The Korean Fried Chicken Craze Continues in Poway

Poway is the latest neighborhood to get its own spot for Korean fried chicken, which is clearly the next Asian dish, after Japanese ramen, to take San Diego by storm. Furaido Premium Chicken Co. recently opened at Atlas Market, an international supermarket with an in-store food hall that offers Persian kabobs and sandwiches, and now, Korean-style fried chicken. It joins a growing local list which includes global chain BonChon, the homegrown Cross Street Chicken & Beer, and the incoming Rice Chicken; there’s also Gala Chicken, a vendor inside Zion Market.

Furaido owner Calvin Chung has been a chef for two decades in the Los Angeles area, where he runs a shabu-shabu restaurant called Kokumi in Arcadia. Wanting to test-market his concept in a less competitive environment, Chung says he didn’t expect the Poway spot to be so busy right off the bat. The eatery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving a menu of halal and gluten-free fried chicken — tenders, wings, and drumsticks — in 15 different flavors ranging from garlic-soy glaze to butter honey dip and barbecue dust. Chung tells Eater that he’s hoping to open more locations in the San Diego area as soon as possible.