Coqodaq Korean Fried Chicken Nuggets (Rice Flour Double-Fry with Sweet Gochujang Glaze)
Prep time: 30 min active (+ 8–24 hr brine) Cook time: 30 min Servings: 4
Coqodaq in the Flatiron District opened in January 2024 and became one of Manhattan’s hardest reservations within months. Simon Kim — the restaurateur behind Cote Korean Steakhouse, the world’s first Michelin-starred Korean BBQ — dedicated this 100-seat restaurant entirely to Korean fried chicken. The name is 꼬꼬댁, the Korean phonetic rendering of a rooster’s crow. The restaurant holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The “Bucket List” set menu costs $38 per person.
The chicken itself has three distinguishing techniques: a 24-hour brine that seasons the meat all the way through, an exclusively rice flour coating that produces a thinner and more shatteringly crisp crust than wheat flour, and a double-fry — first at 325°F to cook the chicken through, then at 375°F after a 5-minute rest to set the coating to glass. At the restaurant, they fry in Zero Acre Farms cultured sugarcane oil, which has a very high smoke point and a clean neutral flavor. At home, avocado oil is the closest substitute. The signature sweet gochujang glaze is tossed onto the chicken immediately after the second fry, while the chicken is at its hottest, so the sauce flash-sets into a lacquer rather than soaking into the crust. A dinner at Coqodaq runs $50 to $100 per person with drinks. This recipe feeds four for about $18.
The Two Techniques Worth Understanding
Why rice flour instead of all-purpose flour
Rice flour is almost pure starch with minimal gluten. It absorbs less moisture than wheat flour during frying, which means the coating stays drier as it cooks and produces a thinner, more uniform shell. The result is audible: a properly done rice flour crust shatters when you bite through it rather than tearing. Wheat flour produces a thicker, chewier, more bready coating. At Coqodaq, the rice flour also makes the chicken naturally gluten-free — a practical menu benefit and a defining texture choice.
The baking powder in the dredge serves a secondary function: it produces a small amount of carbon dioxide when it contacts the moisture on the chicken surface, which creates micro-bubbles in the coating as it fries. Those bubbles set and expand the coating slightly, giving it a slightly more open, crackly texture than plain rice flour alone.
Why the double-fry works
In the first fry at 325°F, heat drives the raw moisture out of the chicken meat through the coating. Some of this steam escapes through the outer crust; some gets trapped just inside the surface, leaving the coating slightly soft and steamed from the inside. During the 5-minute rest, that trapped steam distributes evenly and the coating stabilizes. In the second fry at 375°F — now only 2 to 3 minutes — the remaining trapped moisture vaporizes rapidly. The coating contracts, crisps, and sets to a hard, crackling structure. The high temperature also produces significantly more Maillard browning in those 2 minutes than the gentler first fry produced in 7 minutes. Skip the rest period between fries and the second fry just overheats chicken that is already done without producing the texture improvement — the steam hasn’t had time to redistribute.
Cost Comparison: Coqodaq vs. At Home
| Coqodaq (set menu) | Homemade (4 servings) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bucket List prix fixe | $38/person | — |
| Dinner with drinks | $50–100/person | — |
| Full batch (4 servings) | $200–400 (group of 4) | ~$18 |
| Per serving | $50–100 | ~$4.50 |
The luxury upgrades — a caviar-topped nugget around $28, Champagne pairings — are genuinely fun if you can get a reservation. This version focuses on the fried chicken itself and the core technique.
The Sweet Gochujang Glaze: What’s In It
The gochujang sauce served at Coqodaq is a yangnyeom-style glaze — the classic Korean fried chicken sauce format — built around fermented chili paste. The underlying structure used by almost every serious Korean fried chicken restaurant:
- Gochujang (base flavor: fermented heat, umami, sweet depth)
- Soy sauce (salt, umami)
- Honey or rice syrup (sweetness, gloss)
- Rice vinegar (acid balance)
- Brown sugar (deeper sweetness, Maillard browning when it hits the hot chicken)
- Fresh garlic (aromatic punch)
- Sesame oil (nuttiness, finish)
- Butter (restaurant-style gloss and richness)
The butter is the professional kitchen addition — it gives the sauce a slightly glossy finish that sets on the hot chicken surface. Without it, the sauce is still good but looks and feels slightly thinner on the finished chicken.
Soy Garlic Sauce: The Non-Spicy Version
The soy garlic preparation is Coqodaq’s other signature — the option for diners who want deeply savory without the gochujang heat. It is sweeter and stickier than the gochujang version, with garlic as the dominant note.
Make it the same way: combine 3 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp brown sugar + 4 large garlic cloves (grated) + 1 tsp sesame oil + 1 tsp oyster sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk 2 minutes, add 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water, whisk 1 more minute until lightly glossy. Apply immediately after the second fry, same as the gochujang version.
Both sauces work on the same batch of chicken — if serving a group, make both, split the batch, and let people choose.
The Chikin-Mu (Korean Pickled Daikon): Why It Matters
Every Korean fried chicken restaurant serves chikin-mu alongside — small cubes of daikon radish pickled in a sweet, mild vinegar brine. The purpose is textural and functional: the cool, acidic, crunchy radish cuts through the richness of the fried chicken fat and resets the palate between pieces. It is not garnish; it is part of the dish.
Pre-made chikin-mu is sold in refrigerated bags at H Mart and Korean grocery stores (look for the yellow cubes). To make at home in 1 hour: cut 1/2 lb daikon radish into 3/4-inch cubes. Combine 1/2 cup rice vinegar + 1/2 cup water + 3 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk until sugar and salt dissolve, remove from heat, cool 10 minutes. Pour over the radish cubes in a container, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 weeks). The color is natural from the radish; some batches dye a light yellow over time.
Coqodaq’s Cold Perilla Seed Noodles (Simplified)
The other distinctive element of the Bucket List set menu is cold perilla seed noodles — chilled noodles in a savory, nutty dressing made from ground toasted perilla seeds (들깨, deulkkae). Perilla seeds are a Korean pantry staple sold at Korean grocery stores and online; toasted sesame seeds are an acceptable substitute if unavailable (different but good).
To make the simplified version: cook 6 oz soba noodles or rice noodles to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until fully chilled. Dress with 2 tbsp ground toasted perilla seeds (or sesame seeds, finely ground in a spice grinder) + 1.5 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp sesame oil + 1 tsp rice vinegar + 1 tsp honey + 1 tsp gochugaru (optional for heat) + 1 garlic clove (grated). Toss to coat. Serve cold alongside the fried chicken.
Tips and Variations
- Use a mix of cuts for a more restaurant-accurate presentation. Coqodaq serves drumsticks, wings, and boneless pieces simultaneously. For a group, split 1.5 lbs chicken into a combination of bone-in wings (halved at the joint) and boneless thigh pieces. The frying times differ slightly: bone-in pieces need 8 to 9 minutes on the first fry, 3 minutes on the second; boneless pieces need 6 to 7 minutes then 2 to 3.
- The rest period between fries is non-negotiable. Five minutes on a wire rack (not paper towels, which trap steam) is the minimum. Rushing the second fry before steam has escaped produces a puffed, soft crust that deflates and turns limp within minutes.
- Cold oil kills the coating. If your oil temperature drops below 300°F between batches, let it fully recover to the target temperature before adding the next batch. Frying in sub-temperature oil produces a pale, greasy coating that never fully crisps in the second fry.
- Make the sauces before the chicken hits the oil. Both the gochujang and soy garlic sauces can be made hours ahead and reheated briefly just before service. The chicken waits for no one — it should go directly from the second fry into the sauce bowl, then immediately to the table.
- Drink pairing matters more than you’d think. Simon Kim specifically recommends Champagne or other dry sparkling wine alongside Korean fried chicken rather than the traditional beer: the aggressive carbonation and acidity of good sparkling wine cuts through rendered chicken fat in a way still beer cannot. If you do beer, a pilsner or light lager (Korean Hite or Cass) is correct; avoid heavy hoppy beers that fight with the gochujang.
Storage
Fried chicken is a same-session dish — the crust softens significantly within 1 hour at room temperature and cannot be fully revived. Leftovers reheat best in an air fryer at 375°F for 4 minutes per side or in a 400°F oven on a wire rack for 8 to 10 minutes. A microwave produces steam and destroys the crust completely. The sauces keep refrigerated for 1 week.
More from Simon Kim’s Restaurant Universe
- Cote Korean Steakhouse Galbi — USDA Prime flanken-cut short ribs in Asian pear marinade, from the world’s first Michelin-starred Korean BBQ
- Viral TikTok Korean Fried Chicken — the double-fry yangnyeom technique with boneless thighs and potato starch
- Copycat Benihana Hibachi Chicken — Japanese steakhouse hibachi technique at home
- Copycat Nobu Rock Shrimp Tempura — the Nobu rock shrimp tempura with creamy ponzu
