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HIKARI MIAMI

Executive Chef

HIKARI MIAMI, Surfside, Florida, United States

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Executive Chef — Japanese Fine Dining Location :

[Hikari Miami, Surfside, Florida]

Reports to :

[Owner / GM / Director of Ops]

Role Summary Leads the culinary vision and execution of an upscale Japanese kitchen (omakase / kaiseki / robata / sushi). Owns menu R&D, sourcing, fish and rice programs, and service standards. Builds and mentors a world‑class brigade, protects food safety and consistency, and steers kitchen financial performance.

Key Responsibilities: Culinary Leadership & Menu Design seasonal menus (omakase / à la carte), chef’s tastings, and pairing menus that honor Japanese technique and luxury ingredients.

Codify recipes, specs, knife cuts, rice prep (wash / soak / steam / season), dashi fundamentals, tare / sauces, pickling / fermentation, aging / curing, tempura, kushiyaki / robata, and sashimi / sushi standards with photos and plating guides.

Calibrate taste and presentation daily; lead lineups and pre‑service tastings.

Sourcing & Product Integrity Manage premium procurement: auction‑grade seafood (Tsukiji / Toyosu import partners), wagyu (A5 / Prefecture‑specific), uni, toro, caviar, seasonal produce, specialty pantry (koji, miso, katsuobushi, kombu).

Build vendor SLAs (quality, traceability, delivery windows); implement receiving, temperature logging, and yield tracking for whole‑fish butchery.

Operations & Financials Own kitchen P&L :

COGS, labor, waste, smallwares; maintain target food cost and contribution margins via recipe costing, portion control, and menu engineering.

Create prep lists, pars, station maps, and service flows to hit luxury‑level ticket times without compromising craft.

Oversee inventory cycles, waste logs, and corrective actions.

Team & Culture Recruit, train, and performance‑manage all BOH roles (CDC, sous, sushi chefs, robata cooks, pastry liaison, prep, stewards).

Coach Japanese culinary technique, knife safety / maintenance, and hospitality standards; build bench strength and succession plans.

Foster a calm, disciplined, respectful kitchen with continuous improvement.

Quality, Safety & Compliance Enforce HACCP and seafood‑specific controls: time / temperature, parasite destruction (where applicable), shellfish tags, allergen protocols, labeling, and sanitation.

Maintain A‑level health inspections; schedule preventive maintenance on specialized equipment (sushi cases, robata grills, binchotan management, blast chiller, rice cookers / warmer cabinets, combi ovens).

Service Excellence & Brand Lead expo and be present on sushi / robata lines during peak periods; coach in the moment.

Collaborate with Beverage on sake, Japanese whisky, and tea pairings; support Marketing with menu language, photography, and PR moments.

Execute chef’s tables, seasonal festivals (e.g., matsutake, cherry blossom), and off‑site activations.

Qualifications 5–8+ years progressive culinary leadership; 2–3 years as Executive Chef or CDC in fine dining (Japanese or Michelin‑level preferred).

Mastery of Japanese technique (knife work, rice, dashi, nigiri, sashimi, tempura, robata); strong plating and flavor discipline.

Proven P&L ownership and menu engineering; vendor negotiation experience.

Current Food Manager Certification; deep HACCP knowledge.

Competencies Taste & Technique

Leadership & Coaching

Precision & Discipline

Cross‑Team Communication

Financial Acumen

Calm Under Pressure

KPI Targets (customize) Food Cost :

24–30% |

Kitchen Labor :

18–22% |

Weekly Waste :

≤ 1.5% of COGS

Health Inspection :

A / 95+ |

Avg. Ticket Times :

Apps ≤ 10 min / Mains ≤ 20 min / Omakase cadence ≤ 8 min / course

90‑Day BOH Retention : ≥ 85% | Guest Food Sentiment : ≥ 4.7 / 5

Schedule & Compensation Schedule :

Full‑time; nights / weekends / holidays as needed.

Compensation : $[Range] base + KPI bonus.

Benefits :

Medical / Dental / Vision, PTO, dining perks, professional development.

Tools & Systems Inventory / recipes :

[MarketMan, MarginEdge, xtraCHEF]

Scheduling / payroll :

[7shifts, Toast, ADP]

POS : [Toast / Square]

Temp & HACCP logs : [Therma / MeazureUp]

Physical Requirements Stand / walk extended periods; lift / carry up to 50 lbs; work in hot / cold environments; repetitive knife work.

EEO Statement [Company] is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive workplace.

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