With her global perspective, deep love for Korean cuisine and passion for making food approachable, learn all about Judy Joo’s culinary journey, hit TV shows, cookbooks and the flavors that inspire her.

History and Background

Born in Summit, New Jersey, to a chemist mother and a physician father, Judy’s journey to culinary stardom was anything but traditional. With a family deeply rooted in science, it was no surprise when she chose to pursue engineering as her major in college.

Judy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and operations research from the prestigious Columbia University and launched her career in the high-stakes world of finance. She began her career at Goldman Sachs before moving to Morgan Stanley and operating as an institutional fixed income derivatives saleswoman.

After nearly five years on Wall Street, Judy came to a realization: While she didn’t yet know exactly how she wanted food to fit into her life, she knew it had to be part of it. Trusting that instinct, she enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York — now known as the International Culinary Center.

What Led to Her Love of Cooking

Judy’s love for cooking began at home, watching her mother prepare traditional Korean dishes from scratch. She was fascinated by the care her mom took in tasting everything throughout the process — a quiet but powerful lesson in developing a refined palate. Watching her, seeing how things came together, learning how to taste and educating her palate, those were the most important things her mother taught her when it came to cooking. Some of her earliest and fondest memories are of making dumplings together in the kitchen, along with her sister, a tradition she still cherishes. To this day, it remains one of the things she enjoys cooking most.

How Judy Made Her Way Into the Industry

After graduating at the top of her class from culinary school, Judy joined the test kitchens at Saveur magazine. She also worked with Slow Food USA, where she launched its first inner-city “Slow Food in Schools” program, Harvest Time in Harlem, at The Children’s Storefront School.

Shortly after, Judy made a major move to London. It was there, during a visit to Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant, that she had a chance encounter with the legendary chef. After mustering the courage to introduce herself, she was hired to work in his kitchen — a role that lasted more than two years. Judy then went on to work at several other Ramsay restaurants, including Maze, Pétrus, Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s and The Boxwood Café.

Judy went on to hone her skills in some of the most acclaimed kitchens around the world, training under culinary legends like Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in California, David Thompson at Nahm in Bangkok and Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in the UK.

Judy’s Television Career

Since 2010, Judy has become a familiar face on the Food Network and beyond, first gaining widespread attention as a contestant on Iron Chef UK. She later went on to host her own show, Korean Food Made Simple, which also became the title of her debut cookbook.

Over the years, Judy has appeared across a wide range of popular culinary programs as a host, judge and guest chef. Her credits include Food Network favorites such as The Best Thing I Ever Made, Bobby’s Triple Threat, The Next Iron Chef, Guy’s Grocery Games, Kitchen Inferno, Worst Cooks in America and Iron Chef America — where she famously faced off against chef Alex Guarnaschelli in the episode "International Battle — Mortadella."

Outside the network, she’s also appeared on ITV’s Cooking With the Stars UK and Bravo’s Top Chef, before returning to Food Network most recently with House of Knives.

Iron Chef UK

Though already an established chef with a strong reputation in the culinary world, Judy first made her mark on the reality TV scene with Iron Chef UK. As one of the show’s four Iron Chefs, she became the first female Iron Chef in the United Kingdom — and only the second in the world, following Cat Cora in the United States.

Korean Food Made Simple

Judy brought her love of traditional Korean cuisine to the small screen with the debut of her show Korean Food Made Simple on The Cooking Channel, a spinoff of Food Network. Setting out to demystify authentic Korean cooking, the series follows Judy’s travels throughout South Korea, where she introduces viewers to the people, places and flavors that inspire her cooking. Along the way, she highlights the dishes she grew up loving and shares easy-to-prepare recipes for home chefs.

House of Knives

In House of Knives, Judy joins forces with culinary icon Marcus Samuelsson and host Scott Conant to judge a high-stakes competition that sets out to crown one chef above the rest. The series brings top-tier talent into an elite culinary arena, where skill, creativity and precision are put to the test. With Judy and Marcus at the judging table, the bar is set high, and only one chef will earn their place on the throne — and take home the ultimate prize of $100,000.

Experience as a Restaurateur

In 2015, Judy launched her first restaurant, Jinjuu, in London’s Soho neighborhood. Quickly earning a reputation as the city’s premier modern Korean restaurant, Jinjuu expanded to three locations, including Mayfair and Hong Kong. After stepping away from the brand in 2019, Judy introduced Seoul Bird, a fast-casual concept celebrating Korean comfort food. Seoul Bird now has four locations — one in London, one in Las Vegas, and two in New York at Barclays Center and Citi Field.

Fun Facts About Judy

• Her birthday is December 9, making her a Sagittarius.
• Judy received a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and operations research from Columbia University, where she later became the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony for the class of 2018.
• She worked as an institutional fixed income derivatives saleswoman for Morgan Stanley before changing careers.

Judy’s Cookbooks

Judy is the author of two cookbooks: Korean Food Made Simple, featuring more than 100 accessible and original recipes, and Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food, which offers comforting dishes alongside helpful glossaries and tips for building the perfect Korean pantry.