We start from the edge of the water from the stream to the top of the mountain, or the endings that start at the beginnings. So here we are at the roots of the story that was said to have the Saimin that started it all. People who go there will tell you that there are is a feeling that marks a vibe of the Aloha spirit through that splits through time at the establishment of Shiro’s Saimin Haven. Without a second thought it is one of the most welcoming, most humbling, most loving, and most filling places that are on the main road through the middle of Oahus highway. So, what is Shiros and the legacy of the Saimin Haven? I guess this is going to go right in to that, shall we begin?
Passing over the beachs and driving towards the mountain side of what some may say is way out to the country. You can’t help but see the plants and the houses while passing the mango trees and slight urban development showing through a post-plantation landscape. Shiros has irrevocably challenged the world of local cuisine that comes from the ownership of his restaurant. He challenged a seemingly impossible task in a wild, yet spiritual way that changed how we eat and cook at home and in restaurants in todays Hawaii by the way of Saimin. He said there is no such word as impossible in his vocabulary and that he wanted to know how to make dreams come true in the way of connecting with peoples hearts. The main thing he wanted to do is feed hungry customers that were seen as dear friends, but secondly he wanted to give them encouragement to becoming a better person through the message to believe. The roots of Matsuo cooking style came from the traditional Local Hawaii Cuisine, before it even had a name. Growing up through the days of the late plantation and hotel growth allowed him to be in the service of communication that creates the environment setting of sharing. When the old ways are boring... it does not always stay that way forever, because the experience of understanding can be one of great change of experience. When I first went with my family as a young boy I did not appreciate the flavors or the sights of outdated eateries and thought that it would be difficult for me to want to go to a Saimin restaurant again. I really was not interested at all in Saimin or this old Shiro Matsuos ideas and creative take on connecting with customers came off as tacky. But the more I read into the poems, the songs, the people, and the way that he approached things and what had been made it changed my perception. I never looked at things that were old as boring ever again. Eating at Shiro’s Saimin Haven was a experience of family valued service of its staff to a time warp of its decor that brings that sense of Ohana into the business setting. It was clear that the old way was not boring. Lets talk about the story of Franz Shiro Matsuo the awarded title of Aloha ambassador and chef of saimin restaurants, and plate lunch huli huli as some of his adventurous businesses. He is a mystery to many, but to those who knew him knows that he had a way of bringing people together like no one else. He and his brothers were Nissei (second generation) in Hawaii that grew up in the neighborhood of Kalihi Aala Park. His father Seiichi had an entertainment business and was an entrepreneur raising his kids in the Japanese camps. His brothers would go off to build the Kokusai Theatre to follow the family business, but Shiro went to the army and found out his love for cooking in 1942-1945. He went on to make his own businesses: The Sheridan Inn, King’s Den, and Fukuju Tei, but none seemed very profitable… so, he eventually found himself working as a instructor for Kapiolani Community College where he would work till he had enough money to open Shiro’s Hula Hula Drive In on debt and credit. After the restaurant grew he moved his restaurant over to Waimalu Shopping Center. The roots of Shiros cooking comes from the neighborhood he grew up in Kalihi Aala Park, known as Hell’s Half Acre from the poor living conditions. The buildings look like they have been there for ages with even the warehouse area has hardly changed over the years. Not quite the place one would go to for a great passion of togetherness and positive creativity. It was near where you could expect possible attacks during wartime and homes had blackout windows, curfew bedtimes, gas masks, and food rations. But around the area was a Aala business boom that catered to the military and some of that boom was saimin stands. While it was the type of area people would like to leave as soon as they could it was that type of environment that allows for the dream of the snack of saimin. Shiro would be apart of this experience and would always remember how families would gather in those days and eat together. This area would breed many other old school saimin shops that would start from Liliha area all the way into Down Town Honolulu. Saimin was not only a way of eating a snack, but it was a reason to come together. Shiros Saimin Haven in Waimalu. The saimin that is from shiro’s are made from scratch from their noodle factory owned by the Matsuo family. Patiently working on dish after dish the passion of family gathering and kindness was brought from individual types of Saimin that started people exploring regionality for the first time with saimin. This all started when Shiro’s turned the noodle soup snack into a meal at his family restaurant with added many toppings and names that eventually led to the Clam Konbu Saimin and Waimalu-Style Saimin (aka. Dondonpa Saimin) as well as Leeward-Style Saimin Noodles. People could be eating the saimin and thinking that it was new because it tasted similar to the shrimp, but without shrimp and with clams instead…Shiro would make hundreds of recipes to elaborate on saimin to be an entire stand alone dish that was given its own place as a whole meal dish. The ingredients that were worked with were available to many others who had access to dried seafood or dried meats to make their own soup, so it was something almost anyone could make. Matched with freshly grilled marinated beef sticks and burgers… it was hard to beat the it as a saimin shop, so many people would come, but shiro wanted more than just money or status. He wanted to inspire people. And he did inspire people, because different families who visited the waimalu establishment would try the different dishes and have people imagining their own creative takes on Saimin. Their toppings on their own regional saimin and became highly imitated by other saimin restaurants. It was a casual place with a family feel, which in turn made the experience concentrate on regionality and the flavor of the food. There were many years that went by the Haven continued to have its repeat customers as a must go place for Hawaii residents for an affordable family meal. Haven continues to be a staple for multiple generations of Hawaii families that bring their keiki, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends. When people who eat the Matsuo foods they think it's outdated food that its really old and tastes like bad old dishes, but what they do not understand is the direct connection of the professional field that brought over the skills were the plantation cooking in camps, the hotels, and the chefs. Today there are people who continue to cook in the ways of traditional culinary arts... but when they try their hand at cooking local Hawaii food it comes out differently from too much emphasis on how it looks and how much culinary knowledge they have and less on the flavor. Since chefs have forgotten the traditions of dishes like saimin as some forgotten idea it shows in their cooking as a reflection of what they haven’t exposed themselves to. While Shiro might be gone his vision of inspiration, self betterment, and creative cooking will live on. The idea that the importance of the little things in life are observed and experienced through the aloha. The effects of cooking were far beyond his time as his recipes have inspired many people to have their own saimin. He will forever be apart of the birth of regional saimins that create the eating of warm broth and noodles that give people a peace of mind.
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