OMAKAI hand roll bar Downtown - Counter Chef

Counter Sushi ChefOMAKAI Hand Roll Bar is a counter concept restaurant with one aim: to be known for blowing people's minds. Everything we do rests on three guarantees: warm rice for contrast, crispy nori for texture, and kind service. Every guest, every visit.We serve high-quality hand rolls at an accessible price, and we are growing across South Florida and expanding to other cities nationally with our full-service restaurant and hand roll bar concepts. Every seat is at the counter, where guests watch our chefs and servers work together. We hold ourselves to a five-star hotel standard in a casual counter setting, which means the details matter more here than in most restaurants.We treat every guest with genuine kindness and focus heavily on execution. Our team runs on accountability, reliability, and doing what we say we will do.We are seeking Counter Sushi Chefs for our hand roll counter. Guests sit directly in front of you for the length of their meal. We require at least one year of restaurant experience or a strong willingness to learn. Being comfortable talking with guests while you work matters here as much as your knife work and hand roll making skills do.The seat owns three things. First, station prep and mise en place. Every ingredient is prepped and the counter station is stocked, labeled, and organized before service, then replenished throughout. Second, hand roll execution. Every roll is built to OMAKAI Hand Roll Bar standards on composition and portioning, then handed across at its best so the nori stays crispy and the temperature, look, and quality hold. Third, counter hospitality. You explain hand rolls and ingredients, answer questions, and make the counter an interactive, welcoming experience rather than a window guests watch through.We weigh experience, customer service level, knife work, and speed. We are looking for chefs who genuinely enjoy the craft and the counter, who want to work in full view of guests and talk them through what they are eating, who keep prep ahead of the rush instead of catching up during it, and who hold both roll quality and conversation when every seat is full.ResponsibilitiesStation prep and mise en placeHand roll executionCounter hospitality and hand roll explanationAll shiftsQualificationsOne year of restaurant experience is required, or a strong willingness to learnJapanese cuisine knowledge is welcome but not requiredSafeServe or food handling, alcohol serving, allergy compliance, and sexual harassment prevention certifications required, and all can be obtained during training. We cover the cost of the sexual harassment prevention certificateComfortable with a knife for portioning and prep work, and willing to learn our hand roll technique if you have not done this work beforeComfortable working in full view of guests, explaining hand rolls and ingredients and answering questions while you keep up with ticketsAble to learn and memorize the entire food menu in detail, including ingredients, preparation, and presentationAble to maintain both quality and speed through a rushCommunicates well with teammates, servers, and management, especially during a rushReliable transportation to and from the restaurantMust be legally authorized to work in the United StatesWorking ConditionsIndoor counter environment in a restaurant that handles fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, wheat products, rice, dry seaweed, sauces, and many other food and beverage productsCandidates with food allergies must inform management during the application processNoise levels vary depending on how busy the restaurant isYou work behind an open counter in full view of guests seated directly in front of you, with no wall between your station and the dining areaStanding for long periods, with some bending and kneeling to reach items such as plates, knives, sauces, and dry goodsConstant knife handling and contact with raw seafood, including cold and wet productModerate lifting, up to 50 poundsManeuvering in a narrow space behind the counter, between equipment, coworkers, and cornersCharacteristics We ValueDetail-oriented, and you never hand across a roll that does not look rightConsistent, with portioning and presentation that hold up ticket after ticketFast and precise at peak volume, without cutting cornersDisciplined about recipes, standard operating procedures, and food safetyGenuinely kind, with patience for teammates who are still learningConversational, you can explain what you are making while your hands keep movingComposed, you keep your station clean and your presence calm through a full counter, with guests watchingHonest, you say when something is off instead of sending it outTeam first, you support the rest of the counter and the servers before being askedCore ValuesYou read the guest in front of you and provide hospitality from the heart, as if you were serving a family member or friend that you hadn't seen in years. You help a newer chef learn a technique with patience rather than keeping it to yourself.Be reliable. You clock in early with prep complete and labeled, so the counter never waits on you. You stay until the station is broken down and reset for the next service.Blowing minds. Warm rice for contrast, crispy nori for texture, and a tight roll every time. You hand the roll across at the exact moment it is at its best, and you never serve one that has been sitting.Make it happen. When an ingredient runs low mid-service, you prep on the fly and offer the guest a comparable option rather than telling them we are out. You communicate with the Counter Chef Captain instead of letting tickets stall.No drama. You keep a calm, friendly presence at the counter even during a rush. You do not vent about tickets or coworkers within earshot. Gossip has no place at OMAKAI, and the best idea wins no matter who it comes from.Build trust. You never cut a portion or skip a step because it is busy, and you speak up immediately about product that is not right. You follow the recipe and the process rather than improvising to save time.This May Not Be the Right Fit IfYou think the job is just assembling hand rolls and don't want to provide outstanding and genuine service to guestsYou do not want to own prep, station readiness, and labeling before serviceYou want a quiet kitchen station and see guest conversation as an interruption to the ticketsYou think deviating from a recipe or a process is acceptable or okayYour portioning, presentation, or freshness slips once the counter fillsYou would let a roll sit at the station rather than reset your timing to hand it across freshYou bring negativity, gossip, or dark energy behind the counter, where guests can see and hear itYou don't take hygiene and food safety standards seriouslyCompensation & BenefitsCommission model: counter chefs keep a fixed percentage of the service charge (the percentage varies by location), plus an hourly base, plus a split of additional tips between counter chefs, servers, and host/hostesses50% meal discount while working25% meal discount when dining with us as a guest on your own timeMedical insurance reimbursementFree parkingFlexible schedulingA dedicated onboarding and training programEqual Opportunity EmployerOMAKAI is an equal opportunity employer. This employer must notify all applicants of their rights under federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.