Restaurant Family Takes Gamble on Fusion Venture

Krazy Crave offers a collection of traditional and fusion Korean cuisines

With 15 years of success at SDK Tofu & BBQ on Buford Highway, the Shin family had a vision of fusing traditional Korean cuisine with flavors more familiar to American palates. On Christmas Eve, that dream came to fruition with Krazy Crave Kitchen in the Village at Peachtree Corners Growing up in the restaurant business, daughter Chloe Shin wanted to create food that was more easily accessible to a diverse customer base.

“Most of our customers at the old restaurant were Chinese and Korean with a few people of other races,” said Chloe Shin. “When you look at the diversity in this area, we wanted to appeal to more people.”

Her parents James and Jennifer Shin agreed to roll the dice and sold their Doraville location for one in a complex that should attract a wide variety of patrons. Less than 10 miles north of the old restaurant, the current eatery is near a Flying Biscuit Café and a Lidl grocery store at the busy intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Peachtree Corners Circle.

So far, the crowds haven’t followed.

“It’s really slow, but we haven’t been here long,” said Chloe Shin. “We’re doing a lot of marketing and advertising and working to get the word out. Once the customers try our food, they’ll be back.”

Nourishing body and soul

For novices, she suggested the Korean barbecued short ribs and the Korean pancake. The ribs are a flame-grilled, thin-sliced beef that’s first marinated in a special barbecue sauce. The pancakes are made from tempura batter and come with two toppings — Chloe Shin said her favorites are calamari and chives or shrimp and vegetables.

With the increasing Asian population in the area, Chloe Shin said her family probably could have done fine with their former restaurant, but the 28-year-old said she wanted to take her food to the next level.

“We believe that eating isn’t just about feeding your body. It’s about nourishing the soul, too,” she said, reciting the restaurant’s mission. “And life is too short for mediocre soul food. We make sure every dish that we serve satisfies your entire being. Crispy, savory, sweet, juicy, satisfying. Whatever you crave is what we want to serve.”

Krazy Crave Kitchen

5270 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 115
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday; closed Tuesday
Service options: Dine-in, curbside pickup and no-contact delivery
krazycrave.com, 770-837-3545