Executive Chef at HIKARI MIAMI Surfside, FL

Executive Chef job at HIKARI MIAMI. Surfside, FL. 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.