So, even though I’m kinda over the K(orean) F(fried) C(hicken) thing in San Diego….there are places I thought I’d need to try. Among them was Calvin’s Korean Fried Chicken. If you aren’t following the “score”, Calvin’s used to be Furaido back when Atlas Fresh Market was opened in Poway. It was quite popular as fellow bloggers like Kirbie and Soo really liked the place. I had been meaning to visit this new iteration, which opened in 2021 and even tried twice….but because of “bad timing” I failed. Finally, I made my way there…..
Now located in La Jolla, next to Pho La Jolla, I walked into the place. The small space looks quite “rustic”, a real no-frills kind of place.
The woman working was not very welcoming…….I’m thinking she would totally fit in working at Zion Market?
I ordered a wing box ($14.50) with the Devil’s Garlic Glaze, which is what I had enjoyed the most at Furaido. Instead of just waiting around, I took a short walk waiting for my take out order. When I returned it was ready….I went and picked it up, with basically a “humph” from the woman.
When I got home, I opened the box to see……..sigh……it was just plain chicken wings! What the heck?
Well, I was home….and I really wasn’t driving back there…and to think about having to deal with them!
So, this box is quite the crab load. The fries are the “dusted type”, which meant they were still crisp if a bit under seasoned. This was actually my favorite part of the meal.
And then there was rice, topped with furikake, in case you need more carbs.
This seemed to be like calrose; medium grain, decently cooked.
The simple coleslaw, was meh……watery, bland dressing…..
Well, just like Furaido, the batter for the wings, which I believe is rice flour based, is quite crunchy, a bit thick for my taste as I prefer more crisp and light. Still, if you like that, you might enjoy it. Also, the plain wings are really under-seasoned, which is why I had ordered the (Red) Devil’s Garlic Glaze (jjk RD!)…..which they of course had maybe not understood my order?
At least these weren’t over fried and the wings and drumettes were really moist. So I guess that was some consolation.
Though based on the really terrible service and getting my order wrong….I think I’ll pass on this KFC place in the future.
You can read Soo’s post on Calvin’s here.
Calvin’s Korean Hot Chicken
3211 Holiday Court #101A
La Jolla, CA 92037
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 8pm
Fri Sat 11am – 9pm