Roy Choi, the Korean taco truck guy, named hottest young US chef

Okay, now I really need to make a point of trying this out the next time I'm in The OC*, although the hype and anticipation could leave me disappointed.

From Reuters:

Food & Wine magazine cited Roy Choi and nine other cooks in their 20s to 30s in its annual list of best up-and-coming chefs.

Choi, who was born in Seoul, has built a loyal following in Los Angeles with his mash-up of Mexican and American street food with Korean flavors.

Food lovers can find his Kogi BBQ trucks via Twitter, the social networking tool that other food trucks rely on.

"Roy is bringing food to the street with real passion," Food & Wine editor Dana Cowin told Reuters.

The 39-year-old Choi rolled out his food truck in late 2008 targeting young club-goers. His business has blossomed with his debut restaurant slated to open this week.

Before his food trucks, the classically-trained Choi had worked at Michelin-star Le Bernardin in New York.

The other nine chefs named by the magazine work in more traditional settings across the United States.

Well, that's cool. I like stories like this because it's an inspiration to a new generation of kyopo parents that their kids can be something other than doctors, engineers, and lawyers.

* Again, native OCers only say "The OC" ironically.