The Best Asian Food in Santa Barbara

Katie Huang Student Contributor, University of California - Santa Barbara

Carmen Ma Student Contributor, University of California - Santa Barbara

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Santa Barbara is home to many items in the food world — the first Habit Burger was founded right on Hollister Avenue in Goleta, and Los Agaves is probably the best Mexican food chain I’ve ever tried, and each of their locations have a four and a half rating on Yelp and at least five hundred reviews. I’m not complaining, but as someone who has grown up with the diversity and abundance of Asian food in the 626, the number one reason why I get homesick is for the food. Although I’ve only been at UCSB for less than two years, I’ve been on the hunt for food that’s reminiscent of home. Here are the five places that are so good, I don’t even need to go back to LA to get my fix!

1. Noodle City

Noodle City is one of the few restaurants in Santa Barbara that serve pho– a Vietnamese noodle soup made of vermicelli noodles and bone broth that’s been cooked for hours. But while their pho is delicious, the only dish I order there is their famous Bun Bo Hue. The traditional spicy beef noodle soup usually comes second in popularity to pho, but here it comes first! There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of spicy noodles on a foggy day, or even when you wake up hungover. I like to think of it as the Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup. It’s a cure-all for anything!

2. TAP Thai Cuisine

TAP Thai Cuisine is a trendy Thai restaurant that boasts traditional Thai food with a modern flair. They have all the staples, including Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Panang Curry, but the restaurant interior is nothing short of modern and contemporary! They serve delicious complimentary shrimp chips when you sit down, and you can check in on Yelp for a free Thai Tea, which is served in a cute mason jar. My favorite Thai food is Pad Thai, and that’s no exception when it comes to TAP Thai Cuisine. However, I’d say that any of their pan fried noodle dishes are a good bet if you’re looking for something new to try.

3. Goa Taco

This Asian fusion taco shop is unlike anything I’ve ever come across in Santa Barbara. Opened just a few months ago, Goa Taco features a variety of cultures in their food: the paratha ‘taco’ from Australia, pork belly from China, and of course, the original idea of tacos from Mexico! I tried their three most popular tacos– pork belly, lamb, and duck. Though these meats can be incorporated into any cuisine, it hits home for me because I’ve had it a lot in Chinese dishes. The best was the pork belly, it’s just the right amount of fat and flavor, so you don’t even need to add sauce! It’s not a surprise that the pork belly tacos is what got them started as a restaurant.

4. Gimeal Cafe

Gimeal Cafe is a Taiwanese inspired bento box cafe. While they do have other dishes such as hot pot or a la crate, the bento box is my favorite! Each bento box comes with rice, seaweed, corn, egg, Taiwanese sausage, and of course, the main protein. There’s a wide variety of options, and they’re all delicious– whether it’s the Taiwanese braised pork, or my personal favorite, the spicy chicken. That spicy kick reminds me of another Chinese cuisine from the Szechuan province, which features essentially all spicy food, so if you try it, you were warned! I love how each little box has so many different foods in it; it switches things up and is reminiscent of how Chinese meals are usually served family style.

5. Lao Wang

I’m so glad that Isla Vista has a yummy Chinese noodle shop, as it’s so close and they are open notoriously late, as all IV restaurants are. Lao Wang serves rice bowls and pork baos –steaming buns filled with pork belly, but what I go there for is their noodles. Their noodles are completely customizable, from the broth to the toppings. But unless you’re allergic to something or if there’s a food you don’t like, I highly recommend their premade combo, the “Our Way Choice”. It features their traditional soup base with egg noodles, assorted veggies, chicken, and beef balls. It’s savory and checks all my requirements for a delicious bowl of noodles. They also have various condiments to spice up it up, including chili oil, spicy mayo and prickly ash oil (also known as Szechuan peppercorn oil)! It truly hits the spot.

All images via yelp.com