Port Washington Couple Opens Korean Fried Chicken Restaurant

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — For ten years, Mason and Julia Kim have called Port Washington home. Since then they have grown their small business blueprint in the community. After opening a pair of bagel shops, they have added a Korean fried chicken restauarant —Fly Chick to the Moon.

"Mason came up with the title," Julia Kim told Patch. "He had a dream to reach the moon. It's really meaningful and romantic, right?"

Actually, this restaurant, which is in soft launch mode since starting last month, was not the couple's dream, or at least it was a delayed dream.

"We noticed so [much] Korean culture and Korean food [is] getting popular," she said as the Kims decided to grab a piece of that with Korean chicken.

In Port Washington, it's kind of a small village, Kim said. "[There] is less variety here."

The recipes are not direct hand-me-downs from their families, but they bring their Korean backgrounds and comfort in cooking from the country.

"I think I'm a pretty good chef," she laughed. "I always made homemade Korean food. My kids and my husband love my food."

Fly Chick to the Moon is getting good buzz, as is sits next to one of their Bagel Time shops. But she said of her husband, "He wants more."

Before the restaurant has the official grand opening, they wait for the liquor license to give customers chicken and beer options in a relaxing setting.

For now, though, they are permitting diners to bring their own liquor for the meal, or they can have Korean liquor—free of charge.

With all the fried chicken eateries available, Kim said they are "very picky" to choose good quality chicken. They work with a company owned by Koreans to distribute the poultry.

Once they have the chicken, Kim said, they are meticulous with the frying process and keeping the steps consistent each time.

Mason is a bagel maker and they have no intention of giving up the bagel shops. Julia said expansion is certainly a possibilty for the couple, but not necessarily with another food business.

Julia, who juggles being a mom, wife, along with her work at Fly Chick and as an art therapist, has her own professional dream.

"I can have a big pet cafe so people can bring their pets and let them play outside," she said. "While watching them, you can have bagels or coffee."

Fly Chick to the Moon is located at 95 Manorhaven Blvd.