KOCO Korean Fried Chicken & Croffles in Virginia Beach

Chicken and waffles are a cool combination, but have you ever had Korean fried chicken and croffles? I had my first bites of both when I visited KOCO Korean Fried Chicken & Croffles, a new restaurant in Virginia Beach.

KOCO Korean Fried Chicken & Croffles opened in Virginia Beach’s Thalia area on March 11. I was mesmerized when I first saw Yelp Coastal Virginia’s Instagram post of the spinning wheel of croffles on display. Combined with the fact that I’ve been craving chicken wings for several weeks, I decided to treat myself to both.

What is Korean Fried Chicken?

Korean fried chicken is a lot like Southern fried chicken, but extra crunchy. The popular South Korean snack is lighter and crispier than its American cousin. Korean fried chicken uses a different frying technique that renders out the fat in the skin, creating a thin, crackly crust, a New York Times article explains about the dish.

Both local and chain Korean fried chicken restaurants having been popping up across the country over the last several years. Oftentimes when you order chicken wings, you either get a wet sauce and no crunch, or all crunch and no sauce. Korean fried chicken checks off both boxes for an all-around chicken wing.

What is a croffle?

According to culinary site, Cookist, a croffle combines the flaky goodness of a croissant with the body ody ody of a waffle. The result of this delicious science experiment is a baked good with a crunchy outside and soft, buttery center. Cookist credits an Irish pastry chef named Louise Lennox for inventing the breakfast dish, but croffles quickly gained popularity in Korea. Now, the sweet street food has gone global, making its way to Virginia Beach.

KOCO Korean Fried Chicken & Croffles

KOCO has very minimalist décor with long tables and a cozy sitting area right by the door. When you walk up to the register, you can spin the wheel of croffles to see all of their options.

Of the 10 on display, I decided to order three since this was my first time having them. I chose the peach mango, churro and the strawberry banana, with some help from the employee who rang up my order. I also ordered 10 of the spicy wings.

KOCO’s menu also includes iced lattes, such as thai tea, Vietnamese coffee and horchata coffee, along with pancit and lumpia.

Everything at KOCO is made to order. It didn’t take long for my wings to come out. The croffles took a few minutes longer since each croissant is pressed in the waffle iron and topped based on your flavor selection. Overall, I waited about 15 minutes for my full order. Honestly, I would wait twice or thrice as long because it’s just that good. After every bite of the chicken and croffles, I said “holy sh*t!”

As soon as I took the first bite of chicken, I was on a flavor high. The slightly sweet soy-garlic sauce had a mild kick of heat, since I ordered the spicy variation. It wasn’t “burn-you-up” hot, and I was able to scarf down five wings before needing a sip of water.

I was pleasantly surprised by how crunchy the chicken still was; despite sitting in the box for the time it took for me to run an errand then get home. Beneath the perfectly glazed crust was a very meaty wing. I know the recent chicken wing shortage has been a pain for many restaurants, often resulting in skimpier offerings, but not at KOCO.

Once I dusted off half of my wings, I couldn’t wait any longer—it was croffle time. I’m not a huge fan of sweets. Well, that’s not entirely true. If a dessert is too sweet, however, it’s harder for me to enjoy. While I initially wanted to take things slow with the croffles, I ended up eating two of the three in less than five minutes.

As described, the croffle itself delivered on texture, and the taste was even better than I could’ve imagined. The slight crunch was a precursor to buttery, flaky layers. What I thought was icing on KOCO’s croffles was actually an airy whipped topping that didn’t overload the dessert. I was also glad the fruit toppings weren’t cloying. If the sweet options aren’t for you, you can also pair a plain croffle with some Korean fried chicken.

I’m writing this blog a day after my first visit to KOCO, knowing that it certainly won’t be my last. This new restaurant quickly became a new favorite of mine, and I can’t wait to go back for more.

KOCO Korean Fried Chicken & Croffles is located at 4224 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach.