Chef

Sugoi Cafe is a Japanese-inspired café located in Cairns City, offering quality coffee alongside a distinctive range of Japanese-inspired breakfast, brunch and café dishes.

We are currently seeking an experienced and motivated Chef to join our kitchen team on a full-time basis.

Position: Chef
Location: Cairns City, QLD
Employment Type: Full-time
Hours: 38 hours per week

Key Responsibilities

The successful Chef will be responsible for:

• Planning and developing menus in consultation with management, with a focus on Japanese-inspired café and brunch dishes;
• Preparing, cooking and presenting dishes in accordance with established recipes, quality standards and presentation requirements;
• Monitoring the quality of dishes at all stages of preparation and presentation;
• Managing food preparation and cooking processes to ensure consistent quality and timely service;
• Determining appropriate portion sizes and controlling food costs and wastage;
• Estimating food and ingredient requirements and assisting with ordering and stock control;
• Checking the quality and freshness of ingredients and other food supplies;
• Maintaining appropriate stock rotation and storage procedures;
• Regulating temperatures of ovens, grills and other cooking equipment;
• Preparing and cooking a range of dishes using appropriate culinary techniques;
• Developing and introducing new menu items and seasonal specials where required;
• Ensuring compliance with food safety, hygiene and workplace health and safety requirements;
• Maintaining a clean, organised and hygienic kitchen environment;
• Providing guidance and training to kitchen staff in food preparation, cooking techniques, portion control and presentation standards; and
• Working closely with management and front-of-house staff to ensure efficient kitchen operations and a high standard of customer service.

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:

• Cert IV in commercial cookery qualifications or equivalent relevant experience;
• Previous experience working as a Chef in a café, restaurant or similar commercial kitchen environment;
• Strong knowledge of food preparation, cooking techniques and kitchen operations;
• Experience preparing Japanese or Japanese-inspired cuisine will be highly regarded;
• Sound knowledge of food safety, hygiene and safe food handling requirements;
• Strong organisational and time-management skills;
• Ability to maintain consistent food quality during busy service periods;
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team;
• Good communication and interpersonal skills; and
• Flexibility to work across a rotating roster, including weekends and public holidays as required.

How to Apply

If you are an experienced Chef who is passionate about quality food and would like to join the Sugoi Cafe team in Cairns, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your resume together with a brief cover letter outlining your qualifications, relevant experience and availability.