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    Tanaka Saimin

    3.3 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Tanaka Saimin Takeout or Delivery

    Tanaka Saimin Photos

    TANAKA SAIMIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Tanaka Mix Plate
    Kyra K.

    Getting together with Donna O. for lunch, she took us to Tanaka Saimin. A well-known local spot for comfort food. I'd never actually visited, after all the years I've lived on the island, so I was looking forward to it. We arrived on a weekend afternoon. It was busy, with lots of families or bigger friend groups coming. The ambiance is super casual, not much decor, more just a diner for people to eat and gather. It's bigger than I expected, quite a long restaurant with booths and tables. Service by staff is friendly, and food comes out efficiently. I haven't had saimin in years, so I got the Wun Tun Min. My dish was good, tasted like any saimin. Decent amount of toppings and plenty of noodles. For a size small, I was surprised by how big and, of course, filling. The broth is a bit salty, but what saimin broth isn't. My Dad enjoyed his food. I took a couple of bites and enjoyed the fried noodles. Tanaka Saimin is a watering hole locals come to for a meal. They have a nice variety of items from soups to plate lunches. Prices are reasonable, and there's a decent amount of parking at the Nimitz Center.

    Banana Cream Pie
    Elyse W.

    Fast and cheap eat! Food is just ok but good for the price and they give lots of food; could've shared a small. Tastes like Punahou saimin. Banana pie has big banana chunks but too much whip cream.

    Counter seating area
    Jackie K.

    In honor of Asian Pacific Islander History Month we ate here at Tanaka Saimin. Tanaka Saimin on Nimitz Highway is locally owned by Joan and Paul Watanabe. They opened the restaurant in 2010, which originated from the historic Boulevard Saimin founded by Joan's grandfather, Kazuo Tanaka, in 1956. Family style dining here. Great value and large portions served here. Kapuna (Senior) and Keiki (children) meals available for under $10! Service is with a smile and you are treated well here. Do not forget to try the homemade desserts! Support this API and local business here! Bathrooms are available in the restaurant. Notes: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, is celebrated in the United States throughout the month of May. It is an annual commemoration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of people with roots in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Significance of May: The month was chosen to coincide with two key historical milestones: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, which was built by a workforce largely composed of Chinese immigrants. Scope of Coverage: The celebration encompasses a vast, diverse population, including individuals with origins from the entire Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Origin and History: It began as a week-long celebration in 1978, signed by President Jimmy Carter. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a proclamation expanding it to a month, and it was permanently designated as a monthly observance in 1992. Thank you Wikipedia, AAPI and Google.

    Salad
    Ross T.

    We went to have dinner there on Friday, I haven't been there in a while. The Friday special was Hawaiian plate which they said they made everything on their own, so I decided to give it a try. The Lau Lau was not too good and not tasty and the filling was more fat and little meat wrapped in taro leaf in the shape of a cigar. The Lomi salmon was good with good size chunks of salted salmon and diced tomatoes and onions and a little green onion. The chicken long rice lack flavor and the noodles were on the hard side like not fully cooked. The kalua pork was okay, but lack the flavor and smoke taste. The Haupia was good and tasty and the onion was fresh. The chili pepper water was good and tasty and helped with the Lau Lau. Restroom was clean and they have separate men & women restrooms. Entrance to get in you need to enter from Best Buy & Costco's you cannot enter from Nimitz Hwy.

    Banana cream pie
    Emma W.

    Super yummy, comfort style food. I ordered the fried saimin with crispy shoyu chicken and it was absolutely delicious! Perfect breading and bit of sauce within the chicken itself that drained out perfectly to create a bit of shoyu for the noodles as well. The banana cream pie was pretty good not my absolute favorite and not sure if I'd get it again or not. It seemed to have almost a shortbread dense cake kind of bottom to it with a layer of real cut bananas, banana pudding and whipped cream. Boyfriend LOVED it! Overall 10/10 they accommodated our very large group at a later hour and had solid comfort food! I keep craving the shoyu chicken lol

    Fita N.

    I dont come here often, but when I do, its always a great experience. The food is ono and the service is always personable and inviting. I love when we get Ana. Shes definitely the best! Always a welcoming smiling face that greets us and any customers shes serving. She's just one of those that remembers your order by memory and brings the food out quick with all the necessary condiments needed. She engaging and always a pleasant interaction. Although the restaurant can be busy at times, the wait isnt too long. I love the local vibes you get once you step into the restaurant, that you're bound to run into someone you know.

    The hamburger
    debi k.

    It was our 1st visit and was ok - Service is fast - got seated at 4 pm on a weekday- had drinks & water immediately and had to ask for more time to review the menu. I'm sure most people know their menu and can get their order in within minutes of being seated! Saimin w/ one ton - noodles and soup good - one tons are huge and filling! The one ton wasn't a favorite but it was filling for sure. Hamburger- good it comes with all the trimmings - lettuce onions tomatoes and pickles- cheese is extra $1.99 Teri beef - lots of flavor Mac salad good Shrimp tempura - ok more breading than shrimp Overall a ok dinner most- likely won't return since the many other options in the area for saimin

    Lilikoi Chiffon Pie
    Joy B.

    Great restaurant where you find a lot of locals eating in. This place is almost always busy but friendly and fast service. Great comfort food. Must try: 1. Oxtail soup (9/10) 2. Mushroom burger with Swiss cheese (10/10) 3. Tanaka saimin (9/10) 4. Beef stew (9/10) 5. Mixed plate (8/10) 6. Lilikoi chiffon (9/10) Enjoy!

    Medium rare king cut prime rib with rice
    Bob S.

    We both got the king cut prime rib this evening. I like medium rare and my wife medium rare. We were both happy with our choices. Jazel was our server and we got seated at the bar to eat quickly as we wanted to watch the fireworks at the Hilton and so glad we ate at the bar. Jazel was fast, professional and friendly! Got us out of there lickity split! We love the ambiance here! It's a family feel and old school vibe. I love their specials. And we love the Asian dressing for our garden salads.

    Moyashi saimin
    Lois I.

    went to Tanaka Saimin, put our name on the waitlist but wait was not long at all. We ordered moyashi saimin and belgium waffles. The waffles were late to the table....the saimin was wonderful as ever, hot with lots of veggies. Tanaka's is large so the noise is a bit much but it's like any large establishment.

    Fried Rice Omelet with Pork Adobo
    Keola K.

    We decided to try something new today. Fried Chicken and waffles and Kids Hamburger Steak. The fried chicken are small pieces, prob the same as their crispy shoyu chicken with four fat mini waffles with powdered sugar sprinkled all over. The chicken is super crispy with a great crunch, albeit a few pieces maybe over cooked a bit as they were dry inside. The waffles were fluffy and great dipped in the syrup. The hamburger steak was a big and fat patty. We asked for gravy all over and son son loved it. Some of our other favorites are the Fried rice omelet with pork adobo, oyakodon, and our almost always usual the crispy spicy shoyu chicken. The servers are always polite and friendly, sort of reminds me of aunties. We'll definitely be back for more meals here.

    Oxtail saimin with wuntun $26
    Amy Y.

    This restaurant has been here for a very long time serving local Japanese and Hawaiian food. It's a big restaurant and must try! Good portions and good quality of food. I had the oxtail ramen and wuntun. Soup was flavorful and wuntun was chunky. My partner also enjoyed his koreamoco plate. Good food for good price. I'll be back to try out other menu items. There are so many options!

    Green Tea
    Debra N.

    Service is excellent with our exceptional (Hawaiian) waitress. She was very attentive. My teapot was not empty of hot water. Weather has been chilly and cold! The saimin broth was tasty and comforting with five huge wontons, two fish cakes, nori, and big handful of noodles. It helped warm me along with the green tea. The vegetable tempura went great with Chinese mustard and shoyu. I was in heaven!!! The atmosphere was bustling with business with family and friends enjoying their meals in their own deep conversations...good company and food, great combination! Ciao!!!!

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    Page 1 of 33

    Tanaka Saimin Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Tanaka Saimin

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    Fun Station

    Fun Station

    4.5
    (701 reviews)
    4.3 mi
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    All I can say about eating at the - "Fun Station" is that it's more fun when eating with a friend,…read more& getting a 20% discount.........well, that's just an extra bonus! So the thing about coming to Fun Station is the "suspended flying noodle thingy" which I didn't go for, but if you like Instagramable stuffs, then I supposed you would probably go for that flying-noodle dish. As for me, I mainly came to try their Minute Chicken Cake Noodles, and as a bonus......... I actually got a 20% discount thanks to my friend - Jennifer C. who let a Bruddah know about da DEALAGES in da Sunday food section newspaper, as they had a coupon! The Sunday morning when I came with my friend, I can clearly see that this restaurant was thriving, as every table in the restaurant was taken. Fun Station specializes in noodles, but if you're not into that, they do serve other items like - soups, vegetable dishes, rice plates, & porridge (jook). Upon looking over the menu, we ordered the following items - 1. Frrrrrrried Chicken Wings ($9.95) for an appetizer 2. Minute Chicken Cake Noodles ($17.95 - minus da 20% coupon DEALAGES) 3. Beef Brisket Tendon & Won Ton in soup ($18.95) What can I say about da grub??? Da chicken wings came out hot & crispy. Although they featured only "flats" vs. drums (I like drums), I must say da wings was nicely executed. As for the Minute Chicken Cake Noodles.........nicely plated on a fancy smanshy panda plate. The cake noodles weren't drowning in gravy, so the noodles stayed crispy on the dish. I really liked how they did this dish, and would easily come back here to eat it again. My friend had the Beef Brisket Tendon & Won Ton soup. The dish looked good, and there weren't any complaints, so I take it that it was pretty ono! Overall, a very satisfying meal and the service here was on point, as the staff was friendly & very efficient. Easy 5 stars for the Minute Chicken Cake Noodles! Chance 'em!

    You could drive past this place a hundred times without giving it a second thought. It's tucked…read moreinto a small strip mall, the dining room is no frills and if someone told me it was just another average neighborhood Chinese restaurant, I'd probably believe them. Then the food starts arriving. We ordered way more than we needed and almost everything impressed me. The chow fun was cooked exactly the way I like it. Chewy, smoky and never overcooked. My only complaint was that it leaned a little saltier than I prefer, but it was still very good. The Hainan chicken was the surprise of the meal. Perfectly tender with an incredible ginger sauce that I'd happily put on just about anything. Even the dishes I normally avoid won me over. I've never been much of a lotus root person, but theirs was crisp, savory and honestly delicious. The wontons were another highlight. Since we skipped the noodles, they generously gave us extra wontons instead, which was a really thoughtful touch. What really pushed this place from good to memorable, though, was the staff. We were there with our two and four year old and they couldn't have been kinder. They brought over little toys to keep the kids occupied, checked on us throughout the meal and made us feel genuinely welcome. None of it felt forced. It was just warm, thoughtful hospitality and that's something I always remember long after I've forgotten exactly what I ate. The bathroom situation isn't ideal, you have to use the one outside the restaurant, but that's really my only complaint beyond the slightly salty chow fun. This isn't the place I'd recommend for date night or a long evening out. It's the kind of neighborhood restaurant you walk into expecting very little, then leave thinking, that was a lot better than it had any right to be. We'll definitely be back.

    Photos
    Inside the restaurant.....
    Inside the restaurant.....
    Choi Sum & Beef Cake Noodle
    Choi Sum & Beef Cake Noodle
    Wonton close-up

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    Wonton close-up
    Marugame Udon

    Marugame Udon

    4.5
    (14.1k reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    Absolutely amazing noodle spot! There was a long line when we arrived, but it moved incredibly…read morefast. As soon as we got inside, we knew this place was going to be something special. Being able to watch them make the noodles in the back, combined with the incredible smell throughout the restaurant, made the whole experience even better. I ordered the curry udon, while my wife got the creamy broth, and we also shared the tempura shrimp. Everything was absolutely delicious. Honestly, this was probably our best food stop on the island. I'll be thinking about this restaurant for a long time. Where we're from, there's nothing even close to a place like this. If you're visiting the island, this is definitely a spot you need to try!

    Where do I even begin?!?! This place is an absolute gem!!! Marugame Udon offers some of the…read morefreshest and finest- handmade Sanuki udon on the island! Their noodles are made in-house (following authentic Sanuki traditions from Japan) and cooked daily. Customers order their noodles at the counter, pick their tempura from a self-serve station, and pay at the end. What's even more impressive- patrons can watch the chefs make the food right in front of them (making for a cool dining experience). Highly recommend getting there early- lines are insane! But for the most part, the line moves fast because meals are dished out quickly and guests eat and leave in a timely manner. And prices are relatively low compared to other places. I ordered the #2 Creamy Broth- creamy chicken broth topped with juicy pork chashu and a flavorful seasoned egg 10/10! This was absolute fire!!! My wife ordered the Chicken Katsu- lightly battered, well seasoned and packed with flavor. We also ordered a side of Shrimp Tempura and Potato Croquettes. Both were equally delicious, but the potato croquettes hit the spot with a well seasoned potato mash, encased in a golden deep fried breadcrumb 10/10! It's an absolute must!

    Photos
    You can watch as they make your food!
    You can watch as they make your food!
    Kake Udon
    Kake Udon
    Dining Room!

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    Dining Room!
    Seasons Taiwanese Eatery

    Seasons Taiwanese Eatery

    4.5
    (291 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    By far my favorite Taiwanese go to restaurant!…read more I highly recommend their popcorn chicken, so crispy, so juicy and the leaves not sure if they were basil or sobering else but the way they fry them and get them to also be super crispy is amazing. It's also seasoned perfectly, not too salty and you can add a level of spicy to your liking.

    The death knell is ringing for the Chinese (Taiwanese-Chinese, apparently) Cultural Plaza with the…read moreJune 2026 announcement of plans to can the place, so Seasons and all Plaza cohorts will meet their maker in a year! IRREGARDLESS I'd go back for the popcorn chicken (crispy, light fry, bite sized) and air conditioning. Sometimes Chinese food can get super saucy so the small plates - cucumbers, rolls, baos, and veg - work for me. It's serious 家常菜 or home-style cooking or quick food you'd find on the street: ong-choy, tomato-braised scrambled egg, garlic cabbage, essentially all the greats, shareable. Seasons also offers the beef soupy noodle sets, but when it's 85+ degrees out and sunny and 80% humidity, I do question ppl's judgement. I've always loved the Plaza, empty and partly abandoned, bec/ the design is conducive to good airflow and cooling, a much underappreciated architectural element in modern downtowns. But the bums and indigent love it more and sadly always leave some je ne sais quoi. Seasons finds itself across from the dim sum behemoth in Chinatown, Legends, but that's a different flavor profile. Still, quite nice to have variety.

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    Inside
    Inside
    11. Classic Beef and Tendon Noodle
    11. Classic Beef and Tendon Noodle
    New location is around the corner, towards the canal.

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    New location is around the corner, towards the canal.
    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

    4.6
    (7 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    About 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, there was already a line of people placing their order for fresh…read morepulled noodles. We were told that the first batch would be served about 11 a.m. so we quickly put our order in. The first thing that caught my attention, was the savory aroma of their 5-spice ground pork being cooked. You can add this as a topping to the noodle dish. The second thing that caught my attention, was the labor of love going in to each order of fresh pulled noodles. You can watch him stretch the dough ball and slap it on the counter before he boils each batch with careful preparation. The third thing that caught my attention, was their adorable mother, helping to slice the cucumbers and top each dish with crushed iso peanuts. Do not forget to order the side of pickled bittermelon....so good!! From beginning to end, this was an incredible experience of all my senses! To see and hear them at work and then to taste the delicious sesame sauce on the fresh pulled noodles....WOW! The soft noodles, the crisp bittermelon, and the savory sauce....super delish! Seriously, go early to place your order. The wait is totally worth it :) Will come back next time to try other menu items.

    Shima Dreams of Noodles is a pop-up, located at Fishcake -…read more This place supposedly has a huge following, and people anticipate for the changing menu of various noodle dishes. When we went, the menu focused on udon: +Hot Yamakake Udon with Quail Egg (a special) +Cold Yamakake Udon (a special) +Hot Udon +Cold Udon The special udon dishes are servied with tororo (grated mountain yam), housemade tsukudani (seaweed braised in a sweet Japanese sauce), crispy nori, green onions, and an option to add wasabi. We went for both the hot and cold udon specials - I think it was a consensus that we would have liked to have more noodles in the dish. This is definitely a sweeter dish, with the tororo and the tsukudani. The place already had a long line, and the best way to enjoy would be to dine-in. Note that if you do order a carry-out, the quail egg would not be included. +ordering online is available +changing menu of noodle dishes +popup at Fishcake

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    Making fresh udon noodles!
    Making fresh udon noodles!
    Fresh pulled noodles with sesame sauce, 5 spice ground pork, and side of pickled bittermelon, so yum!
    Fresh pulled noodles with sesame sauce, 5 spice ground pork, and side of pickled bittermelon, so yum!
    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

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    Tanaka Saimin - japanese - Updated August 2026

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