O Ramen serves delicious eats See

The Runner

April 6, 2022 O Ramen serves delicious eats

By Alexis Shofner Staff Writer

Over the years, O Ramen has become more than a spot to eat; it has evolved into my favorite comfort space away from home. I paid the restaurant my first visit in 2018 a year after their grand opening in March of 2017 at 5139 Ming Ave. I can genuinely say that since my first visit, neither the food nor the service has let me down. Thanks to their vegan options, I have become a frequent ramen consumer and I always find myself comparing other’s ramen dishes to theirs. The interior of the space is decorated with anime characters framed on the walls, dimmed lighting, lo-fi music, and a mural of four well-known ramen eating anime characters on the back wall. Since it was not busy during my arrival, I was seated as soon as I walked in and the host was friendly the entire time, but according to Yelp, it seems that wait-times and staff issues are the main reason behind low-rated reviews. To start off the meal, I ordered an appetizer of the vegetable gyozas and a side seaweed salad. The gyozas are filled with mixed veggies and are pan fried, giving them a crisp exterior on both sides while still having a slightly chewy texture. It is paired with a gyoza dipping sauce made of soy sauce, sugar and a few drops of sesame oil. The seaweed salad consists of fresh seaweed served atop a bed of shredded cabbage. It serves a cool, refreshing bite with a crunchy texture coming from both the seaweed itself and the cabbage. It is delicious on its own, but I added and mixed in the leftover gyoza dipping sauce to enhance the flavors. As much as I enjoy O Ramen’s food, I find that the actual ramen noodles themselves are a bit too heavy to digest and take up too much space in the broth. My order, the only vegan option, is the shio tofu ramen but with a substitution of udon noodles. The vegetable broth in this dish is full of umami and topped with steamed broccoli, bean sprouts, cabbage, corn, green onion, carrots, and tofu. The vegetables hold up to the broth rather well

Photo by Alexis Shoftner/ The Runner Five count veggie gyoza with sweet and savory dipping sauce.

and have a slight crunch to accompany the chewiness of the udon noodles as they both absorb the saltiness of the veggie broth. Each mouthful of this soup is wonderful and comforting; it would be even more so on a chilly day or when you’re sick. According to Google Reviews, they hold a 4.6 out of 5 stars versus their Yelp average of 4 out of 5 stars. O Ramen serves quality food for a quality price. At just $12 for the shio tofu ramen, served in a large enough bowl that could fill you up alone, it makes eating on a budget easy and tasteful.

Photo by Alexis Shoftner/ The Runner Fresh seaweed placed atop a bed of shredded cabbage.

Photo by Alexis Shoftner/ The Runner Shio tofu ramen with udon noodle substitution.

Chicken Enchiladas de Mole Oaxaqueño

Photo by Marlene Herrera/ The Runner Dip corn tortillas into mole sauce.

By Marlene Herrera Staff Writer

With summertime coming, my family makes sure to prioritize making all our favorite warm foods before the weather gets too hot to enjoy. One of my family’s favorite meals are chicken enchiladas de mole de Oaxaca, which is an ingredient typically hard to come by because of its lengthy preparation time and ingredient list. For our family, the preparation and cooking of this meal are done and shared together.

Servings: 15 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 55 minutes Total time: 70 minutes

Ingredient list:

Photo by Marlene Herrera/ The Runner Add chicken and roll into a wrap.

1 cup of Crema Mexicana ½ of an onion 1 bunch of cilantro 2 whole avocados Maseca Corn Flour Water

Directions:

Fill a pot halfway with water and set over medium-high heat to boil. Add a small piece of onion and a pinch of salt to water. Add chicken breasts and alllow to cook thoroughly for approximately 20-25 minutes making sure to save the broth. Place a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the mole paste in the saucepan and slowly add the saved broth (2-4 cups) until you reach a stew-like or preferred consistency. After it reaches a boil, let the sauce simmer over a low heat. While the cooked chicken cools down to be shredded, prepare the corn flour to make tortillas.

Photo by Marlene Herrera / The Runner Top enchiladas to your preferance.

Use 1 ½ pounds of Maseca flour and add water to reach a firm but sticky consistency. Knead for 3 minutes. Using a cast iron tortilla press maker, form round palm-sized pieces of dough to press and place on top of a flat gribble to allow the corn tortillas to cook. Cook for at least 60 seconds on each side and only flip once. To prepare to plate the enchiladas, dip the tortillas one by one into the mole sauce. Add shredded chicken in each and roll into a close wrap. Drizzle the Mexican cream over the enchiladas to your liking. Next, begin to prepare ingredients to place on top of the enchiladas. Cilantro should be chopped very finely to add as garnish. Similarly, the queso fresco should be crumbled to coat the plate evenly. Add thin slices of onion and avocado to your liking.

6 April 6, 2022

The Runner

‘Turning Red’ reaches all generations

By Marlene Herrera Staff Writer

“Turning Red” perfectly conveys how uncomfortable and awkward it is to wake up and discover your body is changing with everyone around to see it. This coming-of-age story is told through the portrayal of a 13-year-old Chinese Canadian girl, Meilin Lee or Mei-Mei, navigating her pubescent years in the early 2000’s in Toronto, Canada. Mei is facing the embarrassment of discovering new things about herself, such as developing crushes, her first period, and preferring to spend time talking about her favorite boy band with her friends. More alarming, she is dealing with magically transforming into a giant red panda upon experiencing any strong emotion. To make matters more complicated, she worries that these new things about herself, which she is having a hard time concealing, are keeping her from being the perfect daughter her parents know and love. In other words, the movie is about much more than puberty. It is about balancing family-friend dynamics through the reality of culture and traditions. Kristen Vibal, CSU Bakersfield alumnus, comments, “The movie examines the relationship between filial piety and autonomy in the pubescent age. We don’t all grow up the same way. Something I wish people understood about growing up as an Asian American is why I would do the things that I do, and that resonated with me. To have “Turning Red” give a glimpse of what that is like is kind of comforting to see.” To her luck, Mei’s mother, Ming, is not willing to give up invading her privacy because of her own upbringing. Having dealt with her own panda and watching it diminish her relationship with her mother has convinced her that being overbearing is the only way to ensure Mei will not distance herself from her family. The movie highlights a scar on Ming’s mother’s forehead that conveys the severity of their last falling out. Because of the guilt Ming carries, she encourages Mei to suppress this part of herself and her identity. In the article, “Pixar’s Turning Red Review: You’ve Got a Friend in Mei’’ by Esther Vallins, she mentions, “Mama Ming Lee assures that there’s a cure (Mei’s first telltale indication that her panda is something that needs curing, that should be removed from her identity).” This is also a story that puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of doing good by your friends. In the film, Mei will do anything she can to keep them around and make sure she is bonding and appreciating them. Although the familial guilt persists throughout, Mei does recognize her friends are her safe and supportive space. Vallins explains, “[Her friends] celebrate this new discovery, which in turn, shows Mei that she can celebrate her new self, instead of seeing her panda as a curse.” Although intended for a younger audience, the themes touched up on are universal. Everyone can understand or remember what it is like to grow up, and viewers can also understand these new and scary things do not just startle us during pubescent age. Growing up is continuous. Vibal comments on what the biggest take-away from the movie is when she says, “At the beginning of the movie, she kind of opens it up to be this perfect daughter for them because they provided basic necessities, but I think what is most important is that we owe it to ourselves to be the most honest version of us and unapologetically us.”

The pandemic’s impact on love languages

By Yasmin Marcelo Special to The Runner

When asked if they are familiar with the feeling of love, most people are likely to say yes. Whether it may be familial, platonic, or romantic, people have felt the emotion at least once in their lifetime. However, when asked how they like to express and receive love that is usually when the answers vary. Every individual communicates in their own unique way, and the same principle applies to love. Love languages are the different ways people like to show and be shown love. The 5 are: physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and gift giving. For Gaby Castro, the primary love language she enjoys receiving is quality time with words of affirmation coming in as a close second. She likes spending time with people she cares about as she appreciates it when “they make the effort to spend time with me or at least just meet up to say ‘hi,’” she explains. Words of affirmation also mean a lot to her because she likes having a “reminder that the person enjoys [her] company and wants to be around [her].” Castro states that the love languages she uses to tell people she loves them are quality time and gift giving. She elaborates, “I like providing gifts to the person (even if it’s drinks and food) just to show them that I am thinking about them. I also like providing them my time whenever they need me.” Rossley Cruz also lists quality time and words of affirmation as the love languages she favors being given, along with physical touch. She further states that she enjoys using the aforementioned love languages to express her love for others. Like Castro, she adds, “I also like to give gifts as a way to show my love to that person.” Similar to both Castro and Cruz, the love language Najeeb Darwish’s prefers for himself is quality time. As for the one he likes to provide, he uses acts of service toward the people he cares about. A person’s upbringing and past experiences play a big role in developing their love languages. As people’s needs change over time in different environments and phases of their lives, so can love languages.

Castro attributes her fondness of quality time to how her mother cared for her as a child. She shares how her mother used to “[take her] everywhere... grocery shopping, to the park, shopping at the swap meet, and other things.” Her interactions with her mother led her to associate “time spent with love and affection.” When several of her friends “[hung] out together without telling [her],” she interpreted it as them not caring for her as much since her primary love language is quality time.

On the other hand, Darwish expresses, “My turbulent upbringing helped me appreciate the peacefulness of quality time.” Because of the pandemic, there have been adjustments made to minimize the spread of the virus, hence the numerous lockdowns. This has also altered the way people socialize and interact with each other. Cruz says, “Because of the pandemic, quality time has been added as a form of [my] love language[s].” The distance from her family and friends led her to realize that she “truly loves spending time with the people [she] love[s].” In Castro’s case, the pandemic did not alter any of her languages. Instead, it reinforced her already preferred ones. She discusses, “Being in quarantine made me realize how much I need quality time with people just to assure that my relationships are still solid.” Because of the social distancing protocols, however, spending quality time became more challenging. To mimic the experience, she explains, “I text [my friends and family] whenever I can or send them videos or memes just so we can talk at least through texts.” As for Darwish’s love languages compared to before and after the pandemic, he shares, “I don’t think it changed. Maybe before I liked words of affirmation.” While people have their favorite methods of expressing their love, they also have ones they dislike. Castro cites her least favored love language as physical touch. She elaborates, “I like my own personal space and feel apprehensive when people invade it. I have created a little bubble for myself that I don’t want people in.” However, she also clarifies that she does not really mind it when her mother or her close friends get physically touchy; she would simply need a warning beforehand. Receiving gifts is the love language Cruz is most avoidant of. She shares, “I always feel guilty... as if I’m taking advantage of the person giving me gifts” despite knowing that it is not the case. Meanwhile, Darwish is “not a fan” of physical touch and does not care much for gift giving because of “the sense of obligation.” In a time where countless conversations occur on digital platforms, in-person contact is no longer the most prevalent way for people to connect. Therefore, it is important for people to be aware of their friends’ and family’s love languages to make every form of social interactions much more meaningful and fulfilling.

Canva Illutstration by Marlene Garcia/ The Runner

The Runner April 6, 2022 7

There are no winners with DoorDash

By Sydney Williams Opinions Editor

With the recent spike in gas prices, there has been a jump in Doordash users. To try and get around the outrageous prices of gas, people are trusting delivery services like Doordash to bring them their fast food. As the prices of gas keep increasing, it seems as though Doordash might not be as beneficial as it sounds. Doorsdash drivers are not accepting small orders or orders that are far away. The cost of gas does not outweigh the end pay of the order. An ABC news reporter shares the experience of a DoorDasher during these difficult times. Ronda Gantt says, “They are too low paying. It might be like drive five miles for $6. I’m not going to do that it’s ridiculous.” Dashers are losing money when taking smaller orders. Dashers like Gantt are parking in lots that have a variety of different fast-food options to try and minimize the driving time. It’s not worth it to dashers unless people start to tip more. Doordash is an effortless way for people to get food delivered to them, But is it worth it to the consumer? Doordash makes you pay for the food, a delivery charge, and you are expected to give the dasher a tip upon delivery. If you were to get the food yourself you would end up saving money, even when using gas. If you are trying to save money, you really are not. After spending extra money on delivery and tips, you are spending three times more than you would have if you were to go get food yourself. There is also the risk of the dasher messing up your order. In the article “Doordash review: What customers need to know about this food delivery service”, the reporter talks about the most common complaints about Doordash. Most of the complaints are about orders being wrong and the quality of the food being poor. The reporter says “Dont expect drivers to get your order any faster than you could.” Doordashers are not superhuman, and it might even take longer to get your food using Doordash rather than getting it yourself. The use of Doordash spiked when the COVID-19 pandemic first started. People used the delivery service to get food because they were not allowed to leave their houses. Doordash also provides new opportunities for people to work during these demanding times. I think that Doordash has both good and bad attributes. I think that the opportunities that Doordash opens are extremely beneficial. Overall, I do not see the point in spending three times the amount on my food, just so I dont have to leave my house.. The service is an innovative idea if you are sick, so you do not risk the chance of spreading COVID-19. But I dont think its practical for everyday use.

Canva Illustration by Sydney Williams/The Runner

Customers save gas money with DoorDash

By Kiara Zabala Opinions Writer

The recent spike in gas prices has almost everyone retreating back into their households or finding alternative ways to get around. This recent spike also is causing a lot more people to use DoorDash to get food in a final attempt to save on their gas. DoorDash is helping more people than what we realize. Although prices of gas are rising and their jobs depend on them driving, Dashers are not concerned all too much with the increase in prices. Fox Business reported on March 15, DoorDash said it will give drivers 10% cash back when they buy gas using DasherDirect, the company’s debit card designed for drivers. Drivers will get the cash back for any gas purchase, whether or not they are completing deliveries at the time.” DoorDash is being more than understanding during these troubling times. DoorDash also let it be known that they will be giving weekly bonuses to those who drive the most miles. DoorDash knows that it is hard to pay for gas and other essentials during this gas spike. Yet, they clearly understand and are helping their employees in the best possible way. When it comes to the benefit of students, DoorDash helps us a lot. With gas being mainly used for getting to campus and work, I sometimes do not have time nor the gas to get some food. This is where DoorDash comes in handy. DoorDash allows college students, like myself, save money that they could be using to spend on gas. Instead, college students now do not have to make a choice between getting to campus and being able to afford their next meal. DoorDash is helping college students both get food and not waste their money in a more practical way. By using DoorDash, students now have extra money for food and commuting to campus or work. If it weren’t for them, I certainly would have gone hungry once or twice. It should not come down to the choice of whether I will eat or if I will have enough money to fill up my car. With gas price rising, the anxiety of students rises as well. With DoorDash and other companies alike, this stressor seems to lessen as we have found more convenient ways to not use our gas unless necessary. And when it comes to college students, the most important thing in our mind is getting to class on time. With DoorDash, we can use our gas on getting to class and can still eat at the end of every day.