What Is Krispy Rice?

People who enjoy Japanese food, especially sushi, always look for a new place to try different recipes. Nowadays, all the rave is about Krispy Rice and its delicacies, but all those who don’t know will probably wonder – what is Krispy Rice? Learn more about their concept, menu, and locations here.

Krispy Rice is the first sushi delivery-only restaurant in America. It was founded in Los Angeles in 2020 and branched out to other cities on the West and East Coast. Krispy Rice serves a delicacy that made its parent company Katsuya famous: crispy, grilled rice with tuna tartare and serrano peppers.

Read more about Krispy Rice and decide if you’d like to order from this place. If you don’t live nearby, it may motivate you to seek it out whenever you’re at one of its locations.

What Is Krispy Rice and Why Is It Called That?

Krispy Rice is a sushi delivery-only restaurant founded in Los Angeles in 2020 by the team behind the famous Japanese eatery Katsuya. Its name comes from Katsuya’s most renowned creation, crispy rice, and it serves this delicacy and other flavorful options.

Both Katsuya and Krispy Rice have locations across Los Angeles, so you can find them almost anywhere nearby. Other customers across California, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, and New York can enjoy this interesting restaurant.

Katsuya Uechi Made the Japanese Dining Experience Unique

Katsuya was founded in 2006, and it was named after the Japanese Master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi. He moved to the US in 1984 from Okinawa, Japan, and has opened 25 restaurants across the country since 1997.

Katsuya may be one of his most famous restaurants because of its aesthetically pleasing interior and magical food. Despite being a classically trained sushi chef, Uechi aimed to elevate and change the Japanese eating concept for American customers.

Krispy Rice is an extension of Katsuya in many ways. The crispy rice specialty is the signature dish of this fast-casual restaurant, and you can have a taste of fine dining at your own home with it.

Krispy Rice Serves Delivery and Takeout-Only Meals that Come In Box Combos

Sushi isn’t generally known as a takeout meal, but Krispy Rice’s management made sure to create a fast and reliable restaurant that serves fresh and delicious food.

The great part about getting sushi this way is getting box meals to-go. You can get a customized meal for one or a full two to three-person combo. If you’re not interested in getting a box, of course, everything can be ordered separately.

The Menu Was Created for Sushi Lovers, But With a Twist

It’s impressive to see how sushi can be challenging to prepare. Its concept mainly relies on the freshness of the ingredients; that’s why sushi with defrosted fish tastes significantly different from the one with freshly picked meat.

At Krispy Rice, you’ll get sashimi, nigiri, sushi, fried shrimp, and rolls next to the signature crispy rice. That means you’ll still be able to enjoy classic tastes and meals that never disappoint.

The Signature Dish – Krispy Rice Delicacies

The signature Krispy Rice dish is Katsuya Uechi’s greatest invention named just like the restaurant – crispy rice. This dish is unique for its preparation, and the ingredients are a fusion of Japanese and American classics

Uechi took the idea of nigiri, a lump of rice topped with freshly cut fish, and gave it a more gourmet signature. The rice beneath the meat is, in this case, grilled to get a crunchy texture.

On top of the grilled, crunchy rice, you can choose between four options: tuna tartare with serrano peppers, avocado and truffle mix, king salmon and yuzu mix, or the spicy wasabi and hamachi mix.

Crispy rice isn’t just a piece of fish spread atop rice. It’s a fusion of ingredients that go well together. While not many people in Japan would welcome the heat of the serrano pepper into their meal, in America, that spice is a welcome addition.

The Dark Horse Dish – Handrolls

The baked crab handrolls are also a Krispy Rice invention. The rolls are wrapped in soy paper instead of the usual rice paper or nori seaweed. Inside, there’s enough meat to satisfy your seafood cravings and still achieve a balance in flavor, together with rice and sesame.

If you’re interested in more than just the crispy rice signature dish, get the baked crab handrolls, or any other, for that matter. They’re all super delicious and exciting specialties.

You Can Find Krispy Rice Restaurants on the West and East Coast Only

For now, you can get Krispy Rice takeout and delivery only on the West Coast, precisely California, and Seattle, Washington. They also have restaurants in Chicago, Illinois, and on the East Coast – in Virginia, Maryland, and New York.

The areas where you can eat at Krispy Rice in California are:

  • Los Angeles – Beverly Hills, Broadway, Airport Boulevard, Los Feliz, Westwood, Brentwood, Hollywood, and The Grove,
  • Oakland,
  • Santa Monica,
  • Glendale,
  • Costa Mesa,
  • Rancho Cordova,
  • Rancho Cucamonga,
  • Anaheim,
  • Sacramento,
  • West Covina,
  • North Orange.

On the East Coast, you can visit Krispy Rice in the following states and places:

  • Maryland – Bel Air, Hanover, Rockville, Frederick, Bowie, Owing Mills, and Hagerstown,
  • Virginia – Winchester, Herndon, Leesburg, and Front Royal,
  • New York – Manhattan West, New York City.

The best part about the Krispy Rice in Manhattan, NYC, is that it’s their first and only brick-and-mortar restaurant. You can order meals to go or sit and enjoy Japanese fusion dishes right at the spot.

Chicago Has Two Krispy Rice Restaurants, for all Midwesterners Living In This City

The only Midwestern representative of Krispy Rice is in Chicago. However, in Illinois’s most populous city, you can choose between two Krispy Rice restaurants. One is located in West Loop, on Randolph Street, and the other is in Wicker Park.

If You’re Looking for a Unique and Gourmet Sushi Experience, Head to Krispy Rice

Unique preparation style and ingredient combinations make Krispy Rice more interesting and special than many sushi restaurants. The culinary world may have seen enough of the same dishes made over and over again, but none are as specific as chef Katsuya’s creations.

If you’re craving high-brow sushi at an affordable price, delivered straight to your door, ensure to check out Krispy Rice’s online menu and order whatever seems delicious. You’ll find something to your taste and stick to it for a while.