3 | FEATURES
TBL | Feb. 22 - Feb. 28, 2017
Lao Wang Offers Up Isla George Vista’s Newest Noodles Takei Talks History and His Story at the Arlington
Photo by Alex Yam / Staff Photographer For those who are not fond of the classic chilis in Sichuan dishes, there is the option for the original, non-spicy base, which contains meats of one’s choice and a variety of vegetables.
Just last quarter, Otaco launched their grand re-opening. With failure to please, it’s no wonder that the former restaurant closed down. It didn’t take long for Lao Wang to come and make this restaurant their own. They market themselves as “Asian Street Food,” and their menu definitely reflects that. The menu is simple with just a few items featuring variations of malatang noodles, buns, and other sides. Malatang noodles are a combination of noodles and hot pot soups, allowing you to customize the dish to your liking. My photographer and I braved Hurricane Isla Vista in hopes of eating soul-warming food to combat the cold, dreary weather. Though the inside of Lao Wang is almost the same as Otaco, it has received a much-needed face lift — gone are the tacky decals. Lao Wang definitely gives off dining common vibes with the ample amount of seating available. They have bigger tables, which is convenient for larger groups of people. The condiment bar is a sauce lover’s dream. They offer ketchup, sriracha, chili oil, white pepper, vinegar, soy sauce, and prickly ash oil. Though it sounds intimidating, prickly ash oil is just oil infused with the Sichuan peppercorn.
For the most part, the employees are helpful and more than happy to guide you through the menu. The food came in a pretty timely manner. I got the Special Hot ‘n Spicy Malatang noodles, which includes a free drink with each order of the special. After you get your food and take pictures for your Instagram, I highly recommend giving everything a good stir. The base is a smooth, clear broth with a slight tang. A good stir will mix all the sauces and ingredients in the soup to make it more flavorful. The soup wasn’t exactly spicy, but the combination of chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn gave me a slight tingling sensation. Malatang noodles originated in Sichuan, China. If you are familiar with Sichuan cuisine, you know that it is packed with bold flavors and often features the Sichuan peppercorn. This peppercorn provides a “numbing” feeling that Sichuan food is famous for. If your mouth feels a little tingly or numb, it’s completely normal and a part of the dining experience. If you’re not a big fan of Sichuan peppercorn, you may want to opt for the dry noodles because its flavor is pretty prominent. Interestingly, the noodles included were fat, round rice noodles. They were pretty slippery, and kept wiggling out from my tiny spoon. These noodles didn’t complement the soup too well,
and I feel that thinner noodles would have done the malatang more justice. If you decide to build your own malatang, you do have your own choice of noodles. In fact, my photographer built his own malatang with the same rice noodles. For his sides, he decided upon beef and beef meatballs. There are plenty of sides to choose from, including fish tofu, broccoli, bok choy, Spam, and black fungus. All these additions are reminiscent of hot pot style Chinese cuisine. He picked up on the peppercorn flavor right away, and agreed that the flavor was pretty glaring. However, combined with everything else, it was easy to put in the back of your mind. Because of the noodles, it was hard for me to get the perfect, all encapsulating bite. There was also a great variety of ingredients including quail eggs, fish balls, and corn among others. They paired well with the soup. Just be careful not to blindly scoop up and bits that remain at the bottom of your bowl. There are peanuts in the soup, but I don’t recommend eating them because they were burnt and left a very bitter taste in my mouth. Additionally, there are a few whole peppercorns in the soup, and eating a full one may leave you with more numbness than you bargained for. On another occasion, I ordered the popcorn chicken because I love pop-
corn chicken. The popcorn chicken was crunchy and crispy, which is always a nice touch. Because the chicken used was dark meat, it was nicely moist inside. To add more flavor, I recommend adding a light dusting of white pepper to give it more depth. The popcorn chicken comes with a little side of ranch that is not available in the condiment bar. Overall, I wasn’t too overly impressed with anything I ate. The food was pretty greasy, but it kept my lips moist and saved me on a few Chapstick applications. In true Isla Vista fashion, the prices are pretty steep for the quality of food you get. Admittedly, the portion for the Hot N’ Spicy was pretty big, and could have been split into two meals. However, the flavors weren’t just there for me. I have yet to try the buns, but the prices have me hesitant to take the plunge. Lao Wang can be described in the same way you might describe your middle school best friend: enough to get you through that time of need, but not particularly memorable. For Asian street food, Lao Wang does a decent job. It sufficiently fulfilled my noodle soup cravings the way other restaurants in Isla Vista aren’t capable of. If you’re a fan of eating something hot and spicy to cure a hangover the following morning, this might just do the trick for you.
The Clean Beaches of Santa Barbara
Andrew Melese STAFF WRITER
Do you ever wonder what magic gives Santa Barbara’s beaches their idyllic nature? The miles of pristine coast effortlessly attract students and tourists alike. But it isn’t an accident that our beaches have achieved their fame. I.V. beaches are actually the product of consistent citizen management and oversight. Many volunteer groups, including the Surfrider Association and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, rid the beaches of trash so that they maintain their untouched quality. The results speak for themselves, but aren’t always easily achieved. In discussing how much goes into beach maintenance, Ben Pitterle, watershed program director of Channelkeeper, said beach maintenance requires “coordinating and organizing volunteers.” “It also requires policy work,” he said. “Our clean-ups are important, but policies that minimize the spread of trash are equally important. The grocery bag ban, for instance, will leave less trash on the beach to begin with.” Pitterle added that keeping trash
off beaches in the first place is the best means to their preservation. As one who has benefited from the deeply aesthetic quality that seems present on any piece of coast within twenty miles of UCSB, I wanted to
cleanups are usually benign, lagoons can unfortunately have hazardous waste associated with cleanup projects. “We often find auto waste that is not innocuous to handle,” he said. “That can be a bit unsettling to
“While a small group clean the beaches or lagoons, everyone reaps the benefit of having beautiful coastline as a product of the effort that his and other foundations put forth.” know from Pitterle not only what beach clean-ups involved, but whether they had any potential risks. Had people been hurt during the process of allowing our public beaches to shine their brightest? Pitterle said that while beach
deal with.” Though sanguine in his description, Pitterle conveyed what some may view as an implicit free-rider problem. While a small group clean the beaches or lagoons, everyone reaps the benefit of having a beautiful coastline as a
product of the effort that his and other foundations put forth. As such, he admitted that some people have no idea how much energy Channelkeeper, Surfrider, and other groups put into giving us the coastline as we know it. Yet the product is superb. It’s also a lead-in to the central coast route that culminates in the “17 mile drive” through Big Sur. The central coast is often thought of as one of the great wonders of California. On that basis, many consider Highway 101 through Santa Barbara to be part of the southern edge of that expanse. This gives our coastline an additional purpose to being our own wonder: it is also a gateway into a national treasure. Even if many who gaze onto our shore from cars, bikes, or hikes are unaware that it takes great lengths to keep that shore so lovely, one can still find the act of cleaning the beaches entirely justifiable. For when the beaches are clean for all to appreciate, their beauty is a gift known to all, even if its origin is not. So while public knowledge of the work beach and coastal watershed nonprofits do may not be widespread, the good work they do is still felt. And again, the product is amazing.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia
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“In a people’s democracy,” he insisted, “you never give up.”
Amy Chase STAFF WRITER After visiting with University of California, Santa Barbara students at the MultiCultural Center for a talk directed by Professor Lisa Park, Star Trek star and savvy septuagenarian George Takei took the stage at the Arlington Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara as a part of the university’s Arts & Lectures series. There, he presented his show “Where No Story Has Gone Before,” which led listeners through Takei’s personal history as a JapaneseAmerican and concluded with his calls for activism in today’s charged political climate. A natural orator, Takei opened the night with his signature, suave exclamation of, “Oh myyy,” which instantly had segments of the audience on their feet with applause. While many know him from his groundbreaking role as Hikaru Sulu in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek television series, his role as helmsman took a backseat to his role as an activist and American citizen who endured some of the most turbulent times in our country’s history. Takei’s story began with recollections of his childhood, when at five years old, he and his family were held at gunpoint and forced into internment as a part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. February 19th is the Day of Remembrance for all those Japanese Americans wrongfully imprisoned in internment camps during World War II, and Takei made certain to highlight that fact in his speech. After four years of internment with his family, Takei recounted their move to the barrio in East Los Angeles where “the best enchiladas and tacos in all of
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Joanne Rhee WEB EDITOR
L.A. were made by my mother, Mrs. Takei.” Soon enough, in his teenage years, Takei realized his desire to fight for democracy. He detailed his involvement with volunteer campaigns, many of which didn’t turn out as he had hoped. “In a people’s democracy,” he insisted, “you never give up.” Takei’s activism moved through the Civil Rights era, the Cold War, and Vietnam War periods all while beginning his acting career. He joked that the real beginning of his life as an actor was as a young adult hiding his homosexuality from his peers. Takei recalled a brief meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., and after shaking the man’s hand, his own hand “did not get washed for three days.” Bringing his life story to our present day, he spoke of the Broadway musical Allegiance that he helped to create, as well as his current activism against the Trump administration. Takei believes we are always making progress as a society, even if it’s a slow progress, so long as we do not give up. “The optimists will get things done,” Takei said. “They find the possibility to make things better. If you’re a pessimist, you’ve already lost.” As his personal history concluded, Takei gracefully answered a series of audience questions both about his own story and his work on Star Trek. He spoke with good humor, and remained to sign copies of his books following the talk. A testament to his impact both on- and off-screen, the massive Arlington audience gave Takei a standing ovation and rousing applause at the end of the evening. It is clear from his words and the response received, his legacy inspiring others through activism will live long and prosper.