Head Chef, Japanese Cuisine (New Opening)

Mise En Place Talent; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 670,000 - 1,004,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5-day work week

Competitive salary

Above-market annual leave

Job summary

Mise En Place Talent seeks a Head Chef skilled in Modern Japanese cuisine to lead a new flagship concept in Hong Kong. You will own menu direction, kitchen setup, and pre-opening activities, building the culinary identity from day one.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in reputable Japanese restaurants in major cities, pre-opening international experience, strong cost management, and proven leadership in high-volume environments with Hong Kong work experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of culinary experience in reputable Japanese restaurants in a major city.
• Pre-opening experience in international markets.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills.
• Experience with cost management and menu engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead the culinary identity and direction of the concept.
• Design enticing menus spanning meals and seasons; oversee menu engineering.
• Work closely with FOH to ensure seamless, consistent service.
• Recruit, training, and develop a high-calibre kitchen team.
• Lead pre-opening activities including supplier selection and kitchen setup.

Skills

Japanese cuisine

Leadership

Menu design

Cost management

Pre-opening

Job description

Our partner is a world-renowned luxury hospitality company operating exceptional properties and venues in major cities across the globe. As their next project unfolds, we are now seeking a Head Chef who is adept at Modern Japanese cuisine.
The Head Chef will lead the full culinary direction of a new flagship concept, from pre-opening through ongoing day-to-day operations. This role has full ownership of menu creation and direction, kitchen setup, team building and management, and implementing and upholding operational standards. The ideal candidate is a proven leader with a balance of creative artistry and operational discipline and know-how.
The key responsibilities include:

• Leading the culinary identity and direction of the concept;
• Designing enticing and apt menus spanning breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner;
• Working closely with the FOH team to ensure seamless, consistent service;
• Recruiting, training, and developing a high-calibre kitchen team to understand and appreciate the ingredients, techniques, and flavours of the dishes;
• Spearheading pre-opening activities including the selection of suppliers and kitchen setup.

We're after a candidate with:

• 5+ years of culinary experience in reputable Japanese restaurants in a major city;
• Prior experience working in high-volume, multi-faceted environments;
• Strong operational and business acumen;
• Both breadth and depth of knowledge in Japanese cuisine, ability to produce modenr dishes using traditional ingredients and techniques;
• Pre-opening experience in an international market;
• Proficiency in cost management, menu engineering, and operational scalability;
• Prior work experience in Hong Kong is required.

What's on the Table:

• 5-day work week, with weekends and public holidays off;
• A competitive salary above market standard;
• Annual leave entitlement above market standard;
• The opportunity to lead and define a flagship concept from the ground up.