Main Kitchen - Cook II

Valley View Casino & Hotel; Valley Center, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley View Casino & Hotel in Valley Center, California, is seeking a Cook II to safely prepare food following menu specs and recipes in a fast-paced environment. The role requires strong knife skills, high-volume cooking experience, and strict adherence to safety and sanitation standards.

You will train junior cooks, supervise line activities, and ensure dishes are prepared consistently while maintaining inventory controls and kitchen organization.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience as a Cook in a high-volume restaurant.
• Proficiency in braising, sautéing, broiling, and poaching.
• Proficiency in using a slicer, mixer, robo coupe, tongs, chef’s knife, bread knife, paring knife, steel, high heat spatula, turner, and whisk.
• Ability to demonstrate basic knife skills.
• Knowledge of sanitary practices.

Responsibilities

• Maintain positive guest relations and ensure guest satisfaction.
• Provide direction and guidance to team members.
• Prepare all food items according to standard recipes and menu.
• Operate kitchen equipment including slicer, steamer, deep fryer, ovens, broiler, grill, mixer, kettle, and flat top.
• Rotate products using first-in, first-out.
• Adhere to cost controls and quality standards.
• Maintain station cleanliness and identify stock needs.

Skills

Knife skills

Sautéing

High-volume cooking

Food safety

Education

High school diploma or GED

Culinary training (preferred)

Tools

Slicer

Mixer

Robo coupe

Job description

Valley View Casino & Hotel, 16300 Nyemii Pass Rd, Valley Center, California, United States of America

Job Description

Posted Monday, August 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM

WHO WE ARE:

Be a member of the winning team at Valley View Casino & Hotel – named one of San Diego's Best Places To Work by the San Diego Business Journal. Valley View is where fun and your future will come together – join our team for a fun and exciting environment with amazing benefits that focus on you, your family and helping you reach your lifetime goals!

Deeply rooted in the Valley Center community, we, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, have a rich local history. With traditions founded upon “good neighbor” values, our Tribe has been a part of this community for many generations. Valley View Casino & Hotel reflects our proud heritage of enterprise and opportunity; it is a place for our friends and neighbors.

At Valley View Casino & Hotel our team members are the foundation of who we are and what we do.The compassion, encouragement and level of experience that you will be exposed to will put you on a career path full of opportunities for advancement.

Description of the Position:

The Cook II will safely prepare food items while following menu specifications and standard recipes in a quick, timely, and accurate manner.

Primary Duties, Responsibilities, and Tasks:

• All team members are obligated to support and uphold the Valley View Casino’s Standards of Excellence as outlined in the Team Member Guide to Success.
• Maintain positive guest relations at all times, resolving guest complaints and ensuring guest satisfaction. Greet guests in a courteous and caring manner using personalized service.
• Provide clear direction, instruction and guidance to team members.
• Organize and delegate work assignments and tasks to meet deadlines.
• Train lower-level cooks in proper equipment usage.
• Communicate regularly with Cook III, Assistant Room Chefs and Room Chefs.
• Prepare all food items according to standard recipes and menu to ensure consistency of product.
• Exhibit knowledge, understanding, and application of various cooking techniques.
• Ability to work with small, delicate, and sensitive equipment (knives) requiring fine finger dexterity.
• Exhibit preparation and knowledge of base sauces, stocks, and soups.
• Actively participate with staff to cook, prepare, dish-up and assemble food.
• Demonstrate ability to work the line in different locations.
• Operate kitchen equipment including slicer, steamer, deep fryer, ovens, broiler, grill, mixer, kettle, and flat top.
• Maintain a solid knowledge of all food products.
• Prepare order lists for recipe preparations.
• Perform all assigned side work to include replenishing/restocking work station with supplies.
• Adhere to control procedure for food costs and quality.
• Rotate all products on the first-in, first-out philosophy. Properly label and date all products to ensure safekeeping and sanitation.
• Check station before, during, and after shift for proper set-up and cleanliness.
• Abide by all health codes and hand washing guidelines and encourage team members to do the same.
• Fully observe all safety procedures.
• Strive for picture perfect plate presentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.
• Responsible for conducting all responsibilities in a professional and ethical manner
• Responsible for maintaining a consistent, regular attendance record.

Required Qualifications:

• Three years of experience as a Cook in a high-volume restaurant environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in braising, sautéing, broiling, and poaching.
• Demonstrated proficiency in using a slicer, mixer, robo coupe, tongs, chef’s knife, bread knife, paring knife, steel, high heat spatula, turner, and whisk.
• Ability to demonstrate basic knife skills.
• Ability to identify pan types and knife types.
• Knowledge of sanitary practices.
• Possession of the basic tools to perform the job duties of a Cook.
• Working knowledge of weights, measures, and various cooking techniques.
• Reading and math skills for recipes and measurement.
• Knowledge of MSDS program.
• Ability to stand on a hard surface for long periods of time.
• Ability to tolerate areas with extreme hot and cold temperatures.
• Must possess effective communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Must apply for, receive, and maintain a Gaming License from the Tribal Gaming Agency.
• Must successfully pass a drug screening test.
• Must be able to successfully pass applicable auditions or skill testing.

Preferred Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Formal culinary training.

Physical Requirements of the Position:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Clear vision (close, distant, peripheral, and depth perception) is needed for navigating office and casino environments, reading and reviewing reports and policies, operating data processing equipment and other essential job functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to talk and hear.
• The Team Member is regularly required to sit and use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel.
• The Team Member is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. Team Member must be able to stand for the majority of their shift.
• The Team Member must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.

Working Conditions:

• The Casino is open 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week; therefore, you must be flexible to work any and all shifts.
• While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is exposed to second hand tobacco smoke, moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles.
• The Team Member is usually subject to inside environmental conditions, which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• The Team Member is occasionally subject to outside environmental conditions and to wet and/or humid conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. When on the casino floor, the noise level increases to loud.

Other Information:

• Native American hiring preference applies.
• This job description does not list all the duties of the job. You may be instructed by management to perform other tasks or functions.
• You will be evaluated in part based upon your performance of the tasks listed in this job description and your ability to commit to the Standards of Excellence.
• Management has the right to revise this job description at any time.
• The job description is not a contract for employment.

All team members are obligated to support and uphold the Valley View Casino & Hotel’s Standards of Excellence as outlined in the Team Member Guide to Success.Maintain positive guest relations at all times, resolving guest complaints and ensuring guest satisfaction.Greeting guests in a courteous and caring manner using personalized service.

Must apply for, receive, and maintain a Gaming License from the Tribal Gaming Agency.Must be able to successfully pass applicable auditions or skill testing and a drug screening test. While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is exposed to second hand tobacco smoke, moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. The Casino is open 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week; therefore, you must be flexible to work any and all shifts.

Valley View Casino & Hotel, 16300 Nyemii Pass Rd, Valley Center, California, United States of America