I Ate Truffle Chicken Nuggets With Courteney Cox
3 min read“You have to try this,” Courteney Cox tells me, gesturing to a plate laden with three chicken nuggets, each garnished with a thick blanket of aromatic truffle shavings. Cox, Simon Kim (founder and CEO of Gracious Hospitality Management and owner of Manhattan’s upscale Korean fried chicken restaurant Coqodaq), and I all reach for one, taking great care to not let any of the precious slices fall from the heap as we bite down. They’d just told me their favorite food smells, and the fungus was on Cox’s list. Also on the roster? Garlic, bacon (even though she doesn’t eat pork), and “sizzling steak.” Now, it’s a safe bet that she’s also adding fried chicken to the list, as her brand, Homecourt, is beginning a monthlong partnership with Coqodaq.
Coqodaq is known for golden chicken nuggets topped with a mound of caviar (yes, the same ones sold at the US Open) and flaxen champagne to go with them, as well as its sculptural hand soap station, which is at the front door of the restaurant. It invites guests to wash their hands before they dine using only the most luxurious soaps, particularly since they’re about to eat with their hands. Typically, you can find soaps from brands like Loewe and Diptyque on the counter. But from September 15 to October 15, the only option will be Homecourt’s hand washes, which come in five different scents: Cece, Cox’s signature blend of cedar smoke, cardamom, cinnamon, and leather; Mandarin Basile, which features mandarin oranges, fig, and basil; Steeped Rose, which smells like freshly cut roses; Cipres Mint, a fragrance meant to smell like a cup of Moroccan mint tea; and Neroli Leaf, a delicate mix of neroli blossoms, jasmine, and basil.
Simon Kim and Courteney Cox.
Kim himself curates the restaurant’s hand soaps and is picky about what he offers to guests. “Hand washing is viewed as a chore to many,” Kim says. “[The sink is] the first thing that you see once you come in. It’s very Instagrammable and offers a little joy before you start the meal.” Finding soaps that spark delight rather than tedium has always been Kim’s top priority, and Homecourt fits the bill.
Cox says the two brands are a match made in heaven. “[Coqodaq] has the same idea as Homecourt, which is elevating your everyday. Fried chicken is not exactly what you would think of as fine dining. He’s making it so special and has put so much care into it, and that’s what Homecourt does.”
Cox and Kim also have some thoughts on soap pairings. They agree that Mandarin Basile goes hand in hand with caviar nuggets. “Fried chicken is naturally delicious and decadent, but it’s also somewhat rich, so Mandarin Basile’s lightness complements it really well,” she says. She also says that caviar’s natural saltiness is a factor to consider, and turns to Kim to ask for his professional opinion as a culinary mastermind. “I’m not just saying this because I was a chef on Friends, but, chef, is it true that when something’s salty, citrus takes the salt down?” (Kim confirms the pairing and her knowledge with a “Yes, chef.”) For pairing with champagne, Cox thinks of the classic combination of bubbly and roses and recommends Steeped Rose, while Kim thinks the dryness of Cipres Mint is the perfect counterbalance to a glass of brut.
Before I left, I had to ask for the true stamp of approval: What would Monica Geller think of Coqodaq? “She would ask for a job,” Cox says. “It would be a dream for anything that she was a part of to look like this. Their apartment was very colorful, so I’m not sure if she could appreciate how cool this place is, but she’d order everything because she’s a foodie.” And as a clean freak, Geller would certainly appreciate the Homecourt hand soaps waiting for her at the entrance.