Chopped: Desperately Seeking Sous Chef premiere: Meet the judges of Food Network’s new culinary show

Food Network's binge-worthy show Desperately Seeking Sous Chef is returning with its 'Chopped' instalment on May 31. With host Ted Allen, the show will have three brilliant chefs on board: Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant and Chris Santos, who will judge the budding sous chefs in the competition.

Chopped: Desperately Seeking Sous Chef will feature 16 chefs from different parts of the country who will be competing to win a job as a sous-chef for one of the judges at his or her respective restaurant. The show will follow its previous pattern wherein every episode four contestants will have to prove their culinary skills in appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Furthermore, they will also face more challenging tasks from the judges to become the ultimate winner.

---

Meet the judges of Chopped: Desperately Seeking Sous Chef

1) Maneet Chauhan

Indian-origin chef Maneet Chauhan has achieved many feathers for her hat. For three consecutive years, she competed in the Food Network Tournament of Champions with Guy Fieri and also managed to win its second season.

In 2010, Chauhan joined Chopped and later became its permanent panelist. Apart from the long-running culinary show, she also appeared in its spin-off shows Chopped Junior and Chopped After Hours.

She currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee, where she unveiled her Nashville-based Morph Hospitality Group in 2016. The group includes a number of renowned restaurants, including the award-winning Chauhan Ale & Masala House, which combines Indian flavours with traditional Southern dishes.

While her restaurant Tansuo serves contemporary Chinese cuisine, The Mockingbird serves comfort food favorites influenced by the cooking style of American culture and cuisine. Lastly, Chauhan's Chaatable serves Indian street food which is absolutely lip-smacking.

---

2) Scott Conant

With amazing skills in Italian cuisine, chef Scott Conant has had a 35-year long career in hospitality. The 51-year-old chef has been a Chopped judge for over a decade. In 2019, he began hosting Chopped Sweets, the dessert-themed spinoff which led him to appear on more spin-offs like Chopped Junior and Chopped After Hours.

Over the years, the American chef has opened multiple restaurants like Scarpetta in New York City, which now has multiple outlets. Some of his restaurants include Mora Italian, a modern osteria in Phoenix, Arizona, and Cellaio at Resorts World Catskills, an Italian-inspired steakhouse in Monticello, New York.

He also opened The Americano, an Italian American dining destination located in two locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, and in the newly renovated InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta.

---

3) Chris Santos

Hailing from Massachusetts, Chris Santos is a celebrity chef who opened Beauty & Essex, his own restaurant with a sophisticated menu in 2010 which now also has locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The 51-year-old was also the co-founder of The Stanton Social and VANDAL. Even though these two restaurants have closed down, they have helped Chris become famous. Santos has been a constant member of Chopped. He has been a judge since season 1, and has also appeared on Chopped Junior and Chopped After Hours.

Chopped: Desperately Seeking Sous Chef is produced by Notional Entertainment for Food Network.

Viewers can watch Chopped: Desperately Seeking Sous Chef, which will premiere on Tuesday, May 31 at 9 pm ET/PT on Food Network.