Michelin-starred restauranteur and avid tennis player Simon Kim is making his U.S. Open debut.
“When tennis meets great food, it’s bound to be a great time,” Kim exclusively tells Us Weekly.
Kim, the owner of the renowned COTE Korean Steakhouse chain, will bring offerings from his latest restaurant, COQODAQ, an upscale Korean fried chicken eatery, to the 2024 U.S. Open Tennis Championship.
It all kicks off with Flavors of the Open presented by Dobel Tequila on Thursday, August 22, at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, where Kim will join returning celebrity chefs Alex Guarnaschelli, Kwame Onwuachi, David Burke, Josh Capon, Pat LaFrieda and Masaharu Morimoto.
“COQODAQ was born from a universal love of fried chicken, and is all about taking that nostalgic, guilty pleasure dish and making it a little less guilty — perfect for athletes and fans,” the restaurateur tells Us. On the menu: the 24K Nugget. “It’s a crispy chicken nugget, made with gluten-free batter, topped with a dot of crème fraîche and a spoonful of Petrossian golden Daurenki caviar,” Kim explains. “It’s our high-brow/low-brow approach to food — and we can’t wait to share it with tennis fans from all over the world.”
For those who can’t get to the U.S. Open or COQODAQ, Kim shares some secrets for making better fried chicken at home.
“Our executive chef recommends starting with high-quality chicken. Focus on making a well-balanced batter; at COQODAQ, we use rice flour, which makes our batter gluten-free. Select a neutral flavored oil for frying,” Kim advises. “Be sure to brine the chicken overnight so it absorbs all the flavor, and try double-frying your chicken. Trust me, it’ll take your fried chicken to a new level of crispiness.”
Kim has a lot more on his plate than steak and fried chicken, including three new dining concepts set to open under one roof in midtown Manhattan in 2025.
“Our project at 550 Madison Avenue is our biggest project to date. We’re taking surf and turf to the next level and making it ‘Americana à la Asiana.’ We’re opening our second COTE Korean Steakhouse location in New York and bringing in a sushi concept from Chef Masahiro Yoshitake of Michelin-starred Sushi Yoshitake, bringing the best of both surf and turf to Midtown’s dining scene,” he shares.
U.S. Open food and drink options will be available for fans onsite during Fan Week from Monday, August 19 to Saturday, August 24, and through the main draw from August 26 to September 8. For more information about this year’s U.S. Open culinary experiences or to purchase tickets to Flavors of the Open Presented by DOBEL Tequila, visit the official U.S. Open website.