How New York’s Most Popular Fried Chicken Restaurant Was Created - Mise En Place

Can you turn fried chicken into a fine dining dish? That's what restaurateur Simon Kim and chef SK Kim are betting on as they open Coqodaq, their new Korean fried chicken restaurant in NYC. Seven years after opening Cote, the first Michelin-starred Korean barbecue restaurant, Simon and SK are trying to replicate their success with fried chicken. Follow the duo from the test kitchen, where the chefs perfect their frying methods, to their soft opening, where they served the signature $38 fried chicken bucket with Korean banchan, condiments, and noodles.
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Credits:
Producer: Daniel Geneen
Directors: Daniel Geneen, Murilo Ferreira
Camera: Murilo Ferreira, Nick Mazzocchi
Editor: Christian Moreno
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Supervising Producer, Operations: Stefania Orrù
Supervising Producer, Development: Gabriella Lewis
Audience Engagement: Frances Dumlao
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For more episodes of 'Mise En Place', click here: trib.al/yMbuEJg
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[@eater]

Thanks for watching! Head over to Instagram to follow along with the team! Simon instagram.com/simonkimnyc, Chef SK Instagram.com/chefskkim, and the restaurant at instagram.com/coqodaq.

[@Carrott119]

“Too out there” aka let’s remove as much alcohol so the guest feel like drinking juice 😮 ayeee cash money 🤑

[@Skiskiski]

I want to see him go up agaist Honey Kettle Chicken, and the winner goes up against Bobby Flay!

[@andresjflores7517]

On my way to a 20pc at McDonald’s and hit the liquor store for champagne!!

[@anthonyprose4965]

lol

[@papagen00]

cheaper chicken and golden arch

[@spicysealion-et8kf]

Just 5 bucks on the app lol

[@dextersmithbsee]

Exactly 💯

[@Aeybiseediy]

But g-side supporter😢

[@ArielK1987]

I hope EATER and the crew behind Mise En Place make more videos of restaurant making a debut. And see what really goes on at the restaurant. Such as this video we see today.

[@damnitschris_]

It would be hard for them to time the process depending on when they get a hold of a place opening. The restaurants that get featured basically have a ad that reaches the world. This place was lucky since the owners were already featured.

[@TLC673]

I really recommend Gordon Ramsey's Boiling Point, the whole thing is on KZbin and is a documentary about the lead up to his new restaurant opening + attempting a 3rd Micheline star

[@dojisatchivi1664]

hard agree with OP

[@evenmoreevil]

The owner has the voice of a mob boss

[@victory01]

Seriously, he would make a great villain in a gangster movie.

[@schmithjagen7228]

10mil for chicken restaurant bussiness? Sounds like money laundry to me 😂

[@miryeongk]

'coz native New Yorker from Queens, LOL

[@victory01]

@@miryeongk It's not just the voice, it's his demeaner and mannerisms as well. The way he carries himself, humble yet confident. The Korean Frank Lucas lol

[@ykx777]

@@schmithjagen7228 manhattan rent aint cheap

[@jameskwon7617]

How nerve wracking is it to be having a taste test with Chef Keller? I mean, it's not like he knows nothing about fried chicken (i.e., his famous fried chicken at Ad Hoc).

[@brettstaley3730]

I worked at cote, Thomas was there frequently and would always come to the kitchen and hang out after service. He’s a god in the chef world but they are all really cool with him it isn’t as bad when you actually know the guy

[@BurnzThatDude]

​@brettstaley3730 that's pretty cool you worked there

[@DiegoMartinez-xg1en]

the ad hoc chicken is so good, blessed to be in napa valley and go there frequently 🙏

[@bcma9144]

@@brettstaley3730is the owner as chill at he seems in the video ? And how are the chefs ?

[@brettstaley3730]

@@bcma9144 Simon is awesome he really isn’t involved in the kitchen besides prices and tasting things. SK is phenomenal and chef David who is in charge of all the locations is amazing to work for as well.

[@usamaepekonis]

It's refreshing to see a mise en place video where the restaurant is not an already established place, because we get to see the prep and planning that it takes to open a restaurant, the uncertainty and hope the chef's have for the restaurant

[@raytran6400]

I've been to Cote in NYC before and it was one of the best dining experience that I ever had. Food and service was top notch. Definitely have to try this place next time.

[@shadowremorse]

simon is a true businessman, his goal to make a better product for value proposition instead of cutting quality and slapping a face value on it, respect

[@bubbaritz83]

Simon Kim gave off SUCH CREEP vibes (aka Asian Trump)! “Doesn’t this arch look sexy”. And if he calls that woman, “a girl” one more time!!🤦🏼‍♂️

[@brucelee5576]

“ the market is always there” Simon is a beast

[@Druggid]

I love seeing how much time and energy went into testing the chicken recipes. Hearing the chef be humbled by trying to perfect fried chicken was very satisfying and showed his respect for the dish and those that prepare it. I absolutely will pay more for a better product; more restaurants should hyper-focus on perfecting a very small list of dishes. The 50+ item menus we see at too many establishments are a setup for mediocre food.

[@RizaldoMullings]

With this being a New York restaurant and the way Mr. Kim was talking about people paying more for fried chicken, I thought the prices were about to be ridiculous. But a $38 for a bucket that feeds two isn’t bad at all.

[@Galactic123]

I was about to say, for fine dining in NYC that's fairly reasonable. When an 8-piece bucket of KFC goes for like $24 in NYC nowadays.

[@firstnamesurname2210]

I checked the menu on their website, the $38 is per person apparently

[@elith6930]

@@firstnamesurname2210lmao, that changes a lot. Though, also, it’s a chicken meal for two, with sides and such. But still. There goes the “value.”

[@karengarrison4237]

Right, KFC is $40.00 a bucket

[@yanied9646]

Honestly since it's NYC, even 38 dollars per person would be reasonable, I think.

[@byshagi]

Simon is a true Operator , can't wait to try this

[@jojotwice8918]

nice to see sk elevated to head chef in this restaurant. remember seeing him in the cote episode making kimchi

[@sng1867]

I watched the Cote video as well, and Simon is a great leader. He has great communications skills to listen, mediate, and take decisive actions when dealing between his staff, customers, and challenges. He sets the bar high, but he never pushes, rather he helps and guides his staff to achieve those expectations.

[@akuhappy3246]

i download that episode

[@kungalex]

I've been to COTE and everything was amazing. So cool to meet Sondre aswell since we are from Norway and he gave some really good drink and a tour inside COTE. Now i have to save up and go to New York again, to eat some fried chicken 🤣

[@TheNinjaMarmot]

Korean Fried Chicken never disappoints.

[@ygx8305]

It can, these guys did exactly that. They went way too far

[@BestSomebodyNA]

You know you're doing something right when both of your top end restaurants have their own Mise en Place episodes, with the first being in the millions of views category. Congratulations! 🎉

[@flytothemoon50]

12:50 I like how they fancy a.f but still use bamboo strainer like grandma does. 😂

[@mattymattffs]

He's gonna hate that arch once an led goes

[@fluke196c]

each one of those arches is probably 150k, the LEDs won't be overdriven like cheap chinese junk

[@mattymattffs]

@@fluke196c I've learned the hard way that none of that can be trusted.

[@Beni_Hana]

Oh for sure but he’s a businessman, he’ll adjust.

[@drdre4397]

​@@mattymattffs with the money they got, it doesn't matter.

[@DSmith-gs4tr]

The drive, passion, commitment, and attention to detail of the entire team is incredible. I absolutely love it. For someone like me for whom fried chicken is the holy grail, I'd gladly pay more for what they are dishing up.

[@drfamswizzle7947]

This restaurant owner is great and SK, too. You can really see their passion

[@jolzzz7371]

A restaurant manager with the utmost respect and support for his team is what we love to see 🙌

[@anmol.713]

The scream at 7:53 caught me off guard 🤣🤣🤣

[@cheyne1752]

😭 what even was that

[@hautecheetoes]

Fr

[@MERKINMERICAN]

😂

[@deedumeday518]

HAHAHAHA ikr wtf?

[@3973555]

"Hueuuuggh😫"

[@erikaleonard2848]

Man the level of stress and pressure to cook for Mr Keller, wow! No ty! But dude was flawless despite his nerves 😮😮😊

[@joesmith3829]

He said they have been cooking chicken for 14 months for some 8 hours a day, with some much passion and effort it’s no wonder it’s good

[@Samurai78420]

For real tho, lol. Chef Kellar would never invest unless these guys were on to something special. Simon is crushing life and so are his Chefs. I'm a Chef, and This 'Mise en Place' series is just nerd-food for me, lol. I wish there were more of them.

[@40950999]

Serving food to Thomas Keller is like presenting a battle strategy to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

[@papagen00]

what does Keller know about fried chicken? he serves roast chicken in his restaurants.

[@40950999]

@@papagen00you never went to Ad Hoc 😂

[@Hammerhead547]

Or discussing how to build a race car with enzo ferrari.

[@Watchcollecterzzz]

I’ve worked with TK as we call him and he’s a down to earth guy - he is passionate about food and so engaging!

[@livingmyselfinthehouse]

@@papagen00 Keller has Ad hoc, no?

[@0mike.caulfield0]

Super cool team and project.

[@EarthenVegan]

Congratulations to Simon and the whole team.

[@galaxy_brain]

I love Simon Kim - an honest example of how money *can* be a potent motivator to produce quality innovation.

[@brettstaley3730]

I worked at cote Miami and SK is an amazing person I’m happy he got this position. And Thomas Keller is a super cool guy he would come to the kitchen when dining there

[@probablynotleo4340]

So happy to see the boys from COTE spreading their wings on other cuisines. Simon and his team are truly amazing people, best wishes to them.

[@kennysetiabudi6575]

Spreading their wings. I see what u did there.

[@user-zlxelaZz]

Not to their employees and it's apparent in the video *HURRY UP!" or I'm proud to make him work 6 days & 14hrs/day but pulled him to the side and told him maybe this isn't for you? Zero respect

[@probablynotleo4340]

@@user-zlxelaZz You underestimate an Asian's determination to achieve greatness. I'm willing to be that his employees will happily work in those conditions just to make the restaurant great.

[@GeorgeKuruvilla]

“If you can’t bite it off with your teeth, you bite it off with your gum.” - Simon…chills went down by spine 😅

[@awwa8923]

this guy really loves his handshakes and dap ups 😂😂

[@CAM941]

I wonder why??? Fried Chicken huhhhh

[@awwa8923]

@@CAM941 at first I was confused by your comment, but now I think I get it.. do you suggest this is some sort of money laundering front?

[@hy8399]

@@awwa8923 he's being stupid

[@mishtrology]

Adding this to the top of my list now!!

[@dryagehk]

Everything about this is one of my goals

[@marca4443]

Ew

[@dryagehk]

ur one sub is ew@@marca4443

[@mohammedCIAO]

Eater has inspired me to open my own bubble tea shop

[@PassiveAgressive319]

That’s lovely. Congrats😊

[@SoulsOnly]

I love how he emphasizes that in a fried chicken place, the cocktails have to be smashable, not complex xD

[@KenChiwo]

It's definitely a BIG bet. But $38 for bucket of fried chicken, done well, isn't bad! Hopefully people will order those bottles of champagne to keep them alive. The perfect fried chicken doesn't exist in America, just like the perfect pasta or pizza in Italy. Hopefully they do well, but selling only fried chicken to guests, after spending $10m on this place...If Cote wasn't a success, I doubt the investors would have invested.

[@maxxyang3723]

KFC, popeyes, and other similar fast chicken places already charge $25+ for a standard bucket. This is impressive pricing for a "fine-dining" establishment.

[@thephore]

I think the real money is in the champagne list

[@doc-vg9lq]

they looked kind of small in a small bucket tho.

[@hy8399]

@@doc-vg9lq korean fried chicken is usually made with chicken grown without external hormones given.

[@andylee6147]

@@maxxyang3723just because u platted nice doesn’t mean it’s fine dinning

[@richardf6932]

The colonel would be proud.... This is taking a comfort food to the highest level.

[@USMCRonin]

I really like this team. The approach to customer satisfaction is very noticeable.

[@arancourt5623]

Still one of the best managers I've seen in a restaurant environment. Simon knows his crew, knows their vision and skills, and rather than slam his fist down and say no, he takes a step back and gives slight limitations that seem minor, but affect the guests' experience more. Simon has vision and skill, and he knows how to use every tool at his disposal to make his restaurants succeed.

[@AllDayBikes]

0:17 I remember you guys' video of Cote like 2 yers ago, nice.

[@naominguyen8784]

5 line cooks in that amount of space in the frying station seems very tight though

[@elations]

Dude seems like a nice guy but also super intense and knows exactly what he wants.

[@grahamsong4585]

I thought it was going to be priced outrageously. But all the side dishes and chicken included $38? That's really good. In Australia my KFC order is more than that

[@XroorX]

Thomas Keller: “this $20 chicken nugget needs more cowbell”

[@tkilla1202]

Chicken skin in the nuggets "Add more fat!" 😂

[@farhahxoxo]

this got me craving for korean fried chicken

[@worldwidewashington]

That was amazing

[@JoseRodriguez-zj2mt]

Just the confidence of saying believing outside the box for success said a lot

[@lbkmumma]

The boss feels like a true leader.

[@marca4443]

You must think the same of Elmer Fudd

[@christianvilla11]

Impressive!

[@high.steaks]

All the hard work really shows when dining there. Best chicken ever

[@binwin2582]

That chicken looks so good

[@hbtan9841]

This guy is a real showman.

[@justjane2070]

Great video. Very interesting. One thing that has absolutely nothing to do with anything is that I hate the new fashion of men’s jackets being too small !😂

[@georgewbushcenterforintell147]

I looked up the menu its actually ptetty small and the price is not bad for 40 $ u get korean soup a bucket of chicken korean sides and ice cream . The Chicken nuggets are 3.50 each but if u feel like spending more you can get a single chicken nugget with 18 or 24k gold topped with trout roe. The also sell caviar by the Oz or the whole tin .

[@IDiggPattyMayonnaise]

Theres always someone willing to open a wildly expensive fine dining version of something accessible. Of all places in the US, I'd bet good or even excellent K fried chicken is easy to find in NYC. But the clientele is definitely there for any price point

[@corgeousgeorge]

Gotta admit, those drumsticks hitting the display pan after cooking? Looks like it came from a cartoon show it's so perfect looking. I mean. The work that goes into making perfect fried chicken is no joke! This place has a lot of masculine energy tho lol.

[@saroshrizvi2498]

38 per person is a damn good price. U get an appetizer, salad, noodles, the bucket, and dessert to finish.

[@kayflip2233]

In NYC it's all about experiences and being seen at the hottest spot. Simon knows all about this.

[@sethsoderman5152]

Also, the shops taken the chance to meet his holidays dream for the next restaurant.That's always what you need to skip on balling your dream

[@FourCornersCoffee]

Blessing to Yaaaaa!!! This joint tooooo FIREEEEEE!! SALUTE G!

[@markoenrico2684]

If you close your eyes when listening to owner talking you would think its the Rock Dwayne Johnston talking about chickens

[@sigeliu4256]

The owner is impressive, I watched his interview when he was talking about his korean barbecue restaurant. I think that's gonna work. Even the idea is really risky. 😊

[@troibltn3535]

lemme tell you, this was arguably the best fried chicken I’ve ever had!

[@YungRamo]

This feels like culinary sophistry to me.

[@Dulc3B00kbyBrant0n]

CRUSHABLE

[@salvadorescobar202]

What an absolute pleasure it would be to work for Mr. Simon Kim!! Man really gets it, knows the acknowledgement it takes from the top to the very bottom of his team to make a successful business and always with class and grace. Cote is still on my list for the next NYC visit. Thanks for this one Eater!! 🙏🏽

[@leeannmussatt2080]

Its reputation preceded itself, so not surprised it’s booked for at least a month after opening

[@RestaurantLaunch]

When breaking down those chickens you guys should really put the hotel pans on top of another hotel pan with ice or ice packs inside. Keeps it fresher while getting prepped at room temp.

[@TeamPerry5]

Amazing artistry. The restaurant and the filming/videography!

[@davidhunternyc1]

Nothing can beat the Colonel's secret 11 herbs and spices.

[@IrwinMFletcher]

Owner taking credit for chef ability - typical.

[@barryseawright6727]

All these wackass chinese places and they frying chicken. Wtf

[@nathan0717]

Investor vs owner dynamic. It’s crazy to see how that works out.

[@EmmanuelQuarm-lp1de]

Can’t wait to try Unami for the first time

[@gilbertoalmeida7720]

this man is crazy , he needs someone more personable in his team

[@mrfeather2732]

Korean fried chicken would sweep this entire operation under half a rug.

[@kazihassan3836]

This is Korean fried chicken.

[@ryanward1606]

Genius marketing video They show Thomas Keller a beloved 3 Michelin star chef as an investor and taste tester to boost the confidence of the guest that it will be perfect. They show the opening video on Eater one of the most popular food channels on KZbin to get the word and hype up. All said food looks great and this video will drum up so much hype

[@SoulfulSmokie]

I would love to have tried this dinner. Everything looks delicious.

[@HizzHyness]

Very inspiring

[@joharyadam6671]

Love this. I'm inspired!

[@usd500]

This is a good One time try then back to the regular priced Korean fried chicken

[@josequintero7250]

Right? Bet like 3 nuggets are 45 dollars or something lol

[@firstnamesurname2210]

@@josequintero7250 You're not missing by a lot actually lol, chicken nugget with roe is $16 / piece and the one with caviar is $28 / piece

[@wtsang1]

I hope they come up with a fried chicken sandwich I will then goto Coqodaq when they have it on the menu.

[@tylerw.9100]

I'll take a bucket to go, please.

[@stpdtwnk]

IS THAT CAVIAR IN A MACDONALDS -ESQED SAUCE TUB 5:17

[@kamotetops1572]

12:30 - 13:43 How to double/triple fry a Korean Fried Chicken. (leaving this as a reference for me)

[@jjslater83]

that bucket list meal aint even that crazy expensive for what u get $38. looks good af,

[@drskelebone]

Me, looking at that arch: Dang. I hope those are all LEDs, because having one segment conk out is going to look bad, and replacing a bulb in that has to be a nightmare.

[@Webstaurantstore]

Is that a WebstaurantStore measuring cup I see? 👀😁

[@sg214]

Every chef in that kitchen aspired to work at McDonald's someday

[@omefea8501]

The menu on the website looks fantastic. Good job.

[@42sonja]

Something about this chef dude trying nuggets reminds me of the breaking bad scene

[@brentanllewellyn3898]

Simon is a man of vision. Best of luck to your restaurant.

[@culpablecruz]

Spending $ on Stuff like the custom glass arch… no wonder so many restaurants go out of business

[@Hiltonology]

Y'all just could of come to my grandma's house and bought her recipe for 10 million and saved yourselves all of the trial and error.

[@bosilokal7608]

The fried chicken with turmeric is like Chowking fastfood fried chicken

[@user-ut4cg3mz5u]

Open one in Las Vegas!

[@AntMitts8035]

Simon Kim has opened his own los Pollos hermanos with 10million in Meth seed money lmao seriously the part where they are doing the nugget tasting is just like the scene in breaking bad and the guy looks just like Mr schuler 😂😂😂 im just playing tho Simon is an inspiration this man GRINDS and the fruits of his labor speak for themselves

[@realitytruth-zk4mz]

Very fancy for fast food restaurant.