‘House of Knives’ Judge Explains Food Network’s New ‘Game of Thrones’-Style Competition

Emily Aslanian March 17, 2025, 9:00 am

Scott Conant, Marcus Samuelsson and Judy Joo in 'House of Knives' on Food Network — Food Network

Only one cook can claim the throne in Food Network‘s new House of Knives, a sharp eight-episode competition series hosted by Scott Conant, with super-chef judges Marcus Samuelsson and Judy Joo, dubbed the culinary council.

“In the opening episode, we’re introduced to the House of Knives world, where the stakes are higher than a soufflé on the edge of disaster,” teases Joo, known for hosting the net’s Korean Food Made Simple. “But it is not just a free-for-all of knives and egos clashing — these chefs, with all the finesse of chess grandmasters must navigate a maze of strategy and cook their hearts out.”

Whoever can out-cook the others chefs will earn the coveted spot on the throne as each week, a ruler is named and a loser banished, only for another contestant to step in and take their place in the competition. There are always six players working to claim the throne, and each week the challenges reflect the player’s own lives, cultures and more — so it gets really personal. (In the Tuesday, May 6, season ender, the final winner will also take home a $100,000 prize.)

Competitor Shirley Chung and host Scott Conant

Food Network

Joo notes that being a member of the culinary council was “no walk in the park,” but it was filled with plenty of good bites. “We all took our jobs very seriously. I’ve been on the other side of that judging table, feeling the dread and anxiety of presenting a dish that you’re only 60 percent sure is edible,” she admits. “I know what it’s like to sweat through your chef’s coat while the cameras zoom in on your trembling hands.”

So, how does Joo help out her colleagues in the nerve-wracking experience? “When it comes to tasting, I don’t pick at the food,” she says. “I owe these chefs my full attention, and the respect of actually trying and eating all the elements of the dish before I speak.”

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And after all of this, if you’re still thinking the Game of Thrones-like Food Network series sounds gimmicky, we promise, it’s actually not. “The food is the star,” says Joo. “No one is being forced to whip up a soufflé using a hair straightener or transform Spam and grape soda into elevated cuisine. There are no constraints that make even the calmest chef spiral into an existential crisis. Instead, the chefs just cook, and with nice edible ingredients. And on House of Knives, they do it beautifully.”

House of Knives, Series Premiere, Tuesday, March 18, 9/8c, Food Network