A Saimin chef is a life of dedication of the noodles arts that have come from the olden days of the plantation of mixed cultures in making a light and tasty broth with toppings. Saimin chefs take into consideration the noodle thickness to decide how long to boil the noodles, they watch closely broth preparations for a quality slurp, and they check to see that the toppings don't take away from the prime experience of the noodles and soup.
The job is very physically demanding to make sure the noodles are ready and bowl is perfectly set. There is alot of thought put into the way that noodles are made along with the toppings that each have their own personality as the dishes speak its own story. The broth takes awhile as it is necessary to cook and refine a recipe until each part is exactly as envisioned to perfect both the dish and the experience of eating Saimin can be memorable. From the Saimin carts to the Saimin shops there is a long history of saimin makers on the island that have been working hard for the comfort of others. The warm scent of the broth can be notived by those who walk inside a shop as a cooling device shoots around the aroma from within and brings a sort of welcoming environment. The other patrons are at a counter that resembles a old lunch counter that has been converted into a place for saimin and socialization. Saimin Assembly and Customer Interaction Hiding in the kitchen was not uncommon as Saimin shops were very busy places and there simply wasn't much time for chatting with customers. With being set up for affordability and many family owned establishments having a large menu of other items that went along with the saimin it was difficult to keep up with orders. Many Saimin shops kept the large menus and continued to work very hard to keep things the old fashioned way, but many would have to place many menu items as specials to keep a shop open. When carts were around the Saimin cook or chef would spend time talking to the customer and explain to them about the dish and what makes their shops saimin different like mentioning the broth and the toppings. The old fashioned way always had the saimin chef in the forefront with an open kitchen for maximum fulfillment, this fulfillment came from talking to customers, seeing their reactions as you serve them, and observe the entire operation from their work station. In modern establishments there has been more interaction between the customer and the chef as it was in the olden days. Saimin Systems and Presentation While Saimin chefs tend to know how to make saimin noodles from scratch to make a concept recipe of their own... they tend to order fresh noodles from a noodle store or noodle factory for a lesser work load. Really dedicated saimin shops may still make their noodles and have it as a focal point in showing that they still are a from-scratch-kitchen with everything made tediously in house and by that it means everything in the kitchen itself and not a factory. Bowls have become a necessary touch to make saimin stand out by having local ceramic artists create hawaiian style saimin bowls with colors and style that is reflective of Hawaii culture. This means the the saimin chef can reflect the origins of the dish through its presentation, the height of the bowl and the toppings for value, and wideness of the bowl for quick cooling and quick eating. The patterns on the bowls also have additional meaning and its symbolism of what it represents to the Saimin chef who ordered it is apart of the shops appeal. As more shops have come in an important part of how a Saimin bowl is viewed is how the customer sees the presentation of the bowl. Its apart of the presentation to look at the: broth, noodles, and toppings, and the way it is placed is very important to show the effort placed in every bowl. It lets the customers know that the Saimin chef takes pride in the look as well as flavors of the dish. Comfort Food at a Community Place Saimin has been the comfort food of Hawaii and has made its mark as a fast food that takes dedication to the art of noodles, hard work for its fast paced atmosphere, and its mixture of people who are all brought back to eat noodles. As it brings customers together regardless of their background to a place to eat food and sip the soup from the ladle it balances it out to remind us were all apart of a community. Hawaii people of ages have taken a liking to Saimin. While traditionally it was made as a quick bite on the run from seats it had to change to be more family oriented as people wanted to bring in more customers and now all sorts come to Saimin shops. In the modern setting Saimin has become a competitive place where the appeal has grown from family eating to, singular eating, and couple eating in its changes in interiors that have all sorts of seating. Some establishments though still have open tables for those who want to stay around, some have private booths for those who want to quickly eat and run, and some have take out windows to serve those taking food home to their families. A Light Soup of Many Techniques Saimin chefs make their broth in a number of ways and it is always quite light as there is based on its umami more than oils or fat. Its easy to have little expectations as a light soup versus its rich soup competition, but saimin specialists go on to make their own versions perfect bowl. Back in the day if a assistant cook or employee cook wanted to take things seriously they would demonstrate to a samin chef for a seal of quality approval of confidence of opening a saimin shop. As one more saimin chef is added to the culinary scene it helps the whole saimin industry. Almost everything has to be made from scratch to bring out the best taste to the saimin. So much so that it leaves the eater wondering about the specific taste the saimin chef brings to the flavor palette. The saimin chef has to trace back the roots of the entire process to ensure the techniques of the olden days are not loss and preserved while continuing the traditions and making some changes to their own style of recipe. Saimin Chefs are Coming back! The hinted scent of a saimin boom is secretly simmering before it comes out from practitioners from the home kitchens, the competition of ramen and pho moving to the art of saimin making, and the demystifying of the preparation the families used in pioneering saimin as a Hawaii staple all coming to the culinary front. It has no longer a place as a time capsule of nostalgia to be a saimin chef, but a powerful community food center that feeds the people. Many who practice making saimin live far away and say its their connection to the islands and warms their heart. But one at a time they slowly are coming back to bring their own culinary or family take on an age old favorite.
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