COQODAQ is a new fried chicken concept from Korean-American restaurateur Simon Kim, owner of the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse in New York and Miami. Located in the Flatiron district, the restaurant is helmed by executive chef Seung Kyu Kim.
Upon entering, guests encounter a green soapstone handwashing station with a leathered finish and bronze Italian fixtures. An inset warm bronze mirror with lights inspired by the restaurant’s ovoid logo bathes guests in a luminous glow.
Rockwell Group was inspired by Simon Kim’s desire to create a modern cathedral for all things fried chicken. For COQODAQ (an onomatopoeia for “cock-a-doodle-doo” in Korean), we infused the dark, luxurious dining room with touches of art nouveau, abstracted interpretations of traditional Korean patterns, custom furniture, and dynamic highly strategic lighting throughout.
Beyond the handwashing station, an informal dining area features a first-come, first-served custom communal table, high tops, and movable furniture pieces.
The dining room’s runway-like circulation is rhythmically marked by a series of “ghost” arches made of lit cast glass and bronze metal connections—a typically-architectural intervention rendered here in light, instead, and casting a sparkling glow on diners and food. Theater lights on the sides of the banquettes that face the walkway add additional drama to the space, and a mirrored wall at the end of the room creates an infinity effect.
Plaster walls panels behind the banquettes have a traditional trim, but were treated with a surprising and contemporary crackled effect, a subtle reference to the crisp skin of the fried chicken.
