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Okahara’s Saimin - Pomai’s “Deluxe” version

Hawaii’s supermarkets carry two prominent brands of locally-made, FRESH Saimin: S&S (now owned by Sun Noodle) and Okahara’s. What I mean by fresh is the noodles, in which they’re mostly cooked, only requiring a quick dip in boiling water to heat them up. This also means this type of saimin requires refrigeration or freezing for storage.

So enter Okahara’s, which we have here as the “Saimin Lovers Pack”…

As you can see, it’s similar to how S&S packages their fresh Saimin, in what I’ll call, “Semi-Ready-to-Eat Saimin”. Just add garnish.

Inside of this bag, you get 9 packages of 4.5 oz. single serving Saimin…

Each individually-sealed package contains fresh 4.5 oz. of pre-cooked Saimin noodles and a packet of powdered broth.

Let’s start with that broth, because that’s the most important part! Now I’m not a chemist, but if you ask me, this is basically HON DASHI, or Bonito Fish Soup Stock, in powdered form. Here’s the ingredients to Okahara’s “Soup”: Salt, MSG, Sugar, Powdered Bonito, Powdered Soy, Powdered Onion, Caramel Coloring and Green Onion (made in Japan).

Common! That’s just Dashi! Da’ kine’ you use fo’ make Miso Soup. I know it! Don’t get me wrong. Not knocking it. It’s just really so basic, that it begs you to add more stuff to your saimin, as you can with the all the garnishes I’ve added.

Here’s how the contents look unpackaged…

The ingredients for these pre-cooked noodles are: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Ascorbic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin added as dough conditioner), Water, Salt & Potassium Carbonate.

“Cooking” this type of saimin simply requires a quick 2 minute boil in water, then serve. The instructions say to add the powdered soup into the water with saimin as it boils, but I opt to mix it directly in my serving bowl with hot water, so I can adjust the intensity of the broth. That’s the “Ramen” in me. lol

That first bowl I pictured above was my girlfriend’s, as she doesn’t care for green onions, so I kept them whole (for presentation purposes), which she simply fished out.

Here’s my “Supah’ Deluxe Saimin”…

Okahara’s Saimin - Pomai’s “Supah’ Deluxe” version

“Supah Deluxe Saimin” eh? So what do we mean by that? Well my friends, it’s all about the toppings. The “icing on the cake” if you will.

First witness not 1, not 2, but EIGHT pieces of fried SPAM. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Then take hold of not 1 but FIVE slices of Kamaboko fish cake. Throw in half of a hard-boiled egg and CHOKE green onions, and that’s it. These are the CORE ingredients of what we consider “Local-Style Saimin”. Another popular (local style) meat option to SPAM or luncheon meat is Charsiu (Chinese roast pork), which is actually my preference, but I didn’t have any on-hand for this occasion.

So how does Okahara’s compare to S&S? In my opinion, along with a few of my coworkers, Okahara’s broth has more flavor. S&S is bland by comparison. But really, we ARE just talking about a basic Dashi broth, aren’t we? Also, as many locals often do, adding shoyu for a “boost” is protocol. Also keep in mind that I’m a Japanese style Ramen fanatic, so Saimin “broth” really is substandard for me, but hey, that’s only if we’re nitpicking. I still love this stuff!

If you’ve ever been to Hamura’s on Kauai (they won a James Beard award), then you get a sense of what Okahara’s tastes like. This is just your everyday Saimin that does what it’s supposed to do: taste like Saimin, do a great job at it, and most of all, satisfy your hunger. It does that, and does it on time and on budget. This package of 9 single servings cost just $3.99 on sale at Marukai. What a bargain!

It really comes down to how you garnish Saimin to your liking. Right out the package it isn’t going to “wow” you. But when you “Go Fo’ Broke” like I did here, then it’s the ultimate.

A while back I posted an entry about S&S’ ready-to-serve bowl…

S&S Saimin - Ready-to-Eat Bowl

Well, Okahara’s also has a competing product…

Okahara’s Saimin - Ready-to-Eat Bowl

Renote in the S&S bowl that I added Menma, which are marinated bamboo shoots. Otherwise it includes the 1 piece of luncheon meat, Kamaboko (fish cake) and green onions.

Now, looking at the Okahara’s Saimin ready-to-eat bowl, it includes Kamaboko, along with a significantly-more generous helping of sliced luncheon meat (like SPAM), along with a generous amount of sliced eggs (omelet), along with fresh sliced green onions. Nice. These ready-to-eat bowls are a godsend for work, and BLOW any “Cup Noodle” stuff out the park. Now if they’d only do this with Ramen!

A great way to enjoy Saimin, which I learned from a friend a long time ago, is to enjoy it along with a hamburger. Instead of french fries, have a Saimin!

Yes, Saimin is one of the true culinary icons that represent Hawaii’s plantation heritage, where cultures blended and came up with the perfect comfort food. Gotta’ love Saimin!

P.S. If you want to see one version of “non-soup” Saimin, that would be in the form of the Somen Salad…

As you can see, this Somen Salad is from Zippy’s. It’s made up of Somen Noodles, which are skinnier and more delicate than Saimin Noodles, garnished with chopped ham, Kamaboko, egg, cucumber, and green onion, served over a bed of mixed green lettuce, along with a sesame and shoyu dressing that you pour over it upon digging in.

The other version is the local style fried noodles, which I’ll post later when I order some.

Last night I just had to check out this street vendor, who has a barbecue gig in front of Tsunami’s Sports Bar on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki. I mean this guy was doin’ some serious ‘cue’in”! The wafting scent of flame-grilled hot dogs and hamburgers was absolutely irresistible.

This was actually the tail-end of the line…

And he was packin’ a crowd, which is what initially drew me from across the street. And at this post-midnight hour, there’s little other options for eating, except for a 24-hour Jack in the Box a block down the street, or Seven-Eleven.

One patron bought two of those grilled dogs, quickly drizzled mustard on them (a purist!), then wolfed them both down quicker than you can say “Oscar Mayer”. lol

Check him out…

You go, man! Look out Nathan’s, we got a new contender! lol

And when you have a menu board with pictures, you’re talkin’ serious!…

This, my friends, is a thing of beauty…

A barbecue paradise!

And here’s the owner, who was pretty cool, not to mention, working hard…

In an increasing Hawaii business climate of corporate chains and franchises, it’s so refreshing to come across the “little guys” like this. Busting out BIG TIME barbecue that can’t be beat!

So if you’re walking, or perhaps crawling out of a Waikiki nightclub in the wee hours of the morning and looking for a bite, look out for da’ “Barbecue Man”!

Post edit photos:

Just another day at the office (make that night) Burnin’ the midnight oil…

Andy’s grillin’ it up on Halloween night, dressed up in a flack jacket…

Kabobs…. Yummmm…..

Home-style grilled burger to go (and ono!)…

A fully-loaded Chili Dog!…

Tis’ the season for folks giving us fruits. From the Longan, or Loon Ngan “Dragon Eye” fruit in my last post, to two boxes of Persimmons from Kula, Maui!…

My girlfriend’s mother on Maui sent these to us, which she picked from her friend’s trees in her yard up in Kula. The elevation there is high, which I apparently is an ideal climate for this fruit.

I’d say the flavor and texture is like a cross between a cantaloupe, a pear and an apple, with a firm flesh and thin skin. They say you’re supposed to peel it, but ahh.. too much hassle. I just whack da’ buggah, skin and all. lol They’re pretty sweet, without much acidity.

Ono!

If you’re a fan of Lychee, than you must try this variant of the fruit called Longan, or in Cantonese, Loon Ngan. They’re similiar to lychee in flavor, but a bit more sweet and intense. It has a dry, tough skin that you peel off to eat, revealing a soft, yet chewy white-translucent flesh and a black inedible seed inside. while not as “juicy” as Lychee, it still has plenty of moisture in the “meat”. They measure on average about 1 inch in diameter and grow in bunches that hang from the tree branches.

Another online resource spells the Chinese name as “Long-Ngan”. My half-Chinese aunt spelled it “Loong “Gnan”. Oh my, I’m confused! lol

My aunt in Portlock (Hawaii Kai) has two really tall trees of Loon Ngan growing in her back yard, which now they’re in full bloom.

Here’s a full bunch…

Loon Ngan (Longan) bunch

Here’s the seed of the Loon Ngan…

You can also sometimes find Loon Ngan in Chinatown either dried or in cans. You also might find them there sold fresh, but that’s rare, so I certainly cherished eating every single one. Mahalo Aunty!

Our Good Luck Dragon…

If you’re into Korean food, barbecue, cooking (notice a comma between those two), and all-you-can-eat buffets, Camellia Buffet Yakiniku restaurant is a place you must put on your to-do list!

In true Yakiniku fashion, tabletop propane gas “grills” are located on every table throughout the establishment, where patrons cook their own meats and vegetables, which are self-served from a buffet line filled with Korean cuisine delights.

On our lunch time visit to the McCully st. location on this occasion, the place was almost full by the time we arrived, so fortunately we made reservations for our party of 5, which included 2 tables equaling 2 grills, making this “Do-It-Yourself” effort that much easier. Here’s a glance of an individual booth and the general interior…

Once you’re seated, the server offers you water and optional beverages, then you immediately go on and make your way to the buffet line.

To the left are all the yummy Korean-style prepared cold vegetables — most of which are flavored with the familiar chili-based Kochu Jang (Kim Chee) and/or sesame oil marinades. There’s several styles of Kim Chee, including cabbage, cucumber and Daikon. Also Taegu, marinated bean sprouts, seaweed, macaroni salad, and even a Korean-style Poke and Tako.

Above the chill pans of prepared vegetables is a shelf with a row of cut raw vegetables that are meant to be grilled alongside the meats. This includes sliced white onions, bell peppers, broccoli and white mushrooms. There’s also whole leaves of fresh lettuce that are intended for use as a “wrapper” to eat the finished grilled meat and vegetables. This is a traditional method of eating this type of cuisine. Or, you can “go local” and just grind ‘em with rice. There’s also fried rice and Chap Chai noodles.

Here’s a plate of prepared vegetables I chose…

That stuff next to the macaroni salad is that Korean style Poke I mentioned, which alone could make this worth the price of admission. It was good, although, like any poke that sits in the marinade too long, the fish was a bit stiff. Still, it was decent.

Everything else was on par with what you’d find at your favorite Korean take-out restaurant, such as Yummy’s.

I actually thought the Kim Chee here was exceptional, with an intense, yet-not-too-spicy profile. If ANY Korean restaurant fumbles on Kim Chee, that would be a disappointment, so thank goodness Camellia’s got this most-important part of the meal “aced”.

Now let’s not forget the MEAT! Here they offer 4 different choices: Kal Bi (marinated beef short ribs), sliced marinated beef rib eye, spicy marinated pork and marinated chicken. These are all RAW, in precut pieces in chill pans, which you serve what you want on a plate in quantity to your heart’s content (amazing!) to take to back to the table and cook on the grill. Here’s a plate of raw meats and veggies ready to hit the fire…

Here’s what the tabletop grill looks like before it gets “blessed” by the raw vegetable and marinaded meats…

That dial appears to control the heat, but apparently there was just one heat setting: FLAMING HOT. Which is a good thing! Actually, there are various hot and not-so-hot spots on the cooking surface, which you can move your stuff around according to how done you want it. Note that the waitress lights it with one of those butane lighters with the extension wand, so if you want full control, bring your own wand-style lighter here, otherwise you’ll have to either leave the fire on, or ask the server to come back around and relight it for you.

Time to load it up!…

Just like grilling at home, you must keep a close eye on it. Concentrate too much on your conversation, or worse yet, walk off to grab other things at the buffet, and your stuff will be end up burnt REAL quick. Part of the fun here is the interactivity of cooking your own food, turning it on the fire and getting it just right! Of course, the chicken and pork are the most important that you cook thoroughly. Once you achieve that nicely-seared “papa’a” edge, it’s done!

Now serve it up with your plate of cold prepared veggies…

The first plate above is mine. Notice the lack of starch such as rice or noodles. My golden rule in any AYC buffet is NO STARCH. That’s just filler. Gotta’ save room for the good stuff!

So how’s the barbecue? The Kal Bi is decently tender and fresh-tasting, as is all the other meats. The marinade isn’t over-soaked either, which would otherwise (as I’ve had before) detract from the beef itself. This Kal Bi was as good as any I’ve had from most other Korean take-out places in recent memory, and even better because I could cook it to my personal preference, with nicely-burnt edges! Plus, it was “All You Can Eat”! Actually, those first two on my plate could have stood more time on the fire, but I was hungry and couldn’t wait.. ha ha! The ribeye and chicken was equally as tender and delicious, with just the right amount of marinade, without being overpowered.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the spicy pork. It actually wasn’t spicy at all, but it just didn’t taste like pork. Just some kind of “mystery meat”, with that red marinade I couldn’t pinpoint in flavor. I may have enjoyed it more if I put an abundant amount of it wrapped in lettuce, along with some other condiments.

Speaking of which, the place was absent of signs providing directions on how to cook your food, the procedures of ordering and serving things, or signage describing what each item was, except for the raw meats. Neither did the server assume we were newcomers and provide instructions, although, surely if we had asked, she would have told us.

The service was attentive; our (drink) glasses kept full and the grill-plates changed-out for new ones when we finished cooking each round of meat. This is actually an important part of the experience, as the sugars and marinade ingredients scorch and get stuck on there after each grill session, and if not changed, leave an unpleasant burnt smoke wafting up in the air. So they’re certainly on-it in this regard. This is one of the reasons you walk out of Camellia smelling like a barbecue pit. So as some might recommend, have at least a spare shirt if you have an important business meeting after dining here.

Obviously there’s a sense of social bonding and an element of fun with this family-style grill-your-own food format, as we we as much into it as the tables around us.

Overall we all were VERY happy and satisfied with the food, service and overall experience at Camellia at McCully - enough for a unanimous Tasty Island “4-Musubi rating”! .

Lunch costs $11.95/person and is served 10:30am to 2:30pm
Dinner costs $17.75/person and is served 3:00pm to 9:45pm
Children 5-10 costs $8.00/person

Camellia Buffet Yakiniku restaurant on McCully st. (corner of Algaroba st.)

Camellia Buffet Yakiniku
930 McCully St
Honolulu, HI, 96826
(80 951-0511

also located at:

2494 Beretania St.

Honolulu, HI, 96826

(80 946-7595

Tasty Island Rating:

Excellent. Worth another visit or purchase. (Winnahz!)

What others are saying about Camellia Buffet Yakiniku:
Yelp.com

In our ongoing quest to find the ultimate lunch wagon plate lunch, this past Friday we decided to try out Ronnie’s Express, which is located at the park between Pfleuger Honda and the Chevrolet car dealership (formerly Honolulu Ford) on Ala Moana Blvd..

We arrived at 12:30 noon on we call in Hawaii, “Aloha Friday”. With that, like many local eateries around the islands, the featured cuisine is Hawaiian food. Here you can see the day’s menu as it ties in with this theme…

Well, as you can see, 12:30pm was a bit late for this wagon, as more than half of the items were already sold out. Bummers. I would’ve really liked to try that meat loaf or the fried chicken. In fact, none of us were particularly “ono” for Hawaiian food on this day, but that’s all there was so we gave it a shot.

Diner “E” ordered the (”Hawaiian Style”) Beef Stew…

He said it was just OK (as in average), flavor-wise, also noting that it tasted like it had been simmering too long in the pot, so everything was just a homogenous “mush”. You can kind of tell just by looking at it in the photo. And no wonder to that. His order was the last of what the last in the pot as the owner said, and after he ordered it, the gal asked him to kindly cross off that item on the menu board! So apparently we really did catch the tail-end of the lunch-hour rush here. He did like the Macaroni “Mac” Salad, which he complimented that it was creamy and perfectly seasoned.

Diner “A” ordered the Kalua Pig and Cabbage…

He also said it was just OK, with several encounters while chowing through the entree of pieces of Kalua Pig that tasted dried out and over-cooked. Again, likely attributed to having been in the pot or steam pan too long. He ate it all though, if that attests to anything good.

So without much else to choose, I ordered a Laulau and Chicken Long Rice “Combo” plate…

Since they both ordered Mac’ Salad, I opted for the steamed veggies, which I’m guessing were most likely the packages frozen stuff, and all the character of hospital grub.

The Laulau’s “Luau” leaves tasted like it was actually spinach leaves. I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. It also didn’t come with its own Ti Leaf wrapper, which has me thinking they probably have this in a bulk steam pan (not individually portioned) and dished out as shown. There were just a few chunks of pork in it, which certainly had a Laulau flavor to it, although this can’t even come close to the greatness of Young’s or Ono’s. Still, for a $6.50 “Hawaiian food” plate, I wasn’t expecting greatness.

The Chicken Long Rice was the best part and actually really, really ono. You could really taste the ginger and the chicken in the broth, and there were copious amounts of chicken chunks in it. Unlike some places you might go where it’s all long rice and no chicken. If I ever go back, I’d order that again.

As you can see, portions were generous on all our plates.

What’s often an “issue” with lunch wagons is that the food is never HOT (temperature-wise), as was the case here. Food was warm at best, eventually already cold by the time were halfway through the meal in our air conditioned office.

Well, at we tried the place. If they were located closer by our workplace, I’d certainly go back and try that meatloaf, fried chicken or whatever else they put on the menu for the day. I’d also go there earlier and beat the lunch hour rush before everything gets sold out!

According to the owner, they have THREE Ronnie’s Express Lunchwagons, and they also operate Byron’s Express Lunch Wagon near the airport, which has no affiliation with Byron’s Drive-In.

There’s another lunch wagon at the cruise ship pier down the street across Restaurant Row. Perhaps we’ll try there next.

Ronnie’s Express Lunch Wagon
Kaka’ako Park

Tasty Island Rating:

Average. (She Go)