When it comes to judging chef competitors, few others do it as well — or as frequently — as the Chopped panel, including Geoffrey Zakarian, which means that the remaining 10 rivals are in for a world of surprise when he shows up to judge this Sunday night. From the time constraints to the pressures to please, he's familiar with the issues affecting the finalists, and he's no stranger to doling out constructive criticism in an effort to help them better their performances. Come Sunday, he and Sunny Anderson, one of his fellow co-hosts on The Kitchen, will be on hand to attend a dinner party thrown by the competitors; ultimately Geoffrey, Sunny, and mentors Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis will evaluate who has the Star potential to go the distance in the business.

Recently Star Talk caught up with Geoffrey to find out what he'll be looking for in Star hopefuls this weekend. Read on below for his insider take, and find out what he believes to be one of the best pieces of advice he's ever received.

Geoffrey Zakarian: Well, I always try to see if they have real fire. How disappointed they get from setbacks — this says a lot.

GZ: As a chef, I think food is foremost. But you need to learn to understand the camera and the power it has.

GZ: I have no tolerance for superfluous items on the plate and height in a presentation.

GZ: It's very similar. You need to think on your feet and pull out flavors from virtually nowhere.

You've competed on Chopped All-Stars and Cutthroat Kitchen before, so you, too, know all about pressure. What's your greatest lesson learned from those experiences? 

GZ: Keep focused on the biggest threat to your success, your own self.

GZ: In some ways it's better, because I learn every day from my co-hosts. Plus, I have a blast on set! So I will take whatever is coming my way and make the best of it.