We visited Coqodaq in New York City on a Sunday for brunch. As a Michelin-recommended restaurant, our expectations were high. We were greeted by a friendly host and hostess and were seated immediately, making for a great first impression.
The restaurant has a trendy, modern atmosphere with a bright interior and a chic vibe. One unique touch is the hand-washing station at the entrance, stocked with exotic luxury soaps before entering the dining room. The space features tables along with upscale semicircular black leather booths, while a DJ near the bar keeps the energy high with loud music. The stylish setting is fun, although the noise level makes conversation somewhat difficult.
The staff was friendly, welcoming, and always smiling. They stopped by our table frequently, although the service wasn’t especially attentive or detailed. The drink menu is impressive, offering a wide variety of creative cocktails along with an excellent selection of wines and other beverages.
The brunch menu is offered as a prix fixe meal, with six appetizers shared by the table and each guest choosing their own entrée.
The appetizers included:
- French Toast Sliders with a house-made sauce – creative, but half of our group didn’t care for them.
- Hash Browns with Salmon Rillettes – excellent and one of the standout dishes.
- Shrimp Salad Lettuce Cups – fresh and very good.
- Deviled Eggs – excellent.
- Umma’s Kimbap – good.
- Crispy Chicken Croquettes – very good.
The meal began with a flavorful chicken consommé that was rich and comforting. We also ordered a dozen East Coast oysters, which were exceptionally fresh and served with cocktail sauce, mignonette, and lemon wedges. They were absolutely superb.
For our entrées, everyone chose Coqodaq’s Signature Fried Chicken, served in three styles: Original, Soy Sauce-Garlic Glazed, and Gochujang Glazed. The chicken arrived hot, crispy, and perfectly brined. While everyone agreed it was very good, none of us felt it quite lived up to the extraordinary hype. The variety of accompanying sauces—including honey mustard, spicy gochujang, ranch, and pesto—added plenty of flavor and made each bite a little different.
One of the highlights was the selection of side dishes, all of which paired beautifully with the fried chicken. These included cold noodles in a light, tangy dressing to balance the richness of the chicken, a crisp coleslaw, a lightly spicy scallion salad, traditional kimchi, and spicy Korean rice cakes. Being able to replenish the sides was a nice touch.
Dessert was a refreshing frozen yogurt that one can top with strawberries, grapes, mango, and blueberry compote, providing a light and satisfying finish to the meal.
Overall, Coqodaq delivers a fun, energetic dining experience with stylish surroundings, excellent appetizers, fresh oysters, and quality fried chicken. While I don’t think it’s a restaurant I’d go out of my way to revisit, I’m glad we experienced it. It’s worth trying at least once for the atmosphere, creative brunch format, and unique take on Korean-inspired fried chicken.
Rating: 7.5/10