A Unique Start
For a moment, I felt a bit lost. Did I walk into a bathroom by mistake? The door outside had no sign, so it was hard to tell.
But no, this was COQODAQ, a new Korean-American fried chicken restaurant by Simon Kim, who is also behind the MICHELIN-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse in Flatiron. Right when I entered, I saw three black sinks with Hermès hand soap—because when you’re about to eat finger food topped with caviar, clean hands are a must.
The Atmosphere
The restaurant is huge—almost 8,000 square feet—with space for 190 people. The dining area has green booths and glowing arches that make it feel warm and welcoming. A long 18-seat bar stretches across the restaurant, where bartender Sondre Kasin (from COTE and Undercote) mixes “coqtails”—drinks that include both classic cocktails and tea-based creations. One of the drinks, called the Boricha, is made with watermelon juice, coconut water, barley, and whiskey. It’s refreshing and pairs well with the food. If you don’t have a reservation, there are four high-top tables in the front for walk-ins.
Champagne, Fried Chicken, and More
After sitting in my booth, I was given an iPad with a list of Champagnes—the largest in America, curated by Victoria James, who also created the wine list at COTE. COQODAQ offers 600 different bottles, with 400 of them being Champagnes, ranging from rare Selosse to a 1985 Krug.
Even though the pairings are fancy, COQODAQ is still affordable. You can enjoy a set menu for $38, crafted by former Jean-Georges chef Seung Kyu Kim. But you could also spend more if you want—like $4 for oysters or $68 for the raw bar’s tartare trio, which includes ocean trout with truffle soy sauce, spicy tuna, and amberjack with a citrusy yuja flavor. For those wanting to splurge, you can get Beluga caviar for $208 an ounce.
The menu is thoughtfully designed so that everyone can find something they like, whether they are on a budget or want to spend more.
The Fried Chicken
The main dish at COQODAQ is fried chicken, with other small plates to go along with it. If you order the set menu, called “The Bucket List,” you have one main choice to make: do you want the savory soy sauce garlic glaze, or the sweeter and spicier gochujang glaze made from fermented Korean chili paste?
The first serving of fried chicken arrived quickly, in a COQODAQ-branded gray ceramic bucket. Much of the tableware was designed by Jono Pandolfi, a famous ceramic artist. Chef SK (Seung Kyu Kim) shared that he and his team tried over 50 different fried chicken brands and chickens from farms across the U.S. before finding the perfect one. They use free-range Amish chickens from Pennsylvania that are fed a vegetable diet and are hormone- and antibiotic-free.
The chicken is brined for 24 hours, then coated in a mixture of rice flour, cayenne pepper, and ginger powder, and fried multiple times. This gives the chicken a thick, crispy shell while keeping it juicy on the inside. Just make sure you have plenty of napkins!
The chicken comes with traditional Korean side dishes, called banchan, like sweet pickled radish and savory pickled celery. There are also four mini bottles of sauces for dipping: honey mustard, pepper-Parmesan, gochujang barbecue, and a verde sauce with Thai chili and lime.
The Second Round and Sides
Just as I picked up my second piece of chicken, the next round arrived. This time, the chicken was served on a glossy black plate, coated in the glaze I had chosen. Then came the side dishes. I hope you ordered the mac and cheese—it has a nostalgic taste, reminiscent of Velveeta, thanks to a secret cheese blend that includes American cheese. The tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes) are also a great choice, covered in a spicy red chili sauce. If you love hot sauce, try dipping your chicken into the sauce.
To balance out the rich food, cold noodles sprinkled with perilla seeds help cleanse the palate, and for dessert, tangy lemon frozen yogurt with blueberry sauce ends the meal on a light note.
Not Your Usual Fried Chicken Spot
COQODAQ is not your typical fried chicken place. The team here is doing things differently, even with the oil they use for frying. Chef SK uses oil made from fermented sugarcane, provided by Zero Acre Farms, a start-up. This oil is healthier because it is 90% monounsaturated fat and heat-stable.
Sustainability is also important to Kim and his team. They work with a local company called Peat/Afterlife Mushrooms to recycle food waste. They also use special fryers that filter the oil to make it last longer, and when the oil is no longer usable, it gets turned into biodiesel fuel.
A New Kind of Fried Chicken
“I love fried chicken,” says Simon Kim, explaining why he opened COQODAQ. He also saw a chance to make fried chicken better—tastier, healthier, and more environmentally friendly.
COQODAQ takes the classic comfort food of fried chicken and gives it a Korean-American twist. But it’s about more than just great chicken, caviar, and Champagne. It’s about finding ways to make things better without sacrificing flavor. It’s about improving one of the most beloved comfort foods in the world, making it better for people and better for the planet.
Can it be done? COQODAQ is certainly giving it a try.