Job Info

Location: DANDENONG, VIC

Salary: Above Award

Job Type: Permanent position | Full time position

Job Description

Our client, Dandenong Pavilion, is a family dining restaurant at 55-61 Princes Highway, Dandenong, VIC, and has been feeding the local community since opening. The menu is built around Australian favourites, with burgers, parmas, steaks, pastas, risotto and seafood, alongside a monthly rotation of specials and a kitchen that caters for almost all dietary requirements. Its reputation has been earned over many years, with recent recognition including a national silver placing for family dining at the 2024 Hostplus Awards for Excellence and the title of

Best Parma in Melbourne in 2024. The business is now looking for an experienced Chef who takes pride in consistency, sound costing and a well-run kitchen, and who can keep a busy, all-day operation moving without losing the quality that keeps guests coming back. Position: Chef Location: Dandenong, VIC Key Responsibilities

- Prepare and cook dishes across the full menu, from the grill and pasta station through to the burger and parma line, keeping every plate consistent through busy lunch and dinner services.
- Check each dish at every stage of preparation, cooking and plating, so that everything leaving the pass meets the standard guests have come to expect from the Pavilion.
- Plan the core menu and the changing monthly specials, costing each dish and estimating food and labour costs so that pricing protects the margin.
- Forecast weekly food requirements, place supplier orders and rotate stock, so the kitchen works from fresh, correctly sized deliveries rather than surplus.
- Make and maintain the house-made Napoli and other signature sauces used across the menu, and help keep the Pavs Pantry range consistent with what guests taste in the restaurant.
- Batch-prepare, portion, freeze and preserve sauces, stocks and marinated proteins,



labelling and dating every item so that stock is always used in order.
- Demonstrate cooking techniques, portioning and plating methods to kitchen hands and junior cooks, and advise on procedures whenever a new dish or special is introduced.
- Explain and enforce food safety and hygiene regulations, including temperature logs, cleaning schedules and allergen controls, keeping the kitchen ready for inspection at all times.
- Work through preparation problems, timing issues and dietary or allergen requests with the venue manager, front-of-house team and kitchen staff, so guests with special requirements are served safely and promptly.
- Recruit, train and roster kitchen staff on recipes, hygiene and service standards, and coach new team members through their first weeks on the line.
- Scope and deliver food for functions and private bookings of up to 50 seated guests, working with the venue manager on menus, portions and timing.
- Keep all-day trading running smoothly from the 11:30am opening through to the 9:30pm kitchen close, managing prep schedules, equipment and cleaning across both shifts.

Qualifications and Experience

- At least 1 year of qualified experience working as a chef in a commercial kitchen.
- AQF Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma

Hours and Salary Hours: 38 hours per week - Full-time Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 plus superannuation per annum Personal Attributes We are looking for someone who is:

- Calm and decisive when service is at its busiest
- A clear communicator who works well with the kitchen, the floor and management
- Passionate about consistency, presentation and getting every plate right
- Organised, with a sharp eye for food cost, waste and portion control
- Hospitality-minded, with a warm and friendly approach to a family crowd

How to Apply If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. Please send your resume with a covering letter addressing the key criteria above as the first page of your resume.

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