Creative Mind: Simon Kim

Simon Kim has built one of New York’s most influential restaurant groups by fusing Korean heritage with the discipline of fine dining and a flair for high-energy hospitality. Best known as the founder of Cote, the Flatiron district steak house, Kim has reshaped expectations around Korean cuisine in the U.S. by presenting it with rigor, confidence, and undeniable fun. “Cote displays something extremely personal,” he says. “It never aspired to be a perfect replica of what exists in Korea.”

In nearly a decade since launching Cote, Kim has expanded the brand to Miami, Singapore, and Las Vegas, each menu uniquely reflecting its locale’s rich culinary traditions. Its breakout success encouraged him to develop Coqodaq, a New York restaurant that treats casual Korean fried chicken with the same sharp execution he brings to steak. Signature touches, from the buzzy caviar-crowned Golden Nugget to a lavish handwashing station stocked with designer soaps, underscore his long-held belief that refinement and playfulness can coexist. “If you want to change the paradigm,” he says, “that means you’re challenging people with new ideas.”

Up next: Kim will unveil Cote’s second New York outpost this spring in a multiconcept restaurant he considers his “masterpiece.” With elaborate interiors by Rockwell Group, the triple-story endeavor will rise within Philip Johnson’s postmodern landmark 550 Madison Avenue and feature an intimate omakase counter led by chef Masahiro Yoshitake.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Spring Issue in the section “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.