People, my people! I hope the holiday weekend made you rise up or pass over time with friends and family. Perhaps I inspired a visit for a viral All’Antico Venaio sando from last week’s column. Either way, these spring buds are giving me life again!
The viral hits don’t stop this week as I regale you with not one, but two visits to NYC’s new(ish) fried chicken obsession and the home of the most expensive and excessive bites, Coqodaq (12 East 22nd Street, Manhattan). From the restaurateur of the celebrated, Michelin-starred, and award-winning COTE Korean Steakhouse, Simon Kim has created a high-end Korean fried chicken joint that has the cats jumping for joy.
The benefits of having dined at Coqodaq (pronounced co-co-dack) twice, other than feeling freer to take better photos with a flash, are getting to try different items on the menu and getting into their varied beverage program of bubbles, wines, beers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options too. Coqodaq is a “the more the merrier” type of vibe, so my first visit with just three people growing to my Fab 5 crew of childhood friends, left no crumbs on the table … literally.
Kysha Harris photos
On the first trip, I got to try Coqodaq’s viral, and trademarked, The Golden Nugget that is topped with varying types of caviar or seasonal truffle ($16-$30 per nug). They sold this concept at last year’s US Open as a cheeky $100 box with six nuggets, Petrossian caviar, creme fraiche, and a mother-of-pearl spoon. This year, McDonald’s created a similar limited edition box for Valentine’s Day that sold out immediately. Yes, the nug was good. Worth it? That’s up to you.
There are other great starters at Coqodaq, like their doused in a blizzard of parm, whole-leaf Caesar salad with nori croutons (this is a MUST for Caesar lovers), but you are there for their “better fried chicken” — ethically sourced and meticulously prepared. Yes, it’s time to check off The Bucket List (also trademarked).
For $46 per person, guests begin the journey with the most delicious pasture-raised chicken consommé ever known to mankind (yes, I said it) before getting a bucket of the Coqodaq original fried chicken (with varied house-made sauces) and a platter of soy-garlic glazed and/or goghujang glazed fried chicken with the obligatory Korean ban-chan of bright pickled vegetables. Separately, we added sides of cole slaw, spicy tteokbokki (rice cakes), and beef tallow fried french fries.
Also included in The Bucket List, once the hen has flown the coop, comes the cold perilla seed noodle. I didn’t appreciate this in my first visit to Coqodaq because I hadn’t been to that wicked good tasting at Lysée yet. Finally, the sweet-tart ending of house-made soft serve frozen yogurt with passion fruit coulis cleans the palette and you are sent off into the world … without your hair or your clothes smelling like you were bellied up to the fryer.
Gamsahabnida Coqodaq!
Thanks for reading and happy eating!
Kysha Harris is a chef, food writer, and editor, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 23 years. Follow her on Instagram, @SCHOPnyc and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc.
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