I've been here a couple of times now, and there's a reason I keep coming back. I first tried Shiso Crispy at a Yelp event a couple of years ago, and that was honestly the first time I'd ever heard of them. I couldn't stop thinking about the food afterward, so I immediately made a trip to the restaurant to try more. This time, we went to the location across from Ferg's because it was a little chilly and we wanted to sit inside and eat everything right away. We even drove from Tampa, even though there's a food truck closer, because we really wanted the full sit-down dining experience. We ordered the ahi tuna dirty rice, the bang bang shrimp (a special I saw online), and the pork belly buns. This was my first time trying the shrimp and the buns, and let me tell you... the buns did NOT disappoint. They were so fluffy, cooked perfectly, and absolutely delicious. And the bang bang shrimp? I loved it almost more than the ahi tuna. It had the most perfect crisp and crunch. You order outside and everything is made fresh. It didn't take too long at all, and the food came out warm and insanely good. I'm a huge dumpling girl, so I already know I need to go back ASAP to try the truffle gyoza and the wagyu gyoza. The lobster crab rangoons also sounded incredible. If you haven't been yet, this place is 100% worth the hype, and the repeat visits. read more

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The food was overpriced and mediocre at best. The quality didn't come close to justifying the prices. The only somewhat decent dish was the ahi tuna dirty rice, but the protein-to-rice ratio was questionable, especially when a dirty rice plate already costs $9. The braised beef short rib bao buns ($12 for two) were overly sweet and had a mushy texture. The truffle gyoza (5 pieces) somehow arrived burnt on one side across every piece and were only mildly warm when served. Service was average overall. The indoor seating is nice, and being located in the heart of St. Pete gives the restaurant a great atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the setting or the prices. I would not come back. read more

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Food was ready in a timely manner for our to-go order. I hadn't had soup dumplings in so long and was so pleasantly surprised! Flavorful and a good portion. We also ordered the pork gyoza and the bang bang chicken crazy rice, which was also fantastic and packed with flavor. Highly recommend, and worked great for our takeout read more

I had the vegetable spring rolls from here. They were pretty good, they were hot and I ordered them at around 11:30, the kitchen closes at midnight. There weren't that many non-pork dumpling options especially so late in the night. The drinks were good. We sat outside at the bar area. The music was good, the Bartender was great. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Iran to Tokyo - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Ordered the Ahi Tuna Dirty Rice, Waygu Dumplings, Garlic Chive Rangoon, and the butterscotch banana cake. Everything was delicious. The Rangoon was extremely flavorful. The Ahi Tuna was a large amount of food!! Everything that we ordered we enjoyed read more

Indulgent, delicious food in St Petersburg! There's a storefront that you walk thru to get to the food truck in the back - a unique set up! Service was fast food came out within 10 mins! We got the chicken rice bowl, the lobster rangoons, and the wagyu pot stickers. Good amount of food to split between 2 people and everything was really good!! Outdoor & indoor seating - we sat out front to be in the sun but out back or inside looked pleasant too! read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Lobster rangoons, wagyu pot stickers, chicken bowl - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Bar food sums this place up. The inside was closed for restoration and the bar outside on sidewalk with some sidewalk tables were available. You order from a kiosk and then they hand you the food. Tables were dirty, no one offered water etc. Most of the food is unhealthy fried food and mediocre. Loud blaring music all around did not add to the ambiance. One drunk sleeping man at the bar was being roused by the bartender. I will not be making a return visit. read more

The Bang-Bang Chicken came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint. Flavorful, perfectly cooked, and the sauce made the rice taste great. There were generous portions that filled me up comfortably, but I wish I could go back. The cook was engaging and helpful, pointing us in a good direction, and I liked the set-up of the food truck in back and comfy, air-conditioned dining room in front (with great music playing). Highly, highly recommended! read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - The remnants of my meal. It smelled so good that I ate most before taking a photo. - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Wow! The vegan bang bang rice is out of this world. Flavor. Crunch. So many delicious textures. I got it to go and the staff were super friendly. The outdoor area looked fun and I'll definitely go back for the vibes. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Vegan Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Orders are typically ready quickly, it's almost like they have a secret speed trick! But honestly, the parking situation could use a lot more space and better organization--it's a bit frustrating. The food is just okay; I guess I was hoping for something a little more exciting or flavorful. read more

DO NOT GO HERE. Price: 0/10 Extremely expensive for an Asian food truck. $53 for 2 entrees and an order of crab rangoons. I can get the same from my local Chinese restaurant for $23 and it would taste better. $7 for 3 crab rangoons is criminal. Taste: 0/10 Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice tasted like mayo. No seasonings were present at all. BBQ Short Rib Dirty Rice lacked any true flavor as well. Tasted like shelf bought BBQ Sauce, and the meat was extremely dry. No indications of any Asian seasonings in this as well. Crab Rangoons were advertised as Garlic Chive, contained no crab or imitation crab and tasted like warmed up French onion dip, they were so bad we didn't even finish 1. read more

The portion sizes are massive! I ordered the chicken with the rice. I was literally holding like 2 pounds worth of food. They are very generous. The chicken was super crispy and juicy and the orange sauce was very savory. I think it was gochujang sauce. I'm a huge fan of white rice and they did not disappoint. It was very soft and had some flavor to it. Definitely coming back here again. The bao buns were pretty good too, but it was really hard for the chicken to stay in the bun so it kept slipping out. Overall, really cute place. A bit confusing because there's a food truck in the back and the back is actually the front entrance. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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We had been wanting to try Shiso Crispy for months and I'm sad to say the experience was extremely underwhelming. First off, the food is pretty pricy. The bao buns were 2 for $12 and the dirty rice with bang bang chicken was $18. Both dishes (and seemingly most of everything on the menu ) is covered in their gochujang sauce which after a while, is the only thing you can taste. There was no differentiation in flavors and the sweet sauce was just too much. The portion sizes were good but for over $30, there are much better options out there. The inside space was clean and comfortable and there is also seating outside in both the front and back. There is a small bathroom inside as well as branded gear for purchase. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Food was great! and the service was great! they were so friendly and outgoing it was well worth the wait

plenty of space quick service and the cutest vibes. Everything we got was soo good and very large portions as well! definitely a go to late night spot read more

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Always enjoy Shiso Crispy. This is my first time eating at the Central Ave location. Food is a bit pricey but it NEVER disappoints. read more

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Almost passed this up. When I first arrived, it was around 8:50. The restaurant appeared to be dead. There was no one inside. I was looking around and there's a sign on the window that says "entrance" and points towards the back. And then when you look inside the "restaurant" you see signs in the back that are above a door. When you go around or go through, there is a food truck out back. There's outdoor seating and indoor seating. The ambience is well lit outside! Unfortunately, they did not have the vegan bang bang chicken. Thankfully, they did have other vegetarian options (not sure if they're vegan so I'm not going to say vegan, but I believe it was). They had BBQ jackfruit rice bowl with slaw and then I also got the bao buns with BBQ jackfruit. I started with the rice bowl first. It was $19. Which is kinda pricey. Thankfully, the portion size matches up to the price point! With the amount of rice, it's technically more than one serving. I will say, this bowl was very very sweet. The BBQ jackfruit is sweet bc the BBQ sauce. And then they gave a sweet chili sauce on the side as well, so it was just more sweetness and unfortunately, nothing to combat the sweetness. It was good. I just wish it had some other sauce to help combat the sweetness! Then it would have been great. The bao buns were basically the same. That wasn't my intention but since they were out of the vegan bang bang, I didn't have a choice. So both of these options were essentially the same exact thing. Except one had rice and one had bao. Again, unfortunately it was too sweet and nothing to combat the sweetness. Both were good. My baos did stick the box and rip apart completely so it was very messy. Nonetheless, still good. I think these were $12?? I also appreciate that they're open later than 9, as for it seems everything else around the area closed at 9. Since I don't live in the area, I won't be able to try the other vegan option, but hopefully sometime if I'm in town, I can because it looks/sounds really good! read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Super cool place near Fergs. Never knew this place was here. The Bang Bang Chicken with sticky rice was outstanding. Best sauce ever, chicken super crispy and cooked perfectly. Love the sticky rice with fried onions on top. Service was super quick and friendly! read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Don't miss Big Foot! - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Seems like they like to hire employees who don't enjoy their jobs -- specifically employee Jaelyn. Horrible attitude all around and made it very obvious she did not want to be working. Took incredibly long to take mine and my friends' orders. After 2 of my friends received their orders and about 45 minutes pass by, I asked multiple times for my order, to which they all looked at each other confused. This is when I realized they did not only give my order to the wrong person once, but THREE separate times after telling me mine should be almost ready. Not to mention, they had a shift change in the middle of all of this mess. I completely understand when it's busy, it can be overwhelming and chaotic but I patiently sat while other people came up and received their orders before I did. When I finally asked to just refund me because my friends had already finished their meals and I had somewhere to be, Jaelyn told the other employee who had just come in -- with the worst attitude -- "oh, she wants a refund." Well...yeah? If I'm not getting my food at this point then I'd like my money back....? Horrible, horrible experience. Might have to try one of their other locations to actually try the food next time and maybe experience better customer service. read more

Probably the best rangoons I've ever had - uses real lobster instead of fake crab and the garlic butter is a perfect touch the short rib bao buns were delicious too, the five spice gives it an interesting and unique flavor and the textures were great. The layout was kinda confusing haha the storefront on Central Ave is just a seating area and then the food truck is in the back where you actually go to order. But the area is cute outside too with tables and lights. Not really any parking besides the street but it's one of the lesser crowded areas on Central so not too bad read more

Quaint atmosphere and nice folks, food is about average and a bit pricey, wish they didn't cover their dumplings in sauces as that is all you taste, bbq bun was pretty good though read more

Finally getting around to review the two items I got from the food truck at a special event they were at. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed. I ordered the SCHEZUAN MANDU and LOBSTER RANGOONS. The mandu was bland and came 5 pieces $12.50. A whole bag of frozen mandu could be purchased at any local asian market for half the cost and would have more flavor than that. The lobster rangoons were the biggest disappointment. When I cracked the first one open, all that was in there was cream cheese, no lobster - at least none that I could see or taste. Very unfortunate that these items didn't impress because their dirty rice looks really appetizing. I know they've just opened a new permanent location, but sadly I'm not sure I'd be rushing to try it out. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Lobster Rangoon | 7/30/2023 - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Shisho is always a good choice. Such large portions and amazing flavor with every bite. The bang bang chicken is just the right amount of heat. I love the crunch of the fried onions. Ordering ahead is always helpful. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Stopped by on a Friday night with my partner and ordered the bang bang short rib over rice, the lobster Rangoon, and the bang bang chicken bao bun. The bao bun was excellent -- crispy chicken and great flavor. I would recommend it again and again. The rice and short rib were too sweet for my taste and the sauce was so thick it overpowered the beef. The lobster Rangoon was crispy and tasty. The restaurant has a cute vibe but could use a candle or something to mask a faint odor -- not enough to stop us from dining in, but noticeable. Loved the food truck in the back with music and good energy. I would come back to try more. They also need to make the front door close on its own. I saw 4 men not close the door behind them as they walked in the restaurant, even a cop- assuming they thought it closed behind them. The restaurant will end up wasting money on cooling a restaurant because the florida heat/bugs will enter which will then drive up food prices. read more

We were in the mood for some Asian or Asian Fusion type of a place in St Pete and Shio Crispy came up in the results. Here are my ratings: Quality of food: ok. We ordered the Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice and Garlic Chili Mandu. The Bang Bang chicken was extremely heavy on the sauce and tasted very sweet. Everything is glazed with sauces and after a while that's all you can taste. The Mandu was good but not very filling. Décor: just okay. The vibe of this place is that of a food truck hangout. There isn't much of a decor as you have to sit outside on some generic looking tables. Cleanliness: good. The tables and the general areas were being kept cleaned. Service: can be improved. With just a couple of people ahead of us, folks inside the food truck still looked overwhelmed. I stood at the cash register for 5 mins waiting for someone to take my order and I just gave up and ordered online. One shouldn't have to do that. Price: expensive. The bang bang chicken dish was $18 which should really be not more than $12. Shiso Crispy is a neat concept but not executed very well. The food is very heavy on the sauces and comes with a higher than expected price tag. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice and Garlic Chili Mandu - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Bang Bang Chicken is a guilty pleasure of mine, and they do it well here. What I think sets it apart from many is that they fry their chicken in beef tallow which gives it amazing flavor! The portions are big for the meals, and the sides although small are creative and delicious. They offer three main proteins and a vegan option for their meals and a vegan chicken which I've yet to try. The Seared Ahi tuna is very fresh and light, and the short Rib meat is tender and has a very flavorful sauce. They also offer bao buns with any of the mentioned proteins and the buns are soft and pillow. It can be a bit pricey, but the food is consistently delicious and the portions are fair. Definitely a must try if you're in the area! read more

Hidden gem! Food truck located behind storefront. Vibe is casual with plenty of seating inside and outside. The Ahi tuna dirty rice plate is my favorite. Mike was amazing customizing my friend's order to make it gluten free. Even offered to customize the music being played if desired. 10/10 would recommend read more

We've been in St Pete for about 3 months and we've tried all types of food, this was by far our favorite meal! You walk through an indoor space to get to the food truck out back. There's seating indoors and out. We ordered 1 of every option on the menu and it did not disappoint! The rangoons were my favorite but the bang bang chicken was a close second, it was a great meal! The service was great and very kind! We will definitely be back! A must go to! read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice Lobster Rangoon Garlic Chive Rangoon Ahi Tuna Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Man, it is definitely hard to leave this review because we really had high hopes, but unfortunately we did not have the best experience here. I love the seating area. It's cute, upscale, and a little hidden away from the hustle and bustle. We came on a busy Saturday, ordered, and prepared to be patient. We waited about 43 minutes until the guy working asked our name, and when we told him, he said it would be right up. We waited about 15 more minutes before he asked our name again, and then proceeded to give us food that had been sitting there the whole time. So after an hour of waiting, we were given cold food. We ordered the chili garlic mandu, and these were even more disappointing than the long wait time. They were ice cold with a terrible texture. They tasted overwhelmingly of soy. We also tried the bang bang chicken. The chicken was not even remotely warm. It was still crispy. That was the one saving grace, and the only reason I am even willing to give this place 3 stars. The sauce was decent, but it was nothing special. It came on a huge bed of overcooked rice. Although the seating area is super cute, the food and service were both disappointments. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Solid spot, good food, quick service, Mike was super nice. First time here but they made us feel like regulars. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Godt D@nm Delicious! Super tasty and super friendly staff! I will drive an hour again to go back. Just that good! read more

They're two good things I've found in life: Chicken and Rice. Now combine those two and introduce a Bang Sauce to the two and ask yourself: "what does heaven taste like" for an Asian dish? I think that's what the Bang Bang Chicken and Dirty Rice dish did to me. Shiso Crispy. Say it out loud to yourself and have fun with it! Shiii-soooo Crissspyyyyyy!!! This restaurant/ food truck in the back has knocked my socks off. I don't think I've ever had such an amazing combo as I did when I went with my date! The food truck ambience in the back is suitable for what you're about to indulge on - rustic, basic and plays into its strength. You're there for the food and stay for the smells. In anticipation for the food, I couldn't help but immersive myself in all the free smells that billowed from the windows. Service: Excellent - super knowledgeable and well versed on the ingredients, tastes, and recommendations for eating. Food: Do I need to say it again - Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice every time Ambiance: Gets the job done and keeps you on the edge of your seat whilst sniffing everything. If there is any downside, it's to how empty the "restaurant" portion of the location is. You walk through the front of an empty restaurant to an attached food truck in the back. I never knew it was a food truck and had no indication based on the physical location it has. Come hungry, leave happy, stuffed with leftovers for another meal. Price may be off putting, but trust the 1 meal is great for leftovers and very filling. I will happily come back for any excuse - 5 out of 5! read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Shiso Crispy is a very super cool concept. They took a storefront & turned it into a dining area & put the little food truck out back down some tiki lit stairs. Very cute! It's decorated beautifully, has the coolest interior, lighting & ambiance. The super mod design is not only adorable but we found the tables & chairs to be very comfortable. The AC was kickin! So much so I was freezing. The lobster rangoon appetizer has 3 Rangoon to an order. They have a nice cream cheese lobster flavor, ours were cooked perfectly. But the sauce they serve with it is way too sweet. It was horrible. We threw it away. Now on to the really bad news. The Chicken & Ahi Tuna dirty rice dishes we got were both so heavy like they were 20 pounds each. They had tons of sauces. Way way way too much sauces. They were so rich & sweet it was just gross. I ate the tuna off the top of mine, it was seared perfect. However, the wasabi sauce/mayo sauce that came with it, yes, even MORE sauce, was so sweet it was like sugar mayo. I'm not exaggerating when I say this, it was clearly, the most disgusting thing I ever tasted. Something must have gone terribly wrong there. The chicken in the other dish was A-Ok, but again, it was just way way way too much sauce. There were no veggies in either dish, no pickled ginger or anything which usually cuts the fat. It was so sweet we asked for soy sauce and chili oil to balance out the super sweet flavors & rich mayo sauces. And they gave us MORE sweet SAUCE. They told us that it's THEIR version of soy sauce. Again, it was so horrific we threw it away. Hubby & I BOTH had a horrible night, upset stomach, had to take some lugol's solution for upset stomach, as we both had early morning meetings. I'm being really generous here with a 2 star as we both got upset stomach from this. I really hope it was just a mistake, but I have now read some other comments that also said they also got served way too much sauce. This mistake cost us $50 bucks & 2 stomach aches. Won't return. read more

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Delicious food and the service was fast! There may be a store front but this is actually a food truck hanging around the back. read more

Shiso Crispy - Central Ave - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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We loved the bang bang bao and the tuna on dirty rice. We would order both again. The gyoza are just ok, I'd try something else next time. Very dog friendly, you go to the back yard to get the food and then you can sit inside with your dog because it's not technically a restaurant, it's an air conditioned sitting area. read more

Let me start with- THE FOOD IS AWESOME. We came in after a show, and the place was not visibly busy but apparently there's a lot going in here behind the scenes, so try to be patient. The bartender guy was not exactly well versed on serving vegan food which was frustrating to my friends who were in fact strictly vegan. The food was awesome. Things can go perfectly, and Im sure it does often here because the staff rocks. We just fell through the cracks and instead of falling apart this place made it all work out and I really appreciate that. Hopefully you guys can appreciate that, because I really appreciate you for making it right. That's where you guys shined imo. We will be back, because the food is tremendous and "shizz happens" read more

Excited for Shiso Crispy's new addition brick and mortar location. This is located in Downtown St. Pete on Central Ave in the the Edge District. You can find it across the street from The Edge Eatery and a few doors down from TeBella Tea Company. When walking in from Central Ave. you will see the fun artsy interior of this new location. There's an ipad set up, but it is not being used as of when I visited. Make sure to head to the back and outside the back door and you will see their food truck and outside seating. This is where you order. I ordered lobster rangoon for a side and two Dirty Rice bowls - chicken and ahi tuna. These bowls are a good size full of quite a bit of rice and a nice portion of protein. They called my name, & I was able to take it inside. I loved everything about their new place. The only thing that drove me crazy was the loud music. It was headache inducing. But I still dealt with it. I think they may have lowered the music down. It was blaring while I ordered my food outside, & it was still loud inside. Oh well! I still like their food and their new St. Pete location, and everyone was super nice. I've been to their food truck when it was parked at a brewery in Dunedin, so i definitely looked forward to this opening, & and it did not disappoint. Make sure to check their Instagram in case they have specials for the day. When I went, they had $5 off Dirty Rice Bowls. read more

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We long the bang bang chicken! We have had this about 8-9 times. Always tastes good! Easy to order! Staff is always friendly! We haven't tried anything else from this restaurant. Reminder- this is a food truck in the back with a place to eat/sit inside or outside! read more

This place is a joke and the good reviews are dumbfounding. I got my food delivered - incredibly overpriced and NOT what you are advertising. Bang Bang Chicken Dirty Rice was literally white rice and a few cold nuggets with a tiny amount of glaze on it. It was a children's size plastic container. White dry ass non-seasoned rice *literally opposite* of what the dish is. Chicken was flavorless, barely any sauce at all. this is all gimmick and cute advertising - what an incredible rip off, save your money. read more

Today was my husband's and my first time visiting St. Petersburg, and our first stop was Shiso Crispy because we were excited to try it after hearing so many good things. Unfortunately, our experience was nothing like what we expected. When we arrived, there were no other customers or employees there. The only person present was an employee inside the food truck at the back of the store, and he was not in a great mood. Still, I mentioned that it was our first time there and even asked for his recommendations. We placed an order of about $52 and were genuinely looking forward to trying the food. After ordering, we waited outside for about five to six minutes when we suddenly began to hear shouting coming from the food truck. The employee was cursing loudly, slamming things, and yelling about Uber orders. At first, we tried to ignore it, but it escalated quickly. The screaming and banging became so aggressive that we no longer felt comfortable staying. We approached the employee and asked for a refund instead of the food. He refused, even though he had not yet started cooking, and kept insisting that he would still make our meals. My husband politely declined several times, but the employee would not stop and eventually told us to wait inside the establishment while he prepared the food. At that point, we felt so uncomfortable that we left without our food and without our money. Not only did we never get to try the food, but our first impression of both Shiso Crispy and St. Petersburg was ruined. Our visit was on Friday, August 15, at approximately 3:00 PM, and our order total was $52.43. I am appalled at the service we experienced here and cannot believe this is a place others recommend. We later found out there is a location near our hometown in Miami, but after this experience, we will never return or recommend Shiso Crispy to anyone. At the very least, we expect a refund for the order we never received. read more