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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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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!
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!
First stop in Oahu after landing at the airport! Lots of seating available at Wednesday lunch time. Service was fast as well as the food. Lots of options from combo plates various Japanese dishes to a variety of Saimin options. Prices were reasonable. The consensus is that we will have to come back for breakfast before our flight out as well! read more
They have a lot of different kinds of foods to choose from. I ordered the two choice mix plate. I went with the roast pork and crispy shoyu chicken. The plates also come with a choice of two sides, and I picked rice and potato macaroni salad. The portions were a decent size for the $16 I paid for it. I probably wouldn't get the crispy shoyu chicken again because it was on the dry side. We went at lunch and it was very busy. A very long wait if you wanted a table. We opted for the counter and we're seated right away. The waitresses were friendly and the service was adequate. The noise was minimal, despite it being very busy. The space was clean, cool, and comfortable. read more
Food was decent! Not that bad for the price for sure and definitely filling. Lots of great options to choose from. We forsure came here for the fried ice cream haha. There seem to be lots of seats inside. Although the only down side we had was slow service. We couldve been in and out of there if there were more servers. They are definitely short staffed and over worked. They didna great job trying to help one another. We got there around 6, seated by 6:30- and left pretty much at 8:45 or so. Which we spent most of our time waiting. The host was great though, he was kind and funny and informative. Other than that, great place to have dinner if you are in no rush at all. read more
4 months ago
Finally got to try this place although my gf has been here several times. Came on a Tuesday around 11:15am so we beat the lunch crowd. However, we had to circle the large building twice to find parking. From the outside, it's hard to see inside with the tinted windows. Once inside, I was surprised to see a lot of tables, high ceilings, and lots of framed pictures along the wood paneled walls that gave it a comfy casual vibe and the recessed, pendant and wall sconce lighting as well as ambient lighting made it feel open and inviting. We were seated right away in the large restaurant that was about 40% full. When we left around 12:05, there were maybe a dozen people waiting to get a table so it is recommended to come here early. The menu selection was huge. My gf ordered the Tanaka Saimin that came with teri beef, shrimp and mac salad. She says it had a generous amount of wun tun in the Saimin and said even the broth tasted good. No complaints about any of her food. I originally was going to order the Miso Butterfish plate but our server suggested getting the Japanese Breakfast instead that included the same amount of miso butterfish plus more food for about the same price since it was before 11:30am. The Japanese Breakfast is a great deal because it included the same portion of miso butterfish plus eggs (maybe 2 cooked like an omelette), konbu(seaweed), rice with furikake on top and miso soup. I was disappointed that the egg was plain- it didn't have any sweetness like a Japanese style egg. Our orders came out fairly quick and we were surprised on the portions of food. My miso butterfish didn't have a single bone in it so that was good. It was average tasting miso butterfish but notable was the portion size was good (2 decent size pieces). Our server was excellent, very friendly and made great suggestions. She checked on us twice after we got our food. We were too full to get dessert but the desserts looked interesting. The business name Tanaka Saimin is misleading because the large menu has much more than Saimin such as pancakes, omelettes, loco moco, burgers, kalbi, ribeye, oxtail soup, and desserts to name a few. They also have daily specials. For sure, way better than Zippy's. Definitely got to come back to try other things on the menu. But I'll be sure to come at off peak times. read more
We had an early morning flight from Las Vegas and were glad to find a spot like Tanaka Saimin open. We were seated right away, and there was plenty of space. The food hit the spot--perfect for my saimin craving. I also ordered the side of fried rice, which was very tasty and a large portion. Prices were reasonable, and portions were generous. Our friends got the Tanaka Saimin and really liked it too. The food came out quickly, and our waiter was kind and helpful. read more
2 years ago
I make it a mission to eat here every time I'm back home. This place takes me back to the glory days of Dillingham Saimin, which sadly bit the dust a couple years back. It's now my go-to spot for local saimin, with portions big enough to make any appetite happy. The menu is a nostalgic replica of Dillingham Saimin's, so I always know what I'm getting--a saimin with a Teri beef stick. It's the same order I've been having since I was a kid! My all-time favorite has always been the kimchee saimin, while my dad swears by the moyashi saimin with won ton. We've got our favorites, and this place never disappoints. The atmosphere has that old-school, local vibe, and the service is always friendly. Plus, the food arrives so quickly that I never have to wait long to dig in! read more
Saimin is a popular noodle soup dish in Hawai'i that combines some chicken broth and dashi powder to create a simple clear broth that many locals enjoy for the ultimate comfort food!I told my mom I was craving some, so she brought me to check out Tanaka Saimin in Nimitz, HI! We decided on getting some saimin bowls, along with cheeseburgers and shrimp tempura The saimin was incredibly filling, as they provided a generous amount of noodles topped with fishcake, minced char siu meat and green onion. The cheeseburgers were not oily and the shrimp tempura had a nice crisp to the outside of a soft breading I definitely wanted to kanak attack (sleep) after this! Our waitress was nice and the interior had a Japanese inspired theme. There is not a whole lot of parking, so keep that in mind! read more
1 year ago
Dined here with my brother and his family. My first time here. Restaurant was crowded but we didn't have to wait long for a table. I love the family atmosphere, very warm feeling and the entire staff made you feel at home. My brother had the mahimahi and my sister-in-law and niece shared the saimin and wun tun combo. I had the two choice of teriyaki pork and yakiniku chicken (too hungry to take a picture ). Our food was delicious with generous portions. Overall we had a great time. Look forward to coming back. read more
Located by La Tour and Lowe's, Tanaka Saimin has some parking by the front. The restaurant was diner-like with many families inside. The people working were friendly and the food was ready promptly. There are a good amount of choices that seem to satisfy many local cravings. Many different types of meat, saimin, and mixed plates. We got the fried saimin, fried saimin with yakitori chicken and teri beef, fried saimin with short ribs, and mahi mahi. The fried saimin was tasty and they gave a good portion. The meat was also tasty and well marinated. However, the mahi mahi was a bit dry and lacking in flavor. There was also not as much food in the mahi mahi plate. I would stick with other mixed plate options and fried noodles. read more
4 months ago
The only reason for 2 stars is because of this big bone hamhock i always come on Saturdays for this ..Today I came for that but decided to have the saimin n burger spesho and order the hamhock for take out for dinner..Well if you look at the photo ITS BURNT! and looks really dry.thats why the 2 stars would've been 1 star ..next time I order take out im gonna check my order first..I would've asked for another one if I seen this..Please do better next time cooks read more
1 year ago
Love this place the staff is amazing the food is so ONO sevice is fast place to be when u hungry . read more
I always love the food here. Choices are endless, it's overwhelming in all the good ways. I always get a 2 choice: crispy shoyu chicken, hamburger steak with fried noodles, & rice. And a side of potato/mac salad. Our server worked really hard for our party of 11. Nobody was disappointed. A must when I find myself back home in Hawaii. read more
Wow it's been 11 years since my last review, i thought i better update my review! Its funny because I ordered the exact same item I ordered 11 years ago and my thoughts are the same. The difference is wow this place was packed with people! You know that's when it's going to be good. I ordered the Tanaka saimin which comes with six pieces won ton, and sides of shrimp tempura, teri beef and a choice of a green salad or potato/mac salad. I got the potato mac salad. Everything was so good. my order came out really fast and the soup was piping hot. The shrimp tempura is home made which I appreciate that's it not the frozen kind from the supermarket and the won ton is also home made. Everything tasted good and I ate the entire thing. Parking is still an issue during busy times as many of the stalls are reserved. You need to enter on Alakawa street and circle around the back to park in front. When coming back to the front, also look left for parking since that's where most of the Tanaka saimin parking is, most of the stalls in front of the building are reserved. I had to circle around twice to find parking. I can't wait to come back and try the ox tail soup next time. read more
2 months ago
11 months ago
Everytime I tatse the broth from Tanaka Saimin, it brings me back to the Boulevard Saimin days at their old location where we would go from child hood days. read more
11 months ago
8/17/24 Stopped to pick up some dinner on my way home around 1PM on a Saturday. This is one of our favorite local restaurants for food when we are in the area. The parking lot was pretty full as it is most weekends, I had to circle the building at least once. This time, I didn't call in ahead & just walked in to place my order. I was greeted by Carol, a long-time regular fixture at this popular place who seems like she's been there forever. I have always had great service by Carol & it will be a sad day when she finally decides to ever retire. The rest of the staff are equally as nice, & their customer service has been pretty consistent in all the years we've come here, not to mention the food. Decided to order 2 of the prime rib which is a weekend special available only on Friday's & Saturday's. We tried so many items on their menu over the years & we didn't recall every having the prime rib. And of course, dessert to go. Prime rib - got the princess cut ($23.50), medium rare. It's about a 12 oz portion and the sauteed vegetable that day was broccoli topped with some cheese sauce. You get a choice of starch & one additional side. No substitutions on the side, either soup of the day - which was corn chowder, or salad. I selected the soup, mashed potatoes with no gravy for the hubs, & brown rice for me. The prime rib was cooked perfectly & quite tender, well-seasoned. 1/4 of the piece was fat. Hubby didn't care for that but I told him that's pretty much how prime rib is. It comes with au jus sauce, which you don't really need because of the juiciness of the meat. I had forgotten to ask for horse radish, I thought it came automatically. We both enjoyed this & would gladly order it again. We actually ended up eating half & saved the other half for another meal. Corn chowder - great! On the thick side but once it's reheated & stirred, it's ok. It had good flavor & along with the corn, you could see the bacon pieces in the soup. It's about 8 oz of soup that they fill the container to the brim. Sides - the broccoli was cooked just right, still with a little crunch, not soggy. It was just under 1/2 c & the cheese sauce was a couple of tablespoons that complemented the broccoli nicely. Mash potatoes & brown rice also good & more than enough for 2 meals. Dessert - I ordered 2 different pies & noticed it didn't come with the usual whip cream topping. Not sure if they no longer do that or just forgot. As expected, the price for the pies have gone up to $5.50 a piece from $4.95. Either way, it's still yummy & worth it. I got the lilikoi chiffon pie which was heavenly, one of my faves. Just love the macadamia short bread crust, and the overall lightness of the dessert, not overly sweet but a nice way to end a delicious meal. It tastes similar to a lemon meringue pie in tanginess, but so much better. Hubs had the peanut butter chocolate banana cream pie. It's a newer item on their menu that he's never tried. Hubby liked it but said you could barely taste any PB & it was overshadowed by the chocolate, which was very sweet. It did look a little messed up when he opened the container but he still enjoyed it. read more
2 years ago
This is like an old reliable place! Service was nice and quick, very attentive. We got the tanaka saimin combo which came with saimin, wunton, shrimp tempura, teri beef and mac salad- pretty good deal for $16. It was all good, although the shrimp was a little doughy. Definitely a good stop to come by if you need a quick n filling meal. read more
11 months ago
Busiest Restaurant that I've seen in a while. But, you get seated quickly and the service does take a while but it's worth it. Oxtail soup with the long rice inside is yummy. read more
10 months ago
The Cheeseburger & Saimin Combo is ono!!! Next time I wanna try the other foods on the menu. The service was awesome! juliet was super nice, friendly, and funny! We were seated pretty quick for a party of 11. Thank you! read more
Hubs was home early on a Monday and wanted to get something for lunch. We also had to go to one of those nearby hardware store, so It just made sense to kill 2 birds with one stone. Hubs ordered the stew and french fries and got really excited to see someone else's order of onion rings, which were huge I mean HUGE!! I actually saw the customer cut it into smaller pieces because it was so huge. I decided on the daily special, which was a prime rib sandwich and the soup of the day, french onion soup. I have never tasted a french onion soup like that before, it was light and the broth wasn't dark and there were croutons and cheese on the top. Hubs and I were trying to breakdown what was in the soup, my first thought: chicken broth and maybe miso. Again, it was good, just not what I expected. The sandwich came with potato chips which was a nice addition to the soup and prime rib. Service was great, water was topped off and food was delicious. Only 4 stars because of the pricing. My soup and sandwich was $16, Hubs Stew was $16 but add on a drink and some fries and that was an extra $9, add a tip and it's easily $50. I guess that's how they keep the food prices lower, by upping the price of soda and fries, but it was a sticker shock for me. read more
2 years ago
Local comfort food with friendly and efficient service. My mom's favorite restaurant to go to bc it has all her faves for a reasonable price. Our go tos are the Tanaka Saimin combo, or their combo plates. They also have really good desserts that usually change from time to time. Supposedly the owner makes all of them! It does get busy so prepare to sign in and wait to be seated. read more
3 years ago
First time here and came for breakfast. Had the cornedbeef hash which was delish. The coffee was really good and the server kept it coming! It looks like the establishment has been around for decades. From the decor to the tables, everything is dated. The food and service was great. I will definitely come back again. read more
2 years ago
I went here to get take out and got their Tanaka mix plate that comes with chicken karaage, roast pork, Teri beef, Mac salad with fried noodles and rice. This was a lot of food that lasted me 3 meals and was quite tasty. Great local dine in spot. read more
Relative wanted to eat here for the first time, he has gone to the old Boulevard Saimin (there was a split from Boulevard Saimin to Tanaka Saimin and Dillingham Saimin, though Dillingham Saimin closed its doors due to financial loss during the pandemic) maybe the last time there was over 20 years ago. I have eaten here at Tanaka Saimin once before about 2015ish? We walked in just about 10:55 am (February 22nd) with three retired couples ahead of us. The nice older female host decides to say what today's specials to us together as a group. We were given a booth way towards the back which was nice as I did not realize how big(ger) it was compared to the time I came years ago. Got the Saimin (small) and Hamburger deluxe combo for $15.00 for early lunch today. Kept telling myself I never knew 'this was a thing' until I kept hearing) in local food Facebook forums) about how people pair saimin/won ton min with a hamburger/cheeseburger. Thus it was my first time to combine these two items. Saimin - appearance wise, it looked striking but ahh, nothing special about it, not the noodles, not the broth though my relative said the broth was 'salty'. Everywhere I have saimin, if I like it, I will sip the soup until the bowl is practically empty. Both my relative and I left a lot of the soup remaining. Bland broth... I mean it sorry to say... Hamburger sandwich - was surprisingly tasty (even though its appearance was on the bland side with its iceberg lettuce), buns were right sized (not like the slider sized hamburger buns you buy at the supermarket) and soft enough that it broke apart while eating my juicy hamburger. Perhaps they steam their buns? But yes, I see they are grilled. The only real negative? While we were ordering our meals off the menu, she asked me if I needed cheese or sauce for my hamburger... I said, ahh how about teriyaki sauce? Asked her if there is a charge? Few moments later, she comes back and says it's "$1.75". "$1.75"??? I laughingly told her 'ahh no thanks'. Geez, $1.75... I hope then it would be a half to a full cup of teriyaki sauce if I did order that! Glad I didn't need a cheese slice as garans-ball-barans it would have cost even more than the price for the teriyaki sauce! Wow. Our waitress though nice, never mentioned her name but only saw it on the bill (Patricia). This is the old school of waitressing (local style) as the waitresses don't say who they are... just would be nice though if they did introduce themselves before handing us our menus wouldn't you think? The crowd around the 11am hour seemed to be more our age, elderly (lol). There was no rush to have us leave our booth, so we stayed about 15 minutes more after finishing our meal. I was wondering if we had to pay somewhere up front, but when our waitress came to give us our bill she said just to pay her (no need to leave our booth). Funny this place, as though it is called 'Tanaka Saimin', their saimin needs some work as the other dishes seem (IMHO) to carry the load for this place to be successful. They may have to change their name to just 'Tanaka's' or 'Tanaka's Diner' (deleting the 'Saimin') as their saimin version just didn't do it for us... Sad... read more
So the weirdest thing happened here before we even got our table. Jamie W. and I took a long local bus ride from Waikiki to come here because frankly it was hard to find places close to the tourist areas that specialize in saimin. This cavernous place looked popular among the locals with the attitude to match. I looked at a vacant spot on a bench, and this senior woman snapped, "You're too heavy to sit here!" I simply thanked her for her observation and sat down. This apparently upset her, and she used her back to try to shove me off. It was like a WWF match, and she had a 100 pounds on me. When they finally called our name, I thanked her again and told her she should consider therapy to deal with her anger management issues. We were then led to a big booth and served by a lovely server named Pi'ikea. She made the rest of our experience most pleasant. The menu was more than saimin and included local grindz, burgers, and breakfast plates. Jamie ordered the $13.50 Oyako Saimin which featured chicken, egg, onion, and kamaboko (photo: https://yelp.to/PZD7EcLa7j). Very much in the comfort food category, it was presented like oyakodon but with saimin noodles instead of rice. It hit the spot for Jamie, but I was suffering PTS from the bench incident. I decided on the $23.50 Oxtail Saimin with Wun Tun (photo). It was quite a feast of meat and not disappointing on that front. The noodles were a bit too soft for me, especially compared to the saimin at Shige's (review: https://yelp.to/rljyeRp1rl). If you're into portions and don't mind paying a bit more, this might be well worth the bus ride over here. And if you run into that woman who shoved me, tell her I love her. FOOD - 4 stars...hearty bowls of saimin but noodles and broth need a bit more refinement AMBIANCE - 3.5 spacious...except for that bench, I guess SERVICE - 4.5 stars...at least Pi'ikea was a joy TOTAL - 4 stars...if you need a lot of variety in your saimin, this be da place, brudda RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3Kz5ksc read more
2 years ago
Comfort food at its finest, nothing fancy. Just hearty food that will fill your tummy after a long hard day of shopping or beach. Staff is very fast and attentive. Food comes out at a very decent time. Simple restaurant, decor is simple and cozy. Saimen with shrimp tempura is always a favorite, fried noodles and tempura is a match. Love they are open 7 days a week but no longer open late. If craving comfort food, this is the place, see you there ! read more
I've been to Tanaka Saimin a few times now and so far I have not been disappointed. The food is tasty and portions are big. On this most recent visit, my son had the Korea Moco and I ordered the Sizzling Rib Steak. So darn delicious!! My steak also came with fried noodles and a salad (you can choose any 2 sides) and I had enough leftovers for my lunch the next day. Service was great and food came out quick even though they were busy. It's very laid back and not noisy, and they don't make you feel rushed to eat and leave. read more
1 year ago
This is their Friday special. Can't go wrong with their prime rib. Always delicious and always cooked to how I want it. read more
2 years ago
Appetizer: Onion Rings w / Ranch Dipping Sauce Food: Pork Cutlet w/ Brown Gravy (me) Crispy Chicken Plate with Spicy Sauce (boyfriend) Service: Awesome customer service. ASK TO SIT IN CRYSTALS SECTION Ambiance: Relaxed environment with A/C Parking is limited with a few reserved for Tanaka Saimin Customers ONLY. read more
Have not ate here in a long time! Recently had a couple items that I thought were good! The crispy shoyu chicken was perfect! Seasoned well and fried perfectly, it paired well with the fried noodles and Mac salad! Amazing option! Second... The beef stew! The closest to homemade I've found though it's mostly gravy and vegetables. Mine had two little pieces of meat. Overall still good but not a good selection of meat and veggies. The ratio was off. Overall will keep coming back for those items! Well worth it! read more
Favorite dish here is the oxtail saimin. The broth is comforting and the mushroom slices had an earthy taste. The soup is served with a giant portion of minced ginger. Hot mustard is also available. The oxtail chunks are gigantic and tender. Auntie likes the crabmeat sandwich here-however the chips that came with it were stale today unfortunately. The place can be packed during peak hours so just be aware there may be a wait. read more
I love Tanaka Saimin! It is a place myself, friends and family enjoy! Their menu offers such a good variety of food from Prime Rib, Chicken, Pork, Fish yup whatever your craving they got something to satisfy it!! The Saimin is a winner! We love French Fries from Tanaka Saimin too Hot Mustard and ketchup mixed together makes it so yummy!!! I personally love the Oxtail Soup! The service is always good!! Staff is friendly and always smiling! There is parking but it can get busy. Definitely would recommend!! My fat cells ALWAYS do the happy dance after eating at Tanaka Saimin!!! read more
3 months ago
2 years ago
Always the go to place when visiting home Best friendly service Chill atmosphere nothing fancy Variety of food read more
7 months ago
1 year ago
The oxtail saimin was the bomb diggity!! Food baby in my belly!! Anything in the menu is delicious read more
More info about Tanaka Saimin
888 N Nimitz Hwy
Ste 103
Honolulu, HI 96817
Directions
(808) 524-2020
Call Now
Visit Website
https://tanakasaimin.com
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