Krave Asian Fusion – Irvine

Korean fried chicken may not be the first thing to come to mind when you are thinking of where to eat for the night, but that will soon change after you try “Krave Asian Fusion”. After a recent dining experience at this new restaurant in Irvine, I think I am their biggest fan!

Krave Cocktails

We started off with this amazing Pineapple Hard Cider by “Ace” and a glass of buttery Chardonnay.  All of the wines here are rated 88% or higher by sommeliers. The cider was amazing and it was the first time I had ever tried the brand Ace, and it definitely won’t be my last. It was crisp and refreshing.

Krave Appetizers

First up was this fresh Salmon Avocado Tower. This was my second favorite dish of the night. It was so fresh I thought we were eating sushi. Persian cucumber, tobiko, crab stick, and pea sprouts will make your mouth water with every bite.

Then came these decadent Loaded Kogi Fries. Wow! This was the best comfort food I have had in the longest time! Sriracha cheese sauce is poured on top of crispy fries, then topped with marinated ribeye, scallions, and jalapenos. I swear I couldn’t hear anyone around me talking because I think I went to another planet while I was eating these.

Speaking of sound, Krave has the best music playlist. The night we went they were paying tribute to David Bowie so we listened to some awesome songs during our meal.

Krave Main Dishes

Next up was the Bibimbap entree. I really liked how our waiter spaced out our dishes so we didn’t feel overwhelmed with too many items at once. Bibimbap is Korean dish served in a hot stone rice bowl with seasoned vegetables, marinated rib-eye, and egg. For my first time trying it I was very impressed. It was flavorful and filling and even my two youngers kids ages 5 and 9 enjoyed it.

Now here is what Krave is known for- Korean Fried Chicken Wings. Korean fried chicken is completely different from  buttermilk fried chicken. The wings are not dredged in excessive amounts of flour, so the impossibly crisp exterior appears to be nothing but skin. That is because all of the fat has been rendered out of them which results  in light crispy wings. After being double fried, the wings are lightly tossed in a sweet, spicy, garlicky glaze while still hot. This caramelizes the sauce on the surface of the chicken, preventing it from seeping in too deep, ruining the crispy shell. They are moist, savory and the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. We chose the flavors Chinese chili and soy garlic and both were delicious.

A nice side dish to pair with the wings are the garlic noodles. These noodles had a great balance of salty and sweet. My kids devoured these and we even had enough to bring home for lunch the next day. the texture was perfect and the garlic was just right.

Krave Dessert

If you still have room after dinner, I highly suggest tasting some of their ice creams. They are all hand made  from Los Angeles and come in the following flavors: Mango sorbet, taro, vanilla and red bean. The red bean was my absolute favorite. Mu husband loved the taro flavor and my kids loved the mango and the vanilla.

We were really happy with our dining experience and had a really attentive waitress.

Fun Fact

The K in Krave stands for Korean, and you will crave the food, hence the name “Krave”