Amid the ever-changing State Street landscape, it’s a treat to recognize the cultural relics that have remained.
On the facade of Zen Yai Thai Cuisine on lower State (425 State St.) also sits the original placard for the Filipino Community Association of Santa Barbara. Passersby might miss it, but many local Filipinos know that the building is double occupancy: the front is the Thai restaurant, but the back has been a celebratory gathering space for local Filipinos since the 1950s.
Bobby Bisquera, a Filipino-American who was born and raised in Santa Barbara, has always known the space as “The Club.”