Hot Food Chef | Japanese Cuisine | Chadstone

[Marae Izakaya at Chadstone Shopping Centre] – Kitchen Manager & Hot Food Chef !!

About Marae Izakaya

Located within Chadstone Shopping Centre, Marae Izakaya is a premium culinary destination offering an elevated dining experience that combines high-volume Sushi Train operations with refined Yakiniku and authentic Japanese hot dishes. We are seeking an experienced Kitchen Manager / Japanese Hot Food Chef to take full ownership of back-of-house (BOH) management while driving our hot kitchen section with culinary excellence.

The Role

This dual-focus leadership role is designed for a culinary professional who thrives both on the line and behind the scenes. You will take full responsibility for BOH administration—including rostering, stock control, and team coaching—while serving as the technical lead on the hot food line.

Key Responsibilities

- BOH Operations & Leadership: Supervise overall kitchen flow, optimise prep schedules, and foster a clean, high-performing, and disciplined kitchen culture.
- Hot Food Culinary Execution: Lead daily prep and line cooking for all hot food items, ensuring consistent execution, portion accuracy, and premium Japanese presentation under high-volume conditions.
- Workforce & Rostering: Design, manage, and optimize weekly kitchen rosters to balance labor cost targets against peak dining demands.
- Inventory, Ordering & Cost Control: Oversee dry and wet stock inventory, execute accurate supplier orders, and proactively minimise wastage and food costs.




- Menu Development & Specials: Collaborate with senior management and the Head Chef to develop innovative hot food concepts, lunch specials, and seasonal izakaya pairings.
- Hygiene & Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to Food Safety Plans, local council hygiene guidelines, and workplace health and safety (WHS) regulations.

About the Benefits

- Employment Type: Full-time
- Salary: $95,000 per annum + Superannuation
- Expected Hours/Week: 45 hours per week
- Flexible roster, including evenings (Mon-Sun).

What We Are Looking For:

- Culinary Expertise: Minimum 3–5 years of professional hot kitchen experience, with at least 2 years dedicated specifically to Japanese hot food techniques.
- Management Competency: Proven experience in operational tasks including kitchen rostering, inventory stocktaking, and supplier procurement.
- Commercial Mindset: Solid understanding of Food Cost (COGS) control and Labor Cost efficiency in a high-turnover venue.
- Leadership Skills: Clear bilingual communication skills, high resilience under pressure, and the ability to train, mentor, and motivate a culturally diverse team.

Visa: Permanent Resident visa, Partner visa, Citizen and NZ Citizen Only.

If you are a dedicated and energetic qualified with a passion for hospitality, we would love to hear from you!

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📌 Hot Food Chef | Japanese Cuisine | Chadstone (Melbourne)
🏢 JD VICTORIA
📍 Melbourne