COQODAQ

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The name says it all — or rather, sounds it all. COQODAQ is an onomatopoeia used with young children in Korea, roughly equivalent to "cock-a-doodle-doo," and it sets the tone for everything that follows: playful, rooted in Korean culture, and completely serious about its subject matter. Located on East 22nd Street in the Flatiron district, the restaurant has built its identity around a single, focused mission — delivering what it calls Better Fried Chicken.

The Concept

COQODAQ doesn't chase perfection. As the team puts it, "we obsess over the pursuit," believing that the real goal is sparking joy for everyone who walks through the door. That pursuit takes the form of Korean-American fried chicken served with Champagne — a pairing rooted in Korean drinking culture, where bubbly beverages alongside fried chicken are a long-standing tradition. The bright acidity and persistent bubbles cut through the richness of the bird, cleansing the palate between bites. It's a logic so sound that Wine Spectator recognized COQODAQ with its Best of Award of Excellence in 2024, a testament to the seriousness behind the sparkling wine program.

The Bucket List™

Executive Chef SK Kim's signature offering is The Bucket List™ — a structured feast at $52 per person that moves through a warm Pasture-Raised Chicken Consommé, a selection of Ban-Chan (pickled seasonal vegetables and scallion salad), a Savory Egg Soufflé, and two rounds of fried chicken: the COQODAQ Original alongside either a Soy-Garlic Glaze or a Gochujang Glaze. The meal closes with Cold Perilla Seed Noodles and Soft Serve Frozen Yogurt with seasonal fruit. It is Korean-American cooking with a clear point of view — structured like a tasting, priced like a night out.

Beyond the Bird

The menu extends well past the chicken. The Golden Nugget™ arrives in three versions — with ocean trout roe, Golden Daurenki caviar, or seasonal truffle. A raw bar offers East and West Coast oysters, Petrossian Beluga hybrid caviar, and Bluefin Tuna Tartare with Calabrian chili soy sauce. Sides lean into Korean pantry staples: Spicy Tteokbokki, Chicken Guksu (a piping hot Korean chicken noodle soup), and a Gochugaru chicken curry over rice.

The Bubbles

The beverage list reads like a love letter to Champagne. By-the-glass pours run from a $27 Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blancs to a $100 glass of 2006 Louis Roederer Cristal. A COQODAQ house selection — the Gaston Chiquet Collection, chosen by the team and bottled exclusively for the restaurant — is available in 375ml baby bottles for those who want more than a single glass but haven't committed to a full bottle. The list earned its Wine Spectator recognition honestly.