Commis

J-1 Connect Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Michelin-level culinary training

Chef mentorship

Mexican fine-dining exposure

Seasonal ingredients

Cultural exchange

Staff meals

Job summary

Californios in San Francisco offers a culinary training equivalent focused on contemporary Mexican fine dining, and California ingredient sourcing. Participants will train in mise en place, station setup, masa and corn-based preparations, sauces, plating, sanitation, and communication with the chef team.

The program emphasizes seasonal sourcing, timing, quality control, and a highly structured tasting-menu discipline in a two-Michelin-star setting.

Qualifications

• The candidate should be a recent graduate from a culinary, gastronomy, hospitality, or related program with training in culinary arts.
• Experience in knife skills, mise en place discipline, and sanitation awareness is expected.
• Interest in Michelin-level cuisine and high-end restaurant operations is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Train in mise en place, station setup, and ingredient preparation for a two-Michelin-star kitchen.
• Develop masa and corn-based components, sauces, plating, and service readiness.
• Maintain sanitation, communicate with the chef team, and contribute to tasting-menu execution.

Skills

Knife skills

Mise en place discipline

Sanitation awareness

Attention to detail

Humility

Professionalism

Coachability

Punctuality

Respectfulness

Adaptability

Organization

Resilience

Cultural exchange

Education

Recent culinary program graduate

Job description

This culinary training equivalent is suited for candidates seeking exposure to a two-Michelin-star kitchen focused on contemporary Mexican cuisine, California ingredients, and tasting-menu execution. The participant would train in mise en place, station setup, ingredient preparation, masa and corn-based components, sauces, plating, sanitation, service readiness, and communication with the chef team. Learning opportunities may include refined Mexican techniques, seasonal sourcing, timing, consistency, quality control, and fine-dining kitchen discipline.

General requirements

The ideal candidate is a recent culinary, gastronomy, hospitality, or related program graduate with training in culinary arts, Mexican cuisine, fine dining, restaurant operations, or culinary entrepreneurship. Candidates should have knife skills, mise en place discipline, sanitation awareness, attention to detail, humility, professionalism, and interest in Michelin-level cuisine. Prior internships, apprenticeships, commis roles, line cook roles, or fine-dining exposure are preferred. The candidate must be coachable, punctual, respectful, 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 culinary training, chef mentorship, Mexican fine-dining exposure, seasonal ingredients, cultural exchange, and staff meals where applicable.

Additional information

This is the strongest culinary training equivalent for Californios because the restaurant’s public identity is centered on contemporary Mexican fine dining, California ingredients, and a highly structured tasting-menu experience. Michelin lists Californios as a two-star restaurant serving Mexican and contemporary cuisine, and the restaurant’s official website confirms its San Francisco location and Michelin recognition.

Although no formal internship is publicly advertised, this pathway may be suitable for international culinary graduates or early-career professionals when developed as a progressive J-1 training plan. The training should be framed around structured learning rather than ordinary staffing, with exposure to mise en place, station organization, ingredient handling, masa and corn-based preparations, sauces, plating, sanitation, service timing, communication with chefs, and tasting-menu execution.

This pathway is especially attractive for candidates with culinary arts, gastronomy, or culinary entrepreneurship backgrounds who want to understand how Mexican culinary traditions can be interpreted through a Michelin-level fine-dining format. The training should help participants build discipline, precision, respect for ingredients, cultural awareness, teamwork, and confidence in a demanding professional kitchen.