Commis

J-1 Connect Inc.; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff meals

Cultural exchange

Job summary

Essential by Christophe in New York offers a Michelin-inspired culinary training program for recent graduates. The role emphasizes mise en place, station setup, ingredient preparation, sauces, sanitation, plating, and service readiness under chef mentorship.

Candidates should be graduates in culinary arts or related fields with interest in French cuisine, fine dining, and cultural exchange. The program prioritizes discipline, precision, and professionalism in a high-standard kitchen.

Qualifications

• Recent culinary/gastronomy/hospitality graduate with training in culinary arts or related programs.
• Knowledge of French or contemporary cuisine, fine dining, and restaurant operations.
• Knife skills, mise en place discipline, sanitation awareness, attention to detail, humility, and professionalism.
• Interest in Michelin-level French cuisine; internships or chef de partie exposure preferred.
• Coachable, punctual, adaptable, organized, resilient; committed to structured training and cultural exchange.

Responsibilities

• Train in mise en place and station setup.
• Learn ingredient preparation and sauces.
• Work on sanitation, plating, and service readiness.
• Practice chef communication, timing, and quality control.
• Engage in tasting-menu execution and focus on consistent, refined results.

Skills

Knife skills

Mise en place discipline

Sanitation awareness

Attention to detail

Humility

Professionalism

Coachable

Punctual

Adaptable

Organized

Resilience

Education

Culinary arts program (recent graduate)

Job description

This culinary training equivalent is suited for candidates seeking exposure to a Michelin-starred French kitchen focused on seasonality, restraint, and refined technique. The participant would train in mise en place, station setup, ingredient preparation, sauces, sanitation, plating, service readiness, and chef communication. Learning opportunities may include prix fixe and tasting-menu execution, timing, consistency, quality control, modern French technique, and disciplined fine-dining operations.

General requirements

The ideal candidate is a recent culinary, gastronomy, hospitality, or related program graduate with training in culinary arts, French cuisine, contemporary cuisine, fine dining, or restaurant operations. Candidates should have knife skills, mise en place discipline, sanitation awareness, attention to detail, humility, professionalism, and interest in Michelin-level French cuisine. Prior internships, stages, apprenticeships, commis, line cook, or chef de partie exposure are preferred. The candidate must be coachable, punctual, adaptable, organized, resilient, and committed to structured training and cultural exchange.

Compensation

Pay rate: $20+ per hour, based on the participant’s experience and qualifications.

Benefits and perks

Michelin-level French culinary training, chef mentorship, tasting-menu exposure, seasonal ingredients, cultural exchange, and staff meals where applicable.

Additional information

Training at Essential by Christophe requires discipline, restraint, technical focus, and respect for refined French cuisine. A strong candidate should be serious about sauces, seasonal ingredients, clean station work, plating, timing, and the quiet precision expected in a Michelin-starred dining room. Because the restaurant’s identity is built around “only the essentials,” the participant should understand that simplicity still requires accuracy, repetition, and strong fundamentals.

To succeed in this environment, the participant should bring humility, stamina, organization, and the ability to receive direct feedback without becoming discouraged. Essential by Christophe appears best suited for candidates who can work cleanly, communicate clearly with chefs, follow exact standards, and stay composed during polished service.

For J-1 purposes, this role should be structured as supervised training rather than ordinary staffing. The training should focus on progressive exposure to mise en place, station organization, ingredient preparation, sauces, French culinary foundations, sanitation, plating standards, service timing, chef communication, and quality control. The participant should be ready to observe, practice, improve, and contribute professionally while learning how a Michelin-starred New York restaurant delivers elegance, restraint, and consistency.