Sous Chef

Kato has become a destination for fine dining in Los Angeles. Since its inception nearly eight years ago, chef/owner Jon Yao has offered a menu that pays homage to his roots and identity as a Taiwanese American born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. The flavors are familiar to many while presentation is unexpected, and hospitality is refreshingly sincere. The restaurant has earned and retained a Michelin Star since 2019, while Yao has recently received the distinction of this year’s Young Chef Award from Michelin. Notably in 2023, Kato also topped the Los Angeles Times’ 101 Best Restaurants list, and the year before Yao was selected as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs, among many other accolades.

Join the Kato Restaurant team in providing high quality service to our guests in a warm, accommodating and professional manner. We are seeking hard working and passionate Sous Chef to join the team.

Job Summary: The Sous Chef will be responsible for preparing, cooking and garnishing various foods efficiently within our Kato standards in every aspect. Included in this role, you will also be responsible for serving and describing the dishes to our guests, as well as clearing and resetting tables, which will be taught to you by our experienced front of house management team.

Responsibilities:

• An unwavering commitment to excellence and hospitality
• Basic understanding of dining room and kitchen operations
• Established and maintain positive relationships with our purveyors
• Full understanding and implementation of culinary standards and systems
• Consistent and efficient operations of all things related to the culinary program
• Assisting in purchases, cost of goods, waste, and inventory for the kitchen
• Recruitment, hiring, training, and scheduling of highly motivated, friendly, knowledgeable, and experience culinary professionals
• Planning, R&D, and implementation of menus under the intellectual property of Kato
• Taking monthly inventory and ordering supplies to ensure the kitchen is well-stocked
• Ensures all legal requirements are adhered to (i.e., wage and hour/breaks, health and safety, etc)
• Knowledge of food service regulations and proper food handling procedures
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
• Maintains standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation which help ensure consistently high quality and to minimize food costs
• Ensure a safe and productive work environment
• Executing menu items from start to finish, which includes but not limited to: preparation of ingredients, butchery of proteins, cooking and plating of menu items
• Delivering, clearing and resetting dishes that were executed by you and the kitchen
• Working collaboratively with kitchen and dining room staff
• Regular and predictable attendance and punctuality

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education: High School diploma or general education degree (GED)

Required Experience:

• Minimum 2 years fine dining experience in a related position
• Understanding of various cooking methods, ingredients, equipment and procedures
• Must have solid knowledge of food product and be able to skillfully apply culinary techniques
• Knowledge of food preparation and cooking with high attention to detail in plating
• A passion for food, exceptional work ethic and dedication

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Serv Safe Manager’s Certification
• Strong knowledge of CA State sanitation regulations
• Advanced understanding of professional cooking and knife handling
• Ability to work in a team and independently with minimum supervision
• Ability to communicate effectively both written and verbal
• Must be detailed-oriented, have a team-based mentality and superb multitasking skills
• Excellent attitude, team player and ability to create positive work environments
• Has the ability to taste all foods to assure correct preparation
• Product cost and quality conscious
• Must be able to work nights, weekends, and some holidays
• Able to speak, read, write, and under the English language
• Knowledge of kitchen operations and production

Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel objects, tools or controls, reach over head with hands and arms; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.

Work Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and is regularly exposed to extreme heat. The employee is occasionally exposed to extreme cold.

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive; it is intended to identify major responsibilities and requirements of the job. The employee in this position may be requested to perform other job-related tasks and responsibilities than those stated above.

Kato Restaurant is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or on the basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Compensation Details

Compensation: Based on experience