Meet Psy's $40,000 A Month Gangnam-Style Personal Chef
When Korean pop star and horsey dance creator Psy (born Park Jae-sang) announced that he was in search of a personal chef (to be paid a handsome $40,000 a month), a lot of people in the food world took notice. The Los Angeles Times wrote a piece nominating the likes of Roy Choi (obvs), Gordon Ramsay (OK?) and Alice Water (we hear she's a big K-Pop booster). The talent search, which had an American Idol-meets-Road Rules-meets-Master Chef feel to it, asked kitchen professionals to submit a video that would illustrate a passion for three things: music, dance and food. Finalists would be asked to meet with the singer's team to answer questions about Korean food and culture, as well as show that they could mesh with the singer's personal Gangnam style. The winner would be given a 12-month contract (some serious Cheddar) and asked to tour the globe, preparing the singer's favorite foods: bibimbap, mandoo (dumpings) and barbecue short ribs. The contest was sponsored by Bibigo, a chain of restaurants — mostly based in Korea, but with a few locations in Los Angeles and plans for New York City.
After several rounds of interviews, the winner of the two-month search was revealed to be Brazilian chef Ricardo Caput, who tells the Los Angeles Times' Psy beat reporter Jenn Harris that he had never tried a lick of Korean food before submitting a video. And about that video. What a video!
Once announced the winner, the 30-year-old Caput was flown to Korea for a week-long crash course in all components of Korean food and culture. Also see: 7 Korean Restaurants In New York City That Think Outside The Lettuce Wrap. "The thing that got me hooked, as a Brazilian, we use garlic, salt and pepper in almost the same way," said Caput of the similar flavor combinations. The two countries also share a great traditional of grilling meat, which will likely help the chef as he travels around the world. Preparing gamjatang and ddukboki for the singer, while perfecting his dance moves.
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