The Pursuit of Eum-Yang
Chef Seung Kyu Kim is bringing balance to fried chicken and more at the Korean-American restaurant.
Fried Chicken Feast: | Photos: Alexander Zeren
Fried chicken and healthy eating may not seem to go hand-in-hand, but at Coqodaq, Executive Chef Seung Kyu Kim is rethinking how the beloved dish affects not only our bodies, but the planet as well.
The menu at the fried chicken-focused restaurant is driven by the Korean philosophy of Eum-Yang, which emphasizes the importance of balance and duality in one’s life. “Putting health forward was always something we wanted,” says Kim. “We wanted to procure the best ingredients.”
Kim starts with free-range chicken, which is delivered daily to the kitchen from farms in Pennsylvania. The hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken, “is possibly one of the best in the United States,” he says. The real key to the lighter fare according to Kim, however, is the oil. When preparing to open the restaurant, he “was eating three to four fried chickens a day for a year, and I didn’t feel great. The oil matters a lot.”
Instead of the usual canola or seed oils, Kim eventually settled on Zero Acre oil. “We tested it on its own and against olive oil, and it was the clear winner every time for both deliciousness and health.” The non-GMO sugarcane oil not only boasts a 485°F smoking point (higher than most seed oils) and a long shelf life, but it’s also sustainable. The entire process uses 99-percent less water than olive oil production, and the oil’s cold-press technique uses less energy. To top it all off, the oil is also gluten-free, which makes it easier to accommodate guests’ allergies. “When I first came to the States, I didn't know so many allergies existed. So many children with gluten allergies come in and are in heaven.” The oil is an investment in the restaurant’s mission—the product costing about five times more than a typical frying oil—but Kim insists that it's worth every penny. “We wanted something sustainable and something that doesn't oxidize super fast. Most of the time when the fried food isn’t good, it's because the oil has oxidized.”
Chef Seung Kyu Kim
Fried Chicken Feast: (1) Coqodaq Original Fried Chicken; (2) Soy-Garlic-Glazed Fried Chicken, Gochujang-Glazed Chicken; (3) Scallion Salad, Romaine Hearts, Shallot-Garlic Dressing; (4) Banchan: Green Cabbage Kimchi, Pickled Daikon, Soy-Pickled Celery; (5) Sauces: Jun Verde, Honey Mustard, Black Pepper-Parmesan, Gochujang Barbecue
In addition to the chicken, Kim wanted to curate a well-rounded dining experience. “Eum Yang is all about balance. In food, Eum refers to cool or cold elements, such as vegetables and savory condiments, while Yang represents warm or hot foods, like meats.”
The Bucket List, the restaurant’s fried chicken feast, for example, comes with not only a medley of fried chicken, but also an assortment of seasonal banchan like green cabbage kimchi, pickled daikon, and soy-pickled celery. “When you eat fried chicken, it usually comes with dirty rice or coleslaw. All of those are good, but how do we refresh and balance it out? We want [to serve] as much protein as vegetables.” The Bucket List meal also includes dessert: a rotating, seasonal flavor of soft-serve frozen yogurt. “After finishing a fried chicken dinner, we wanted to provide some probiotics.”
Kim’s holistic approach to the menu at Coqodaq is the foundation of the restaurant, and something that he hopes to keep evolving. “After we opened, we changed the chicken recipe like 15 times, so [we’re] always thinking about the existing items and how we can make things better. I want to make this the best fried chicken in the world, and something more meaningful for the earth as well.”
