Nori's Saimin and Snacks

No dine in which is fine. But this place is a gem. Dont go waiting in line somewhere when you can get some of the most delicious food on the island right here and the prices are insane. Loco Moco is up there with the best and the Hilo style siamin was so good. Healthy portions as well.

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 Styl

Great hole in the wall eatery offering Japanese Hawaiian cuisine. A local favorite, they offer a mix of everything from burgers to saimin to delicious hot dishes. Due to their late hours and friendly service, this is a regular stop for us. Everything we’ve tried here has been very tasty and in generous portions. You won’t be disappointed!

We ordered the original small saimin, loco moco, and Bi bim kook soo. The saimin didn't have the typical saimin umami flavor that we're crave in the broth. It was just salty and my daughter was adding her water into the broth to make it more palatable. Eck. The meat in the bi bim kook soo was really tough and lacked the Korean full taste that we're used to. The one good thing we experienced was the delicious char broiled flavor of the burger patty in the loco moco. That was good. The rest, we can't recommend.

We wanted to try Loco Moco since it’s so often raved about and this one wasn’t too bad! I enjoyed the gravy and the egg was cooked to what I said. The Korean combination was the best dish; the meat was flavored strongly without much or any visible sauce! Everything else was a bit disappointing; the garlic butter shrimp noodles didn’t have much taste and the soba was bland also. Their best dishes seem to be few. I highly recommend the Chocolate Mochi Cake as a not-too-sweet dessert!