Head Chef

Menya Kokoro PH; Santa Rosa; On-site; PHP 670,000 - 1,004,000; Full time

Job summary

Menya Kokoro PH in Santa Rosa at SM Nuvali seeks a Teppanyaki Head Chef to lead our kitchen from day one. You will master teppan griddle service, build systems, and scale operations for a successful launch.

You will lead, train, and mentor the kitchen team, manage food costs and inventory, enforce HACCP safety, and ensure top-quality Japanese staples with authentic fermentation and sauces.

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years of professional culinary experience, with prior in a senior leadership role (Head Chef/Kitchen Manager).
• Strong background in Japanese cuisine; experience with teppan griddle cooking and fermented accompaniments is highly preferred.
• Proficient in food costing, yield management, and inventory systems.
• Experienced with POS systems and MS Office (Excel).
• A hands-on, detail-oriented builder who excels at creating systems and documentation to support multi-branch scaling.

Responsibilities

• Lead, train, and mentor the kitchen team, ensuring consistent service, high morale, and adherence to SOPs.
• Expertly manage flat-iron griddle operations, ensuring perfect doneness, texture, and flavor for all proteins.
• Oversee the preparation of Japanese staples, including sauces, bases, fermented items, and salads.
• Maintain strict inventory management, manage food costs (COGS), and optimize supply chain/vendor relationships.
• Enforce rigorous food safety (HACCP/DOH compliance) and maintenance of kitchen equipment.

Skills

Leadership

Kitchen leadership

Teppanyaki mastery

Culinary excellence

Food costing

Inventory management

HACCP compliance

POS systems

MS Excel

Documentation

Tools

POS systems

MS Excel

Job description

We are opening a new Japanese-inspired restaurant in SM Nuvali and are looking for an expert Teppanyaki Head Chef to lead our kitchen team. You will spearhead our kitchen operations from day one, master our teppan griddle service, and build the operational systems necessary for a successful launch and future scaling.

Key Responsibilities:

• Kitchen Leadership: Lead, train, and mentor the kitchen team, ensuring consistent service, high morale, and adherence to all SOPs.

• Teppan Mastery: Expertly manage flat-iron griddle operations, ensuring perfect doneness, texture, and flavor for all proteins.

• Culinary Excellence: Oversee the preparation of Japanese staples, including umami-rich sauces, dashi/miso bases, fermented items, and traditional salads.

• Financial Control: Maintain strict inventory management, manage food costs (COGS), and optimize supply chain/vendor relationships.

• Operational Standards: Enforce rigorous food safety (HACCP/DOH compliance) and ensure all kitchen equipment is maintained to peak standards.

Requirements:

• Experience: 2–3+ years of professional culinary experience, with prior in a senior leadership role (Head Chef/Kitchen Manager).

• Specialization: Strong background in Japanese cuisine; experience with teppan griddle cooking and fermented accompaniments is highly preferred.

• Business Acumen: Proficient in food costing, yield management, and inventory systems.

• Tech-Literate: Experienced with POS systems and MS Office (Excel).

• Leadership Style: A hands‑on, detail‑oriented builder who excels at creating systems and documentation to support multi‑branch scaling.