Psy needs a personal chef? Let us recommend Puck, Ramsay, others

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Travis Lett managed to out-Posh Posh when he refused to serve her trout salad with the dressing on the side during the Spice Girl’s visit to his Venice restaurant. One well-deserved ego deserves another and we think Lett and Psy could get along just fine. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Who better to serve Psy than the chef to the stars? Wolfgang Puck, seen here with writer-director Quentin Tarantino. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

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Former “Top Chef” and “Next Iron Chef” contestant Marcel Vigneron is used to being in the spotlight. He’s also prone to using gadgets in the kitchen that Psy would deem cool enough to be “Gangnam”-worthy. (Alexandra Wyman / Getty Images)

By Jenn Harris

April 24, 2013 3:56 PM PT

Apparently, when he’s not gallop-dancing in parking garages, Psy needs to be fed.

The fitted-suit-and-sunglasses-clad Korean pop singer whose video for “Gangnam Style” became the sensation of 2012 is looking for a personal chef. That had us wondering how certain chefs with, how do we say this, distinct personalities – Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsay to name just two – would handle the gig. We came up with a list of eight contenders. (Psy, you can thank us later.)

Gordon Ramsay (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, etc.)

He yells. A lot. He has a no-nonsense British accent and he’s the only person tough enough to possibly listen to Psy on tour for a month and not break down. We’re imagining Ramsay screaming in Psy’s face -- his spit ricocheting off of Psy’s dark sunglasses.

Travis Lett (Gjelina)

He managed to out-Posh Posh when he refused to serve her trout salad with the dressing on the side during the Spice Girl’s visit to his Venice restaurant. No substitutions are allowed at Gjelina because the dishes themselves are so good, substitutions or alterations of any kind would simply diminish their greatness. One well-deserved ego deserves another and we think Lett and Psy could get along just fine.

PHOTOS: Our picks for Psy’s new personal chef

Roy Choi (Kogi truck, etc.)

First we must say this has nothing to do with Choi being Korean American and everything to do with his bad-boy swagger and Twitter humor. He’s admitted that his guilty pleasure is milkshakes and you’ll never catch him without a cap sitting slightly sideways on his head. Some of his latest Tweets include: “Knuckle push-ups Finger pull-ups Couch potato chip sit-ups” and “Blood everywhere Butcher shop Blood nowhere Mortician shop.” Brilliant.

Wolfgang Puck (Spago, etc.)

Who better to serve Psy than the chef to the stars? He has catered just about every Academy Awards dinner ever. Well, not really, but a lot of them. And he’d look better than anyone else dancing around in a pink or blue suit with a black bow tie in a party bus, horse stable, riverboat or parking garage.

Kerry Simon (Simon L.A., etc.)

He’s got the right hair for the job. Yes, he’s a decorated chef with successful restaurants around the country, but what it comes down to is the rock star haircut. Also, anyone who was hired by Ivana Trump to be the executive chef at the Edwardian Room at the Plaza Hotel can handle the demands of Mr. Psy for a month and still party hard.

Alice Waters (Chez Panisse)

Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen Director Noelle Carter noted that above anyone else, she’d like to see Psy teach Waters how to dance. Maybe they could stage his next video in a strictly organic garden. Waters and Psy could gallop-dance around some vegetables and sing an entire verse of a slow jam devoted to slow food.

Anne Burrell (“Chef Wanted”)

Just the thought of Burrell in her chef’s coat and spiky blond hair standing next to short, goofy Psy is enough to put her on this list. Maybe he’d think the ultra-gelled locks would classify as “Gangnam” style. She doesn’t even need to cook or speak. Just take a picture next to him and we’ll be satisfied.

PHOTOS: Our picks for Psy’s new personal chef

Marcel Vigneron (“Top Chef”)

The former “Top Chef” and “Next Iron Chef” contestant is used to being in the spotlight. He’s also prone to using gadgets in the kitchen that Psy would deem cool enough to be “Gangnam”-worthy. Maybe he can make sous-vide bulgogi, an ultra-thick chili paste with xanthan gum or use liquid nitrogen to semi-freeze a swanky alcoholic beverage for Psy and his lady friends.

Psy launched his contest to find the right chef to accompany him on his upcoming world tour with a Psy Go, Bibigo video. The contest, sponsored by the Bibigo Korean food and restaurant brand, coincides with the release of his new song and video “Gentleman.”

To enter, upload a “bibi” (Korean for “mixing”) video displaying your various skills to the Spy Go., Bibigo’s Facebook page by May 11. The rules did not specify whether actual cooking skills as opposed to mixing skills would be needed. Applicants must also enter by visiting PsygoBibigo.com. Three of the top videos will be selected and announced on the Facebook page.

The winner will be announced June 3 and receive $40,000, five-star hotel accommodations, luxury transportation, and the chance to travel with Psy on tour for a month. And according to the video, if his chef gets hungry, he’s offering dumplings and bibimbap, of course.

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