Simon Kim, the CEO of Gracious Hospitality Management and restaurateur behind the beloved restaurant COTE, has opened a new fried chicken space named COQODAQ in Manhattan. Expanding his empire, Kim’s new concept welcomes a new idea for Korean fried chicken that celebrates quality, sustainability, and gluten-free ingredients, prepared by a world-class culinary team.
Simon Kim Headshot
The Rockwell Group designed the interior of COQODAQ, creating a daring and redefined dining experience that masterfully blends the influences of Korean and American culture, positioning the restaurant as a culinary adventure. Leading the kitchen is Executive Chef Seung Kyu (SK) Kim, who brings a decade of expertise working with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For COQODAQ, Chef Kim was inspired to take the simplicity of traditional fried chicken and infuse it with new flavors—some of which were introduced to him at a young age from an upbringing in Korean and American culture. Special for the menu, as well, are traditional pairings with chicken and pickled vegetables, which promotes harmonious flavors while aiding in better digestion. To hear how COQODAQ breaks barried of traditional dining with an elevated fine dining experience, Whitewall spoke with Kim.
Redefining Fried Chicken at COQODAQ
COQODAQ’s The Bucket List, Image provided by COQODAQ
WHITEWALL: COQODAQ was created out of a love for fried chicken. How did you embrace the classic dish and heighten the experience with elevated ingredients—like pasture-raised chicken, gluten-free batter, Zero Acre oil—and better drinks, including America’s largest champagne list with over 400 labels?
SIMON KIM: Fried chicken is one of the most widely loved foods. It’s such a wholesome dish, yet we as a civilization have progressed since the development of the dish. We wanted to take the dish and evolve it to the present with a focus on better birds, better batter, and better oil. What we’ve done is procure pasture-raised birds from Amish and Mennonite farms in Pennsylvania, raised with good intentions, good integrity, and part of regenerative agriculture. These birds are never ever given antibiotics and are air-chilled so that no flavor is lost via water dilution. We also focused on the batter, we recognized a lot of people have a diversion to gluten, so we created a batter that is completely gluten-free.
We also always hear about the negative qualities of seed oil, so we studied and tried many different oils and finally found a cultured oil that’s made from certified non-gmo sugarcane from Brazil – the sugarcane gets fermented, so it doesn’t have the negative inflammatory qualities of seed oil. Overall, we’re trying to do it better – better for the planet, better for you and it tastes better too. We took the most famous guilty pleasure and subtracted some of the guilt and of course, added the best pairing – champagne for our customers to drink alongside it.
“Overall, we’re trying to do it better—better for the planet, better for you and it tastes better, too,”
—Simon Kim
Wilo Cocktail courtesy of Evan Sung – COQODAQ
WW: What’s so special about fried chicken to you?
SK: For me, food is about sharing. At an early age, I learned the magic of food and its power to bring people together and spark joy. There are very few foods that bring people together like the cardinal enjoyment of fried chicken. There’s a special intimacy that fried chicken has. You eat it with family and close friends – it’s that special. As a Korean American, fried chicken has huge relevance to our culture and cuisine. Up until the Korean War, Koreans didn’t eat fried chicken, they boiled it and had a different way of cooking. The American soldiers in the US brought fried chicken into Korea during the war, and we loved it so much that Korea has the highest number of fried chicken restaurants per capita in the world. We have developed our own love, affection, and culture of eating fried chicken.
As a Korean American, it’s a perfect food and full circle moment. Korea adopted American fried chicken and then developed it into its own phenomenon and then I, as a Korean American, brought American fried chicken culture and Korean fried chicken together and brought it back to New York. It felt like it was meant to be.
“As a Korean American, it’s a perfect food and full circle moment,”
— Simon Kim
COQODAQ Bar, Courtesy of Jason Varney and COQODAQ
Casual Elegance Meets Culinary Excellence
WW: Tell us about the space—designed by Rockwell Group. What details inside stand out, and set the tone for a great dining space?
SK: Fried chicken is one of the most humble foods out there – I wanted to create a space where if you’re looking for something casual, it fits your bill because it’s fried chicken, but if you’re looking for something sexy and a bit fancier, it fits your bill because the space is beautiful and the food is of the highest quality and the champagne list is, in my humble opinion, as good as it gets. We have something for everyone. I wanted the space to look extremely elegant and refined, but not too stuffy, bright, or representative of fine dining. One of my favorite features at the restaurant is the ghost arches. We’ve all known and seen arches, but I like my dining room whole and didn’t want to chop it up – I like the energy flowing throughout the entire room, the conviviality and interaction. I also love arches, when you walk through them you feel the change of a space; It’s an immersive experience. So we paired these thoughts together to create a first of its kind – golden ghost arches that don’t separate the room and together it creates our cathedral of fried chicken.
A Fusion of Korean and American Flavors
Oysters Courtesy of Evan Sung – COQODAQ Food
WW: How does COQODAQ integrate both Korean and American influences, in its ambience and its menu?
SK: Koreans love eating pickled vegetables – kimchi, pickled radish, or celery – we love acidic and spicy things with our savory food. At COQODAQ our chicken is served with different banchans that balance out the richness of the fried chicken with the fibers and lightness. Korean food is very well balanced, so we tried to represent that throughout our menu. We have two types of glazes, soy sauce garlic which is very famous in Korean fried chicken chains, and a gochujang glaze, which is also widely used throughout Korean cuisine. We also have a culture of chimek in Korea, which is the pairing of beer and fried chicken. We took that philosophy but exchanged the beer with champagne. Champagne has carbonation, acidity, and elegance, and pairs better in this day and age with fried chicken than that in the past.
WW: What’s the perfect order?
SK: I would start with the golden nuggets – I just can’t pass up the opportunity to eat some caviar on top of a chicken nugget. It’s high-brow low-brow at its finest. You also have to try our Caesar salad – it is off the chain – there is lots of black pepper and instead of croutons, we have a crispy crown daisy, which has a nice aroma. Pair that with some champagne – my favorite is our Chavost by the glass. Those two starters are perfect because you don’t want to eat too much before you get into The Bucket List, which is our hero dish – two types of fried chicken, banchan, noodles, and dessert – it’s the perfect feast to share. We also have a chicken curry, which not many people know about – it’s the perfect dish to add to your order and share amongst your group. A secret tip is to add a fried egg on top – it’s delicious.
The Golden Nugget with Caviar, Courtesy of Evan Sung – COQODAQ Food
What’s Next for Simon Kim
WW: Since we last spoke, Gracious Hospitality Management has expanded. Tell us about your current portfolio, and what’s next.
SK: I am so grateful that our family is growing. Miami has been so incredible – the city has truly embraced us. Since then, we opened two restaurants in January. The first of course is COQODAQ, our brand new concept which took four years of preparation and has been an incredible and aggressive second sibling to COTE. Then a couple of weeks later we opened COTE Singapore, which is our first COTE location outside of the US – we really wanted to bring the fun of New York and Miami to Singapore.
As for what’s next, we are working on a project at 550 Madison Avenue which will open in the second half of 2025. It’s the most ambitious project Gracious Hospitality Management has ever taken on and in one of the most iconic buildings in Manhattan and such a landmark destination. Spanning thousands of square feet, it’s three concepts across three different floors. The mezzanine will have an elevated sushi concept from Chef Yoshitake, straight from Ginza, Japan, our main level will feature an all-day multi-bar dining concept that has never been seen like this before in NYC, and of course, cannot forget our second COTE Korean Steakhouse location in NYC. As a New Yorker and restaurant professional – the grandiose of the space, the number of concepts, the team involved, especially Chef Yoshitake coming from Japan, which is a first of its kind, and David Rockwell’s design – I am beyond excited to bring this to life.
COQODAQ Cocktail, Alaska Martini, Courtesy of Evan Sung
WW: Recently, you opened COTE Singapore, your first outpost outside of the U.S. Tell us about this. Why Singapore? What’s that space/menu like? Any differences from the ones in NY and Miami?
SK: When I first visited, I realized what a hub Singapore is. It has Chinese culture, Indian culture, and all of South East Asia – Thailand and Vietnam. It’s the New York of the East. It’s extremely clean, safe and is still considered a rising city – you could almost look at it as the new Hong Kong. I loved all the aspects of the city. It’s primed for its golden age if it’s not already in it. COTE felt like a perfect fit to be a torchbearer to bring fun dining to Singapore. Singapore is also a city that values quality ingredients and that is something that is at our core at COTE. The understanding and appreciation of food are incredibly high, so we wanted to bring something fun, but also a huge focus on quality ingredients, beverages, and hospitality.
I also couldn’t have done this without the support of Mrs. Christina Ong (who I was introduced to by Chef Jean-Georges). When I first met Mrs. Ong and learned about COMO Group and her vision for COMO Orchard, it felt like the stars aligned. The concept is still COTE at its core but we’ve brought some unique elements, like a cigar lounge, a live music room, and a DJ in the bar. We’ve also introduced a few specialty menu items to embrace the city and it’s been great to watch people experience it for the first time.
WW: We’re celebrating New York Art Week. For those in town who have never been to one of your restaurants, where do you recommend them starting? Ordering?
SK: I think COTE is a really mature restaurant and I am proud of the art collection we have. I work with my sister and her company, ARTLINE. We have a humble and exciting collection of Tracey Emin and Barbara Kruger. It’s been amazing to see this art interact with a Korean Steakhouse – the dark vibe, the music – it’s such a treat. I would recommend checking out COTE first and then making sure you go down to Undercote and experience that tranquility with cocktails. Once you know you like what I do, then definitely come to COQODAQ – it’s my sophomore project, so to see that development and the evolution of the eras is fun. If you’re into art hopefully you can appreciate the progression. Reservations might be hard, but you can walk into COQODAQ and the wait shouldn’t be too long!
Wine Room Courtesy of Jason Varney and COQODAQ
WW: When you’re not at one of your spaces, where do you personally like to eat/drink?
SK: I have always been a fan of the Don Angie team – I recently went to San Sabino and loved it. It’s also cool to see what they are doing at Bangkok Supper Club and of course, Sushi Noz and Noz Market are some of my go-to’s. In terms of places I want to try, Kisa, which just recently opened, is top of my list.
WW: What are you working on now/next/this summer? (Hamptons delivery service again??)
SK: We have a lot in the works that I can’t wait to share with everyone, but at COQODAQ, we’re working on our patio. Eating fried chicken on a porch sounds so fitting to me and that’s part of the reason why I got this space. Our garage doors are opening, and the patio is available to drink some champagne and eat fried chicken – I can’t wait to see our customers embrace it.
