Elmhurst Native Opens Villa Park Restaurant

VILLA PARK, IL — A restaurant specializing in Korean wings has opened at 321 E. St. Charles Road in Villa Park.

Elmhurst native Joey Cornell opened Dak Dak Korean Wings in November. According to a news release, Cornell created the concept and recipes when he was studying at culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and when the school went fully remote during the pandemic.

"Our Korean wings are brined for 12 hours, coated in a very thin batter, fried once, and, oh yeah, fried again," Cornell, a former York High School student, said in the release. "The double fry is what makes our Korean wings unique and simply better than Buffalo."

In December, Cornell spoke with This is York, a student publication at the high school.

"It’s not rocket science why some restaurants end up being successful," Cornell told This is York. "First of all, the food has to be good. But if the food is only good every once in a while, that’s not good enough; it has to be consistent. That just comes with making sure your recipes are tight and making sure people are trained properly."

For more about the restaurant, visit its website.