Shige’s Saimin Stand: Wahiawa sweethearts keep a family noodle tradition rolling

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – For one Wahiawa couple, making fresh saimin noodles isn’t just prep work — it’s the workout that starts their day.

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On March 31st, 1990, Ross and JoAnn Shigeoka opened Shige’s Saimin Stand, drawing on family support and plenty of taste-testing.

“I was in banking. He worked at Pearl Harbor. And then he decided to do this,” JoAnn said. “So, our family — actually, family friends — was our real testers.”

At first, the hours were limited — partly because Ross kept his day job.

“It was open from 5 in the afternoon to 11 o’clock because I kept my day job… right?” he said. “Something to fall back — we don’t know how it’s going to go.”

Ross later transferred to Schofield, a move that helped make the Wahiawā location work long-term.

“Right before we opened, I moved over to the Army side… to Schofield. So much better. No commuting,” he said. “That’s why we kind of stayed in Wahiawā.”

“I told you this is my workout,” JoAnn Shigeoka joked. “Making noodles is a workout.”

Up at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the Leilehua High School sweethearts spend hours mixing, rolling, and portioning noodles at the eatery.

“It takes roughly 3 to 4 hours, maybe daily so, everybody eat all your noodles,” said Ross Shigeoka as he chuckled.

JoAnn Shigeoka says the early-morning routine depends on what sold the day before and what needs to be replaced.

The Shigeokas say their story is tied to an older North Shore saimin legacy: Ross’ grandparents, Fujimatsu and Yoshie Nakai, who opened Nakai Saimin Stand in Haleʻiwa in the 1950s.

“My grandpa… when he came to Hawaiʻi… the cousin had a saimin stand too,” Ross Shigeoka said. “And he wanted to work at the restaurant, and he said, ‘No, you go open up your own.’”

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For many customers, the order isn’t complete without something on the side — like teri beef sticks or a burger, a recipe JoAnn created with her mother.

“And when we tried to get the recipe that his grandparents made, nobody knew it,” JoAnn said. “So, it was like, ‘OK’… we just make what we make at home… and that’s how it began.”

And if you’re wondering why there are no French fries on the menu, the answer is simple: there’s nowhere to put them.

“There’s no place to put French fries,” said Marilyn, JoAnn’s sister. “Our kitchen is so small, there’s no room for a fryer… because that could be hazardous.”

Marilyn Ige has been part of Shige’s since the beginning, and the Shigeokas said the family dynamic is part of what customers come back for.

“She’s like a fixture,” JoAnn Shigeoka said. “She’s our backbone, actually.” Said Ross Shigeoka.

For Ige, the stand is more than a workplace.

“Shige Saimin Stand is like a home… like a kitchen… and we’re like family,” she said.

Customers say that feeling shows up in the food — and the way they’re treated.

“It’s definitely an awesome place to come enjoy… familywise… even just to come and grab a burger,” said Jackie Richardson of Wahiawa.

“It’s the quality and the ohana,” said Steven Flores, who is a former Wahiawa resident.

After more than three decades, the Shigeokas say it’s dedication and taking the chance that built what they have today.“You take the chance, you can rebuild. If you fail, you can rebuild,” said Ross Shigeoka.

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Shige’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.