Nori's Saimin and Snacks — Restaurant in Hawaii

Nori's was one of my bookmarked places to try but wasn't at the top of the list. Our journey here was a last minute decision as we wanted a nightcap as well as food, and Nori's was one of the few places open at 10pm.

ATMOSPHERE: They're located in a small strip mall, though the eatery cannot be seen from the road. Seating is a collection of homemade wooden booths, even for the 2-seaters, with two of them being able to accommodate large parties of about 16 each. Decor is very homely, and the place was fairly clean sans for the sticky floors, but to be fair we came at the end of the night, so that's to be expected.

MENU: Saimin, won ton min, mundoo soup, ramen, cold noodles, stir fried noodles, local plate lunches, hot pot, burgers, salads, desserts. Also sake, beer, wine.

FOOD: Hilo Style Saimin All the saimin/noodle dishes are available in small or large sizes, with the option of the "special" which added a few slices of won bok and a chicken skewer. Being the pig that I am, I ordered the large which was loaded with so much noodles that I couldn't finish even half. The noodles were thicker and wavy like dry mein noodles and cooked perfect. The only downfall was the broth which was a tad overly salty which killed the natural dashi flavor. Temperature-wise it was hot but not searing. The teriyaki-flavored chicken stick, unfortunately, was very dry and overcooked.

Local Special My spouse's dish. This falls under their "Local Moco's" category, AKA loco moco. The Local Special added two eggs and a scoop of macaroni salad to the "hamburger steak" dish. The portion was huge for the price. The forkful I tasted was really good; the patty moist and the dark brown gravy thick and savory. Great deal and it'll fill ya up!

SERVICE: Our female server, an elder Asian woman, was so sweet and friendly! I didn't get her name but she had on a black shirt with "Nori's" spelled out in sparkly rhinestones on the front. Extremely pleasant and professional!

TIP: They do not split checks at all, with bright pink signs abound stating it.

OVERALL: Nice menu with lots of noodle choices and even alcohol, good service, open late compared to other eateries...

Smoked Spicy Chicken Wings are chicken wings seasoned with Nori’s own naturally smoked special spice. The smoked flavor definitely came through and flavored the chicken as if it was in a smoker. The mix of spices and Hawaiian salt worked well with the chicken. Great as an appetizer before dinner or pupu with beer or wine. Rating: 5/5

Fried Mundoo is a fried Korean dumpling. Nori’s version is filled with minced meat and vegetables like a meatball, pinched into a half moon shape, and deep-fried to a golden, crispy brown. The dipping sauce added a little bit more salt to bring out more of the flavors of the interior. Another dish that is great as an appetizer before dinner or as a pupu with beer or wine. Rating: 5/5

Hawaiian Chicken with Cake Noodle is Japanese meets Chinese in a bowl. The Hawaiian chicken reminded me of chop suey with the chopped-up chicken and vegetables with silky sauce. The noodle cake added a crispy texture along with the starch needed to sop up all of the sauce. This is definitely a dish a person from Hawaii would think of! Rating: 5/5

OM Fresh Smoked Meat Loco is a special loco moco made with smoked pork belly and onions. They should have called it the “OMG Loco” because it made me say it after I took the first bite. I am in love with pork belly. I like it braised, fried, smoked, etc. The smoked flavor just added sweetness from the wood it was smoked in and caramelized the fat. It was like pork belly candy. The caramelized onions played up the sweetness even more. But once I broke the yolk on those eggs, I was in foodie...

You like your Saimin Broth Salty as hell? This place is for you, You like your noodles Starchy and undercooked? This place is for you!!! Service was OK, fast, but, cold NOT finish ... left half the noodles and full broth in bowl! Meat was pretty good. But, honestly, we went for the Saimin and it "SUCKED" bad. Worst I ever had on the island. Will not be going back to this place ever again. Didn't even get "How was it?" I was prepared to tell them my displeasure but, not even, a thanks after we left a tip and paid the bill. Terrible.... I give it two star because I ordered the hamburger / siamin combo, and the hamburger wasn't half bad....Zippy's is 10 times better than this. Normally, I'd give a benefit of doubt and "try" it again, because it's hilo....but NOT this time it was really a shame to, because I kinda had high hopes of a restaurant that has Nori's (japanese) Saimin in their frigen title and they can't cook that right, might as well, go out of...