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A solid, old timey local diner that has bar seating and booth seating serving up local grinds like saimin, plate lunch, burgers fries, and daily specials. It's busy everytime we go for dinner and I do enjoy their saimin. I got the Tanaka special which was a large won ton mein, with a side of a shrimp tempura, Teri beef, and potato Mac. Won ton wrapper is a little thick. The star was oxtail saimin, and it was packed. We also added wonton in there and was enough for 2 meals! The broth is oxtail soup and it was delicious with heart servings of oxtail. That'll be my usual from now on. Stop on by for nice local food! Can get busy to some it accordingly.
Updated review Sept. 4, 2026 the food here is amazingly great tasting fresh better than my home cooking and yours. The service is so awesome teamwork makes the dream work here at this establishment. The ambiance so relaxing you can't get any better than this. My husband had the Oxtail Soup he said we will be coming here from now on for the soup I had the mix plate with shrimp tempura and beef teriyaki amazingly satisfied their pies are to die for but we were both full.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
We come here so often that the servers know us. They even remember when my son was in his stroller and now my son is 11 years old. The staff are super nice and attentive. But the food is another level. Everything is super good. Never had any complaints, only great complaints! Great job! Keep up the good work!
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
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!
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.
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.
Food was ono and came fast. Server Kathy was awesome. She catered to my needs. Hard to find workers like her. Very professional and nice. Please give her some praise for her hard work Tanaka manager and owner. If you get her you won't regret it. And prices are still reasonable.
Strange as it may seem, this was my first visit to Tanaka Saimin in the Weyerhauser Building on Nimitz Hwy. A co-worker raved about their Calf's Liver plate (liver, bacon, and onions), so I had to try it. Hah, this was our third attempt to have lunch here ... Parking continues to be problematic. This time, we arrived early, around 11:40am and secured one of two remaining stalls. We perused the menu and two of us ordered the liver plate. You get to choose two sides, from rice, mashed potatoes, fried saimin, potato-mac salad, and green salad. One chose fried saimin and potato-mac salad, while I went with the potato-mac salad and a green salad (with Oriental dressing). The third member of our party chose one of the Thursday specials ... Tripe Stew ($17.75), with rice and fried saimin. Our food arrived within minutes ... My plate came with a good amount of liver in small pieces, fried onions, and two slices of nicely cooked bacon. The potato-mac salad tasted like it had some pickle juice or dill, neither of which I care for, but the salad was good enough that I left nothing on my plate. The green salad was very good; I might just order two salads the next time. The fried saimin looked good as well. What did I think? The Calf's Liver plate was good, but I think two other places offer a superior dish, one a block away for $3 more; the other is up on King Street, for $3 less. That "hole in the wall" uses larger, thicker pieces of liver. Alas, it's now an infrequent offering so if we want our liver fix, it will be at Tanaka Saimin. Recommended! read more
4 days ago
14 days ago
At "11:39am" It was ridiculously "FULL" - Parking was impossible and the restaurant was completely full with an entire wall of "WAITING CUSTOMERS" at the front door - After servicing my vintage IMPALA at CUTTER Chevrolet in Honolulu I finally decided that today was the opportunity to finally try the "SAIMIN" at TANAKA SAIMIN along Nimitz highway - According to google OCTOBER 10, 2010 was the genesis of this established family eatery that delivers favorite local OAHU okazu-ya cuisine - KALIHI is the central HUB of local OKINAWAN delicatessen specialties on OAHU and "Tanaka SAIMIN" is another integral SAIMIN stand (restaurant) that has survived the disillusion of many Mom 'n Pop restaurants over the years - There are "2"prerequisites for longevity when it comes to SAIMIN - First for my estimation is the "BROTH" (soup base) it can be either a "Dashi" based with a combination of KOMBO dried seaweed and dried BONITO flakes simmered slowly for hours letting the "UMAMI" to develop gradually - AND OR - A "bone" broth boiling PORK, CHICKEN, BEEF bones for hours and constantly adding water as the soup evaporates and the flavors intensify very slowly. The second element is the choice of "NOODLES" made from "wheat flour" that are either the Chinese Cantonese "mein" and the Japanese "ramen". The best and tastiest is the recipe that includes "EGGS" in the ingredients which enriches the flavor and the texture is distinctly chewier which I prefer. Here at TANAKA SAIMIN I am not as impressed with either unfortunately - The two elements being the overall combination of both the soup and noodles and how it creates that "UMAMI" experience in your mouth. I am reluctant to even criticize this specific dish only because of the amount of patronage I observed waiting for a seating and how completely filled the restaurant was - TO EACH HIS (her) OWN ! read more
A solid, old timey local diner that has bar seating and booth seating serving up local grinds like saimin, plate lunch, burgers fries, and daily specials. It's busy everytime we go for dinner and I do enjoy their saimin. I got the Tanaka special which was a large won ton mein, with a side of a shrimp tempura, Teri beef, and potato Mac. Won ton wrapper is a little thick. The star was oxtail saimin, and it was packed. We also added wonton in there and was enough for 2 meals! The broth is oxtail soup and it was delicious with heart servings of oxtail. That'll be my usual from now on. Stop on by for nice local food! Can get busy to some it accordingly. read more
Updated review Sept. 4, 2026 the food here is amazingly great tasting fresh better than my home cooking and yours. The service is so awesome teamwork makes the dream work here at this establishment. The ambiance so relaxing you can't get any better than this. My husband had the Oxtail Soup he said we will be coming here from now on for the soup I had the mix plate with shrimp tempura and beef teriyaki amazingly satisfied their pies are to die for but we were both full. read more
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. read more
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. read more
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. read more
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. read more
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 read more
11 days ago
We come here so often that the servers know us. They even remember when my son was in his stroller and now my son is 11 years old. The staff are super nice and attentive. But the food is another level. Everything is super good. Never had any complaints, only great complaints! Great job! Keep up the good work! read more
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 read more
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! read more
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. read more
20 days ago
Food was ono and came fast. Server Kathy was awesome. She catered to my needs. Hard to find workers like her. Very professional and nice. Please give her some praise for her hard work Tanaka manager and owner. If you get her you won't regret it. And prices are still reasonable. read more
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! read more
I was out here helping my parents and I wanted to go somewhere for dinner that was low key, since I was eating alone, which I like. I decided on Tanaka's because the parking is easy. The hostess was friendly and gave me a booth in the front. My server was great too! He said they had the best custard pie so of course I did that for dessert. I came here three times. I had to have the sizzling steak because it smelled so good when it came out to another table. Poured shoyu and worsteshire on it while it was sizzling. The second time, I had the Tanaka saimin. Came with a fried shrimp, teriyaki beef, and potato mac...sooo ONOOOO! On my third night, I had the combo teribeef and shrimp with fried noodles. I also had a side of potato mac, which my server forgot. I don't think she liked her job that evening...LOL! Someone else also refilled my drink. Oh, I also got the custard pie, which has a mac nut crust. Sooooo good! I had to have the fresh cherry, the owner pits the cherries himself, pie! Delicious! I also had the banana cream too! But if he's made the peanut butter chocolate pie, GET IT! It is sooooooo ONOOO! I love coming here. Lots of friendly locals, no frills, just good homestyle cooking! Mahalo Tanaka! read more
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!!!! read more
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. read more
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. read more
Nostalgia. That is what I would use to describe Tanaka Saimin. Granted I grew up eating at Dillingham Saimin (formerly called Boulevard Saimin as I remember it) every Sunday with my dad and brother. And although Dillingham has been closed for a while now, Tanaka more than keeps those nostalgic flavors alive today! We've been here a handful time since our move back to the island and it's always a pleasant experience. Service has always been great even on busy nights. The dining space is pretty spacious having a lot of tables. Chatter fills the restaurant but it isn't loud in the slightest. When it comes to their food; we are never disappointed. I won't describe any particular visit, but more so what we've ordered so far! My wife usually likes to order the Korea Moco and for good reason. Their kalbi short ribs are tender and packed with flavor and dipping it in that shoyu sesame dipping sauce elevates it. The fried mandoo also adds a nice crunchy texture to complete the plate. If you're indecisive like me, then the Tanaka Mixed Plate is always a great option. I always enjoy their hamburger steak because their brown gravy brings that nostalgic factor. Their shrimp tempura also tastes just as how I remember it. It is slightly batter heavy but to be honest, that's how I like theirs. Lastly their saimin is their staple and the light yet flavorful broth brings comfort for all Saimin lovers. It's no surprise that Tanka Saimin is always packed. Their service is great from what we experienced so far and their food never disappoints. Whenever we have visitors from the mainland, we usually take them here and they also enjoy the food. So if you're craving some great local comfort food, make your next stop Tanaka Saimin read more
Walked into Tanaka Saimin on a whim on a busy Friday night and was immediately impressed. Even though they were packed, we were offered counter seating right away as soon as we stepped inside. The service is what truly stands out. Management and every single server were incredibly attentive. The vibe felt homey and comforting -- almost like eating at a family gathering. Servers were calling regulars by name and chatting about personal updates at different tables, and it felt genuine, not forced. You can tell they've built real relationships with their customers. Food came out extremely fast, hot, and delicious with generous portions. Alina, our server, was especially kind and sweet, offering thoughtful recommendations and checking in consistently. We'll definitely be back -- especially to try the dessert they kept encouraging us not to miss. read more
Update from the previous visit. The owner apologized for the inconvenience of the issue about reserving the special of the day. At the same time he also mentioned that there are people who reserve the specials and don't come to dine in or pick up. This goes to show how people can ruin it for others. We came for dinner today - and we're able to get the oxtail stew. I particularly like Tuesdays (oxtail stew) and Wednesday (braised short ribs) specials. The staff here are amazing and it feels very friendly and Ohana like. We do dine in often. Casual home style atmosphere- with amazing service.... Glad that we have this restaurant to frequent often read more
Been coming here for years and still find their food comforting. One standout is the number of locals dining here. It's a popular spot, so be sure to sign in upon arrival. If you enjoy saimin, they offer a wide variety to choose from. And if you're looking for something different, they've got you covered with plenty of other food options. Enjoy! read more
2 months ago
We love coming here. They are open until 10pm and the prices are reasonable with lots of choices, not just saimin. Although on a rainy day, their saimin really hits the spot! The servers are always fun and friendly. The ambiance is more of a local diner with great local food options. My favorite is the miso butterfish. They also serve a short ribs loco moco with regular or fried rice. Their desserts are Ono with one of our favorites being the lilikoi dessert. We will be back since this is one of our family's late dinner places to eat. read more
Since Tanaka Saimin moved to the Nimitz location, they serve more dishes than just Saimin, burgers, mushroom tempura and beef sticks. I like it that they offer a variety of dishes to please the palate of many diners. It's a family restaurant with a lot of tables! We usually come after work on a Friday and place can get pretty packed with customers shortly afterwards. I love the crispy shoyu chicken! It's deep fried dipped in shoyu based with a more chili than sweet chili sauce. I like it and the chicken reminds of the dipped chicken I've once made decades ago. Little different from garlic or Korean chicken. They have a variety of sides that you can choose from such as rice, mashed potatoes, fried noodles, & toss greens. I usually take mashed potatoes and fried saimin. Some may like Korea Moco (like a local moco but with Kalbi ribs on Kim chee rice and crispy wun ton) or Hearty Man (Pork chops, crispy shoyu chicken, spam and rice) . Some friends like the oxtail soup which I also liked. Mondays, their baked stuffed chicken was different and yummy. It was stuffed with shiitake mushrooms, spinach, Mac nuts and topped with mushroom gravy. I rarely come on a Tuesdays, but they give Senior discount! Weekends have brunch specials and even Japanese breakfast! Lately we have been having their Friday Hawaiian plate special! It's really good. All housemade except the poi and lomi salmon. I'm not a Hawaiian food lover, but I do love their Hawaiian plate! Their Lau Lau wasn't dry. It's tasty and they use beef short ribs in their Lau Lau. The Haupia was so creamy and delicious. It also comes with pickled onions, chicken long rice, Kalua pig, lomi salmon, poi or rice. It's even better to add the beef stew for few more dollars. It's one of the better beef stew! It tasted like the stew mom used to make. It's not too tomato based stew. Meat was tender. I really like their affordable desserts too! They have those dessert squares with cookie crust! Homemade pies! Not many places make them anymore! If you come on a Saturdays, they have Dinosaur bone (ham shank with cabbage) special! That's one I would get if I dine in on Saturdays! I did tried their prime rib and sizzling steak platter! They have more variety than Zippy's and I'm sure you can find something to eat. Of course some dishes are okay but they are some dishes I come here for. Nice casual place! Not many Family type restaurants around and you receive great service from waiters and waitresses! They are all nice and personable! Tanaka Saimin have more than Saimin! read more
1 month ago
We were party of 5. It is convenient for quick food. Quality of food is good for the price that you pay. We ordered variety of food. Pork chops, sailing soup, Mahi mahi, beef stew. read more
2 months ago
10 months ago
It's been years since we last ate here, so we decided to try it out again with our boys. My husband and I were also craving a sizzling steak and since Like Like closed down, we've been on the hunt to find a place that serves one. We came here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch and it was quite busy. We had to circle the parking lot a few times before finally landing a spot! When we walked into Tanaka Saimin, there was a sign in sheet with lots of people waiting. There was also a row of chairs for people to sit down as they waited. We waited patiently and in about 15 minutes, a table was ready for us. Our server was very friendly and accommodating to our family. We ordered a small saimin, keiki spaghetti, sizzling steak with onions and mushrooms, and the teriyaki steak. Everything was pretty good and reminded me of good 'ol local style home cooking. The spaghetti was on the sweeter side to me, but my son enjoyed it. The steak was good and definitely hit the spot. I ordered mashed potatoes as my side, and our server brought out a side of gravy for me. Overall, we had a great experience and would come back again. Very kid and family friendly, which is probably why it was so busy! Happy Eating! read more
I was here last in 2012, 14 years ago. I ordered a plate lunch which I didn't like. Of course a friend said it's called Tanaka Saimin. Anyways, I went last week and totally enjoyed my Tanaka Saimin! The broth was delicious and had the taste of my childhood, deep in Unami! For reals. Wow my new go to place for Saimin. To hurry things up since there was a line, I asked to be seated at the counter. We were sat immediately. Anyways I'd like to also try the plate lunches again, and a couple next to use ordered breakfast and it looked good! read more
14 days ago
Greats service! We pulled up within the last hour. This Chinese chicken salad, in my opinion, was the best thing to fill up on without feeling heavy! Love the toppings and the dressing is perfect, has the slightest bit, of nuttiness from the sesame which I love! Everything tastes fresh too ,from the toppings to chicken to salad base. 10/10 would recommend if you're looking for a solid amount of food for a night out. read more
Tanaka Saimin can be a hit or a miss, sometimes it's great sometimes not so great. I can tell you the beef stew is fantastic as well as the Chopped steak. Both have that old time Hawaiian style flavors. The Terri beef not so much as well as the shrimp tempura. The Terri beef can be dry and chewy and slathered in Teriyaki sauce, and the Shrimp Tempura has way too much batter on it, and a tiny piece of shrimp. Service can be lacking if you go at peek times. But most of the staff are nice. The wait can be long on average around 25-30 minutes if you get there at 5pm If you're not in a rush, then give it a try. read more
I came here for breakfast and it was very satisfying. Good food, good service, and good value! I had the fried rice omelet with pork adobo. Three egg omelet stuffed with their ono fried rice. Nice portion of pork adobo with sauce all over. Delicious! My wife had the Tanaka's special omelet with garlic potatoes. Both dishes cost less tha $18. This is comfort food at its best. Also, portions are large enough that you'll probably have leftovers. Atmosphere is like your typical coffee shop; very comfortable, nothing fancy but nice enough to have a really enjoyable breakfast! read more
Basic ramen and meat restaurant. Good for a simple lunch if you want over-sauced meats or bland noodles and vegetables. They definitely have a busy lunch service that seemed to attract mostly local seniors. Perfect for that kind of pallet. A bit loud but no more than any busy diner. Waitress was friendly and accomodating to our 5 credit card bill. Kept my coffee and water full. What else could I need? read more
5 months ago
We ordered takeout - Tanaka Plate with crispy shoyu chicken, Teri beef and double fried saimin for the sides. Extra side of friend shrimp and potato salad. We found a rubber band in the fried noodles while we were eating. read more
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More info about Tanaka Saimin
888 N Nimitz Hwy
Ste 103
Honolulu, HI 96817
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(808) 524-2020
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https://tanakasaimin.com
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