell, rib eye was dry as hell and tough as leather, chicken on a stick was dry as hell and also flavorless, and the battered fish was actually decent. The rice balls, mac salad, and Saimin were all bland as hell.
This may be a locals favorite and family owned, sorry to say I had a bad experience. The service was slow and my order came out wrong. I ordered a BBQ Beef stick,small Saimin with Won Ton. They brought me a chicken stick instead of a beef stick. Took awhile to flag someone to exchange it. Gave the chicken stick to a person (not our server).Told him what had happen that I had ordered a BBQ beef stick. Waited for my BBQ stick which never came. The person who paid the tab told the cashier of what transpired. So they deduced the teriyaki stick from the tab. The broth of the won ton mein was excellent but the noodle and won ton was way over cooked.
Hole in a wall place in Hilo 1 star short because the service I guess is real Hilo style slow and didn't see our waitress once we got our food ? The Saimin was ok and the burger was homemade and a little twist with a nori strip on top of the burger .
We ALWAYS eathere and have had only wonderful experiences. However, tonight was AWFUL on friendliness, personality, courteous, EVERYTHING. It took them over 5 minutes to even look at us waiting to be seated. And we were the only ones waiting!!! I had to ask if we seat ourselves (which I know we don't). She sat us and we were ready to leave. We sat well over 10 minutes before the most unfriendly, non-smiling male came to take our order. SO FREAKING RUDE!!! We eat out 5 times a week minimum and I have never ever encountered anyone with such an ugly personality. As we sat, this server went to clear the table adjacent to us. While removing the high chair, he banged my son's booth (bang!), then slammed that high chair into 3 more booths. My gawd!!! I'm writing this as we wait for our food, still not here. I'm wondering how this guy even got hired or works here.
This was my second time at this restaurant and i was not to happy coming the second time around. It didn't seem busy because there was open tables. We got a table quick but the problem was the amount of time it took to be served. We waited at least a good 8 minutes to get a waitress. My party was literally ready to walk out and go eat else where but someone finally came. The person apologized and that was fine. I ordered just a saimin and i didnt like the quality of it. I ordered it with won ton and the meat was hard and the broth was a bit salty. I didnt even finish my food. Toward the end a nicer older lady came by and helped us.
A local recommended this place to me for saimin in the Hilo area. At first, I was taken aback by the poor Yelp reviews, but I still wanted to give the place a try. I ordered a large saimin bowl with Hilo style saimin and made it a special (came with a chicken stick & cabbage for $1.75). I thought they would add a lot of cabbage for the special but there were only 2 small pieces in my entire bowl, so that was very disappointing. Also, the chicken was very dry, as though it had been sitting on the grill for a long time. But the large bowl came with a lot of noodles and I was stuffed after finishing it. The soup itself was just ok, maybe on the slightly salty side. One of my friends ordered a small saimin but with the original style noodles. I actually liked those noodles more since they were thicker and chewier. Another friend ordered the Bi Bim Kook Soo and she really liked it, but I thought it should have come with more meat. We also ordered a slice of strawpia pie, but it was underwhelming. It had pieces of strawberries but the flavor of the pie tasted like it was made from strawberry Nesquik. The crust was also dry and tasteless. Service was fine, but maybe because we came at 5pm on a Thursday so it wasn't busy for them. So overall, not a bad but also not a great experience. I would maybe come back if I was really hungry and wanted a large saimin bowl for relatively cheap.
I honestly dont understand how some of this restaurants in Hilo are still in business. Nori's is included in one of them. Maybe coming from CA, I might have high expectation but honestly though, I have zero expectation from any of the eateries in Hilo. Nori's is located in this small plaza that I never go. It's located on one of the busiest streets in Hilo though. I ordered Garlic Noodle (GN) and my friend ordered Shoyu Ramen (SR). My GN was very confusing. VERY. I dont even know where to start. first of all, my noodles in the dish was not cooked perfectly. I dont even know what kind of noodle it was but it was very similar to Linguini. My GN had no garlic flavor whatsoever and no slices of garlic, chopped garlic was found in my plate. It was garnished with shredded seaweed, ok? It had thin slices of imitation crab meat and fish cake. It had some type of cheese in it. I think it was parmesan. A few pieces of shrimp was in the dish but it was of those tiny cocktail shrimp. My friends SR was very salty. She tried to make it more bland by adding hot water but it didnt help at all. Ended up not eating the ramen at all. Customer service was nonexistent. They are always hiding inside the kitchen and it was really hard to get their attention. Upon paying the check, my friend left after paying and the owner called her to sign the receipt and the receipt said no signature is required. Nothing is organized in this restaurant and dishes are overpriced. I dont know what dishes are known here but I dont think I will come back. Goodbye.
My parents would always talk about this place and how good it was when they lived in Hilo. When we visited this past week my parent said we should go there for lunch. I had the Hilo style saimin and we all shared the big plate. Let me just say, that was a great lunch to end our trip.
Nori's was one of my bookmarked places to try but wasn't at the top of the list. Our journey here was a last minute decision as we wanted a nightcap as well as food, and Nori's was one of the few places open at 10pm. ATMOSPHERE: They're located in a small strip mall, though the eatery cannot be seen from the road. Seating is a collection of homemade wooden booths, even for the 2-seaters, with two of them being able to accommodate large parties of about 16 each. Decor is very homely, and the place was fairly clean sans for the sticky floors, but to be fair we came at the end of the night, so that's to be expected. MENU: Saimin, won ton min, mundoo soup, ramen, cold noodles, stir fried noodles, local plate lunches, hot pot, burgers, salads, desserts. Also sake, beer, wine. BEVERAGE: I was so happy to get my nightcap in with a $4 Heineken. FOOD: Hilo Style Saimin - $9.25. All the saimin/noodle dishes are available in small or large sizes, with the option of the "special" which added a few slices of won bok and a chicken skewer. Being the pig that I am, I ordered the large which was loaded with so much noodles that I couldn't finish even half. The noodles were thicker and wavy like dry mein noodles and cooked perfect. The only downfall was the broth which was a tad overly salty which killed the natural dashi flavor. Temperature-wise it was hot but not searing. The teriyaki-flavored chicken stick, unfortunately, was very dry and overcooked. Local Special - $7.95. My spouse's dish. This falls under their "Local Moco's" category, AKA loco moco. The Local Special added two eggs and a scoop of macaroni salad to the "hamburger steak" dish. The portion was huge for the price. The forkful I tasted was really good; the patty moist and the dark brown gravy thick and savory. Great deal and it'll fill ya up! SERVICE: Our female server, an elder Asian woman, was so sweet and friendly! I didn't get her name but she had on a black shirt with "Nori's" spelled out in sparkly rhinestones on the front. Extremely pleasant and professional! TIP: They do not split checks at all, with bright pink signs abound stating it. OVERALL: Nice menu with lots of noodle choices and even alcohol, good service, open late compared to other eateries in the area.
2 months ago
3 months ago
Nori's is a shining landmark in the childhood memories of my SO, a cozy, homestyle establishment known fondly among the locals. After an impulsive flight to the sleepy town of Hilo, we just had to stop by and see how this iconic institution had fared. Straight up - they don't make it easy. It seems that Nori's has shifted their business, and don't even offer dine-in service anymore. Hours are extremely limited for take-out only, from 11-6 on Friday-Sunday. That being said, the people working were incredibly kind, and locals still filtered through to purchase chocolate mochi and snacks. It's got that low-key, homey vibe that truly feels like an escape from the big city. Parking is easy in their big lot that is shared with a sports bar, where the hours don't overlap much. We placed our order and waited in the little wooden two person booths, a wistful reminder of the dining experience of the past. Ancient newspaper articles from the cornerstone Tribune Herald adorned the walls, above aging gumball and toy machines with quarter turners. I still remember the satisfying click as the machine released a rush of colorful runts, or perhaps a gumball into a plastic vortex. Anyways, check out the pictures - servings here are NOT for the faint of heart. We ordered a Big Plate (for two people, allegedly), which included mac salad, fried noodles, musubis, kalbi, fish jun, bbq beef, and chicken skewers. For a little over $30, I swear we could've eaten for a couple days. They literally gave us a catering pan of food, with a mountain of mac salad in a separate container. - Kalbi - Sweet, flavorful, meaty. Not the most tender short rib, but top tier marinade. - BBQ Beef - Tasty, tender, and thin cut. Solid offering. - Fried Fish - Jun style with egg batter, amazingly flaky and moist. Tartar sauce included had a little mustard zing to it. - Chicken Skewers - While overcooked and dry, these were so delicious I wanted more. The brushed sauce was so sweet and savory. - Musubis - Massive rice balls with a strip of nori. Probably like 2 scoop rice each at least. Nothing special but gotta have da rice. - Fried noodles - Soft and springy, a bit bland compared to the proteins, but dear god this was a heaping pile that could feed a small family. - Mac Salad - Bland. Needs salt, vinegar, anything more to elevate it. Again, they gave a generous serving, but we barely touched this one. We also tried the hilo style saimin. We must be looking at a different dictionary cuz the "small" was quite large. Fresh, springy noodles in a silky, savory saimin broth, adorned with the traditional naruto, spam, and green onion accompaniments. It's pricier than most at almost $10, but it's fresh and you won't be hungry. I'm impressed at the relative value that Nori's offers in today's economy, but sad at their limited take-out only hours. I hope that one day they return to their full, former glory. read more
They've been open ever since 1983 and the experts of classic saimin with generous toppings. They do not skimp. There is spam, egg, char su, and wonton if you choose the Hilo special. The broth is on the salty side and is based from dried seaweed. At this time it's take out only. No dine in. Accepts card and cash. Call in ahead of time to avoid a wait. They are a no fufu business, just straight to the point saimin. They got rice plates and BBQ meat too! (: Happy yelping and eating! read more
5 years ago
I never would have found this spot if it wasn't for a recommendation from my Yelp friend, Dan O.! After a day of exploring Hilo, the three of us were ready for some saimin! With this being a popular Hawaiian dish, it was something I was really eager to try once I set foot on the Big Island. Nori's is not visible from the street and it was a little tricky finding the restaurant. Google Maps took us to Kukuau Plaza, so we parked and found it on the bottom floor when we walked up to the building. I was impressed to see that they have been serving lunch and snack items for over 40 years, evidenced by numerous awards and recognition posted on the wall. Each of us ordered a noodle entrée, and we had no idea how huge they would be! Although the serving sizes are apparently intended for one person, they could easily feed at least two or provide more than one meal. My Fried Saimin ($12.95) contained a hearty portion of sliced Spam and fish cake, topped with green onion. Since the meats were charred on the grill, this added some extra flavor to the dish. My meal also included a chicken skewer which had a light sweet glaze, but was on the dry side. We also ordered the Garlic Fried Saimin ($13.95) which was addictive! The noodles were full of garlic flavor and even topped with fried garlic chips. This one came paired with a side of glistening BBQ pork. Finally, my dad had the Fried Noodles ($12.95), which included cabbage, carrot, chopped BBQ pork and a chicken skewer. I didn't get to try this one, but it must have been good since he gobbled it all up! Customers were in and out picking up orders and our food was ready in about 20 minutes. The staff was friendly and they made sure we were comfortable while waiting, offering us a seat in one of their booths. This is a promising spot if you're craving noodles, but they have a variety of other entrees as well. If I were a local, I'd be a recurring customer to explore more of their menu. read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
I guess they used to be good when hilo had only a few places to eat, old establishment that closed to takeouts only, they do mostly catering. The salmon tsukemono good portion but not freshly cooked, like preheat, like I mentioned they do catering so i guess everything is premade, the plus was the red salmon they used. The old timers boosted about this place, we tried it was meh and won't be coming back. read more
This was our first stop after arriving in Hilo, and the food here did not disappoint. Due to COVID, there weren't as many seats available, so we had to wait for a table. The worker was kind and let us wait inside and take a look at the menu. I had the Bi Bim Kook Soo. The beef was soft and flavorful, and the fresh vegetables added a nice touch. The dish was gigantic and was enough to last me two meals. My dad had the Super Deluxe Min, and since he finished the entire meal, he got a free chocolate butter mochi to take home. I really liked how light the butter mochi was. read more
My spouse read a few good reviews so we picked up a nori burger and a big platter to share. The interior is quite quirky, there was a new huffy bike displayed on top of a cabinet for sale and like ten gum ball machines lining the hall leading to the dining area. The place looks pretty dilapidated but gives off a homey hole-in-the-wall vibe that serves banging food. Wrong! The burger patty was dry ASL. But the pickles were crisp, the lettuce was not soggy, and tomatoes and onion were sliced thin. Not bad. Everything in the big platter sucked - teriyaki was dry as hell, rib eye was dry as hell and tough as leather, chicken on a stick was dry as hell and also flavorless, and the battered fish was actually decent. The rice balls, mac salad, and Saimin were all bland as hell. read more
7 years ago
This may be a locals favorite and family owned, sorry to say I had a bad experience. The service was slow and my order came out wrong. I ordered a BBQ Beef stick,small Saimin with Won Ton. They brought me a chicken stick instead of a beef stick. Took awhile to flag someone to exchange it. Gave the chicken stick to a person (not our server).Told him what had happen that I had ordered a BBQ beef stick. Waited for my BBQ stick which never came. The person who paid the tab told the cashier of what transpired. So they deduced the teriyaki stick from the tab. The broth of the won ton mein was excellent but the noodle and won ton was way over cooked. read more
Hole in a wall place in Hilo 1 star short because the service I guess is real Hilo style slow and didn't see our waitress once we got our food ? The Saimin was ok and the burger was homemade and a little twist with a nori strip on top of the burger . read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
We ALWAYS eathere and have had only wonderful experiences. However, tonight was AWFUL on friendliness, personality, courteous, EVERYTHING. It took them over 5 minutes to even look at us waiting to be seated. And we were the only ones waiting!!! I had to ask if we seat ourselves (which I know we don't). She sat us and we were ready to leave. We sat well over 10 minutes before the most unfriendly, non-smiling male came to take our order. SO FREAKING RUDE!!! We eat out 5 times a week minimum and I have never ever encountered anyone with such an ugly personality. As we sat, this server went to clear the table adjacent to us. While removing the high chair, he banged my son's booth (bang!), then slammed that high chair into 3 more booths. My gawd!!! I'm writing this as we wait for our food, still not here. I'm wondering how this guy even got hired or works here. read more
This was my second time at this restaurant and i was not to happy coming the second time around. It didn't seem busy because there was open tables. We got a table quick but the problem was the amount of time it took to be served. We waited at least a good 8 minutes to get a waitress. My party was literally ready to walk out and go eat else where but someone finally came. The person apologized and that was fine. I ordered just a saimin and i didnt like the quality of it. I ordered it with won ton and the meat was hard and the broth was a bit salty. I didnt even finish my food. Toward the end a nicer older lady came by and helped us. read more
A local recommended this place to me for saimin in the Hilo area. At first, I was taken aback by the poor Yelp reviews, but I still wanted to give the place a try. I ordered a large saimin bowl with Hilo style saimin and made it a special (came with a chicken stick & cabbage for $1.75). I thought they would add a lot of cabbage for the special but there were only 2 small pieces in my entire bowl, so that was very disappointing. Also, the chicken was very dry, as though it had been sitting on the grill for a long time. But the large bowl came with a lot of noodles and I was stuffed after finishing it. The soup itself was just ok, maybe on the slightly salty side. One of my friends ordered a small saimin but with the original style noodles. I actually liked those noodles more since they were thicker and chewier. Another friend ordered the Bi Bim Kook Soo and she really liked it, but I thought it should have come with more meat. We also ordered a slice of strawpia pie, but it was underwhelming. It had pieces of strawberries but the flavor of the pie tasted like it was made from strawberry Nesquik. The crust was also dry and tasteless. Service was fine, but maybe because we came at 5pm on a Thursday so it wasn't busy for them. So overall, not a bad but also not a great experience. I would maybe come back if I was really hungry and wanted a large saimin bowl for relatively cheap. read more
4 years ago
10 years ago
I honestly dont understand how some of this restaurants in Hilo are still in business. Nori's is included in one of them. Maybe coming from CA, I might have high expectation but honestly though, I have zero expectation from any of the eateries in Hilo. Nori's is located in this small plaza that I never go. It's located on one of the busiest streets in Hilo though. I ordered Garlic Noodle (GN) and my friend ordered Shoyu Ramen (SR). My GN was very confusing. VERY. I dont even know where to start. first of all, my noodles in the dish was not cooked perfectly. I dont even know what kind of noodle it was but it was very similar to Linguini. My GN had no garlic flavor whatsoever and no slices of garlic, chopped garlic was found in my plate. It was garnished with shredded seaweed, ok? It had thin slices of imitation crab meat and fish cake. It had some type of cheese in it. I think it was parmesan. A few pieces of shrimp was in the dish but it was of those tiny cocktail shrimp. My friends SR was very salty. She tried to make it more bland by adding hot water but it didnt help at all. Ended up not eating the ramen at all. Customer service was nonexistent. They are always hiding inside the kitchen and it was really hard to get their attention. Upon paying the check, my friend left after paying and the owner called her to sign the receipt and the receipt said no signature is required. Nothing is organized in this restaurant and dishes are overpriced. I dont know what dishes are known here but I dont think I will come back. Goodbye. read more
7 years ago
My parents would always talk about this place and how good it was when they lived in Hilo. When we visited this past week my parent said we should go there for lunch. I had the Hilo style saimin and we all shared the big plate. Let me just say, that was a great lunch to end our trip. read more
Nori's was one of my bookmarked places to try but wasn't at the top of the list. Our journey here was a last minute decision as we wanted a nightcap as well as food, and Nori's was one of the few places open at 10pm. ATMOSPHERE: They're located in a small strip mall, though the eatery cannot be seen from the road. Seating is a collection of homemade wooden booths, even for the 2-seaters, with two of them being able to accommodate large parties of about 16 each. Decor is very homely, and the place was fairly clean sans for the sticky floors, but to be fair we came at the end of the night, so that's to be expected. MENU: Saimin, won ton min, mundoo soup, ramen, cold noodles, stir fried noodles, local plate lunches, hot pot, burgers, salads, desserts. Also sake, beer, wine. BEVERAGE: I was so happy to get my nightcap in with a $4 Heineken. FOOD: Hilo Style Saimin - $9.25. All the saimin/noodle dishes are available in small or large sizes, with the option of the "special" which added a few slices of won bok and a chicken skewer. Being the pig that I am, I ordered the large which was loaded with so much noodles that I couldn't finish even half. The noodles were thicker and wavy like dry mein noodles and cooked perfect. The only downfall was the broth which was a tad overly salty which killed the natural dashi flavor. Temperature-wise it was hot but not searing. The teriyaki-flavored chicken stick, unfortunately, was very dry and overcooked. Local Special - $7.95. My spouse's dish. This falls under their "Local Moco's" category, AKA loco moco. The Local Special added two eggs and a scoop of macaroni salad to the "hamburger steak" dish. The portion was huge for the price. The forkful I tasted was really good; the patty moist and the dark brown gravy thick and savory. Great deal and it'll fill ya up! SERVICE: Our female server, an elder Asian woman, was so sweet and friendly! I didn't get her name but she had on a black shirt with "Nori's" spelled out in sparkly rhinestones on the front. Extremely pleasant and professional! TIP: They do not split checks at all, with bright pink signs abound stating it. OVERALL: Nice menu with lots of noodle choices and even alcohol, good service, open late compared to other eateries in the area. read more
Agree with Rod U this place is saimin heaven! Local place that's been there for years, in our case the perfect last stop in Hilo after a weekend full of baseball games. The Hilo style special came with a chicken stick and everything is just delicious! The broth of the saimin has so much flavor and the noodles are perfectly cooked, matched perfectly with that bbq chicken stick! All that for under 10$. My aunty ordered the combo calamari and Teri beef. Holy cow the Teri beef here is amazing! Highly recommended I would have ordered a full plate of that with small saimin next time! Honestly in my opinion the food here is a 5 star rating but I had to deduct a star as the service we got was not very good considering they were NOT that full, had to remind them to bring water, refill, bring drinks, bring silverware, check on a late dish etc....but will that stop me from going back...in this case No Way the food is really good here and I'm craving that warm tasty bowl of saimin! I'll be back next year! read more
Been coming to Nori's for years and it's always a solid simian joint. Broth is flavorful without being too salty, toppings are great (forgive the picture that looks like tons of char siu, that was from my dad), and noodles are cooked perfectly. Didn't add a picture of the chicken skewer, but it was very generous sized and had a nice sauce to accompany it. Highly recommend when have a noodle craving. read more
Great saimin. That's all you need to know. Forget everything else on the menu. This place was built on Saimin. Everything else just fluff added over the 30+ years it's been around. The broth defines saimin even if you don't drink it (this isn't ramen). Nori's broth is umame supercharged. Konbu (kelp) is the base. The natural glutamates creates a distinct, delicious, warming, clean, oceanic finish that last minutes. Memorize and repeat: "Aunty [or uncle], can get one [insert size] Hilo style special with one cone sushi". Noodles are properly cooked and suck up the broth rapidly. Good size garnish never seen on Oahu. Well marinated, properly cooked teriyaki chicken skewer. Huge, fist sized cone sushi with a sweet, well seasoned age cone and well seasoned rice. A little on the wet side but plenty good. Notes: Noodles - Hilo style (thinner saimin noodles), saimin (standard thickness found everywhere), curly ramen (egg noodle). Size (In the universal "Cup of Noodle" measure units) - Small (3 cups), Large (6 cups) Toppings - Regular (plain Jane minimal), special (charsiu, kamaboko, sliced sweet egg, Napa cabbage, green onions and one teriyaki chicken skewer) Very local service. Friendly and fast. Cheap, good, fill you up food from a bygone era at ridiculously low prices. read more
Just got into Hilo on a late flight and in a hongray state of mind. Jumped into my Brother in law's truck and away we went Nori's! Small restaurant filled with wooden booths, typical Hilo town eatery, very comfortable atmosphere. Specials posted on the walls of this place. There was a lot of items on their menu which jumped out at me. I decided on the Oxtail Soup ($12.95) which was one of the specials, my significant half ordered the Nori's Chazuke ($10.95). The Chazuke is well worth the price and the fish which I sampled was excellent. Unfortunately for me the Oxtail Soup was inedible, the meat was tough and not even close to fall off the bone. The service was semi attentive and just seem to be lacking missing sincerity, you know that I'm so happy that you chose us to eat here kind of feeling. Overall I would like to come back and try the saimin which features Maebo noodles, but an inedible dish and walking on sticky floors equal barely equals 3 Stars for now. No Bueno.... read more
19 years ago
Nori's is definitely a hole in the wall. With address and GPS in hand, I still couldn't locate this place. I called the restaurant only to find I was next door. Nori's is in the middle of a little strip mall, and trying to find this place at night only made matters worse. It was definitely worth the treasure hunt though. The restaurant is small. As you enter, there is a long hallway with a few booths on one side. Pictures and accolades adorn the wall. I noticed a picture of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto along with a few other Hawaiian celebrities. Noted for their saimin, this was a must especially after going up to Mauna Kea to see the sunset and the incredible view of the stars. Situated at 9,000 feet the observation center gets mighty cold and windy. If you head to the summit at 14,000 feet you will see snow during the winter time. One of the cool things about the Big Island is that you can ski or snowboard in the morning, and drive down the mountain and go surfing in the afternoon. The Hilo-style wonton saimin is what I ordered. The Hilo-style noodles are curlier then normal is what I was informed. All noodles are made in house, and they make 16 different varieties of saimin. They don't skimp on the noodles here, as there is little room for broth with the amount of noodles that are given. The saimin is served with the usual char sui pork, komoboko and green onions. The wonton are fairly big and have a good amount of pork filling inside. The wonton skins are thick enough not to fall apart while swimming in the saimin, but delicate enough not to become gummy or overly chewy. The noodles themselves are cooked al dente and have a nice chew to them. As a bonus two chicken skewers are served with the saimin. They are grilled with a nice char on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. They also make a chocolate mochi cake and mochi cookies. The mochi cake is sort of like a cross between chocolate cake and a brownie. It is very dense and moist, but has a fairly delicate mouthfeel. It sort of has a dobash (chocolate pudding) texture and taste, but a little chewier due to the mochi. For the best saimin on the island, go to Nori's. It's definitely worth the hunt. read more
I was in Hilo this morning........... as I had a job to do at a 7-Eleven. After doing the dirty deed, it was now time for a late breakfast......or I would say an early lunch! Nori's has always been an old time favorite of mines.............been coming here off/on for over 20 years now. I like this old hole in the wall joint, as it serves local style comfort food. The decor is a little dingy, and has seen better days........but the food is superb if you're looking for local style grinds! Got here at around 10:20 AM.......sign says it opens at 10:30 AM today. I was thinking..........GREAT! Perfect timing...........and I waited patiently by the open door as the lights were off. I stood there waiting and waiting............ Next thing you know, an elderly Japanese lady, her husband, daughter, & grandson show up. She says to me - "Wot, they not open yet?" I laugh & tell her.......yeah, they neva open yet! She says - past 10:30 AM already............. and the sign says it opens at 10:30 AM. Next thing you know.........the little old lady just goes inside and take charge of the joint! While we were waiting outside........her daughter says - "watch, she going get scoldings", but she was wrong, cuz the next thing you know,........they are now open! Lol! Good thing grandma was around, otherwise I would have starve! I followed them into the restaurant & sat myself into a individual booth. I proceeded to order me a small saimin & burger combo...........not bad, just $9.95. Absolutely nothing fancy about this food.............just good 'ol local style comfort food! Saimin was good.......fresh noodles with kamaboko, some pork, egg, & garnished with some greens. The burger reminded me of the old "local style" burgers you would get at a mom & pop joint like Tropics Bakery, Jolly Rogers, or Richie's Drive Inn. Only difference was the burger patty was MASSIVE!!!! Burger was served with lettuces, pickles, mustard, & a small square piece of nori (dried Japanese seaweed)............I had to ask for the ketchup. The perfect meal to satisfy my local taste buds today.........especially since I had to spend my Sunday at work! :( Service was fast & friendly..............there is lots of parking in the private parking lot! Check 'em out gang! read more
2 years ago
Stopped in for an early breakfast Saturday. Ordered a small won ton, regular saimin, sizzling hamburger steak, 2 beef sticks, and a cone sushi. Note, cone sushi isn't available on Saturday. Then we were told to teriyaki beef sticks either. So we ordered the chicken stick. Sizzling steak looked really good, saimin was okay. Wonton was a little soggy. Chicken sticks were really delicious. First server (Japanese guy)didn't seem to friendly. Didn't even smile once. Tall server who started later however was very pleasant. read more
5 years ago
3 years ago
Nori's is a Hilo staple and walking into the restaurant you're definitely given that old-town diner feel. The food is fast, simple and satisfactory. Worth giving a try but it wouldn't place in my favorite spots. They're known for their saimins and burgers, so of course I went with that combo for $10.95. I got what I was told was their best seller, the Hilo style noodles. The saimin was big, simple, and filling. Their burgers come with mustard-mayo, pickles, lettuce and a slice of nori on top of the patty. It was delicious. The umami from that piece of nori was unexpected. I would order the burger again but I feel their saimin was just a-ok. My friend, who's born and raised in Hilo, got one of his favorites, the teri beef loco with the teri sauce on the side ($7.95). He made it a special with an extra egg and macaroni salad for an additional $2.50. All in all his meal was a good deal, but then again there's not much finesse when making a loco moco. Good, just not exceptional. read more
10 years ago
Nori's is where you go for a huge comforting bowl of saimin done right. It's more of a local stop than tourist attraction, which surprises me because I'd think more people would flock to try their delicious noodles. Located in Hilo town, parkings very convenient with it's own private lot. Inside is actually pretty big and they even have a separate room for larger parties to enjoy. I love the ambiance because it's got that old soda fountain feel with pictures of back in the day Kapiolani park, Ala Moana, Ala Wai Canal, and McKinley Highschool hanging on the walls. Service is friendly and efficient. But most importantly...the saimin! They have a great selection from wontons to mundoos, saimin in soup to being fried. All a great price. They offer two sizes for the soup saimins, small or large, both less than $10. I tried the mundoo saimin because I like a little more filling in my dumplings than the average wonton. The mundoos were ok, the filling was mostly meat and cabbage, could have been tastier. My small came topped with kimchee, egg, chinese cabbage, fishcake, teri beef, and green onions. The noodles were thicker than most places and so tasty. If you like thinner saimin noodles try their hilo style saimin. They're also known for their desserts (chocolate mochi), which I'll just have to come back for next visit. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
No frills, hole in the wall, local-style restaurant. Cozy ambiance Attentive and friendly staff Expansive menu Saimin, mixed plate and Nori burger are a must Definitely a must hit when in Hilo read more
4 years ago
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7 years ago
Heard so much about this place when the fisherman Harry Kojima was good friends with at that time the owner of Noris Beth Ann Nishima ( I think). Well we went there for lunch when we arrived to hilo. The place was no so big restaurant simple kind atmosphere local style for the Hilo people. Had there Nori special burger was tasty home made patty and I guess their sauce was like a mustard mayonnaise taste. The bun was fresh. Came with onion tomato and lettuce. They lost a star because my husband ordered a small wun ton mein with a side ordered of teri beef stick and when it came they had a teri chicken stick instead of the teri stick.told the waiter he didnt order that he acknowledge but never came back with the teri stick. When we was ready to pay I told the waitress/cashier we didnt order the teri chicken stick and she reply it comes with the saimin because it's a special combo but I told her it wasnt a combo everything was ala cart so she took it off the bill. If we come back to Hilo will try it again read more
The first time I came here for dinner- I was way confused and out of my element. After that visit I was hooked. I stop in every time I am in Hilo. This trip we brought my daughter in.... she was also not happy on the way into another restaurant where she wasn't sure what to order. But ramen is on if her favorites, so..... we had a fantastic lunch . But... now here we are again the very next day. Fantastic fried saimin, the Hilo style Ramen with wonton was amazing! My daughter had us order the same thing again. She loved it! Actually the whole family loved it! Those gals working the tables, kitchen, restaurant... well they too were great! Thanks for some great food and memories! read more
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More info about Nori's Saimin & Snacks
688 Kinoole St
Ste 124
Hilo, HI 96720
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(808) 935-9133
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Ask the Community - Nori's Saimin & Snacks
What is the favorite dish?
I love the Saimin (curly ramen)/Nori burger combo or the double chicken stick plate.
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