Job Description

Hand Roll Bar Counter Sushi Chef

Location: Chicago, IL (River North)

Employment Type: Full-Time (30-40 hours)

About OMAKAI Hand Roll Bar

OMAKAI 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.

Position Overview

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.

Responsibilities

Station Prep and Mise en Place

• Prep and maintain every ingredient the counter needs for service
• Have the counter station fully stocked, labeled, and organized before service begins
• Replenish prep throughout service so the station never runs short mid shift
• Keep fish and all product at proper temperature and follow every handling and storage step
• Flag product that is past its window or a labeling error immediately

Hand Roll Execution

• Execute every hand roll to OMAKAI Hand Roll Bar standards on composition and portioning
• Hand each roll across at the moment it is at its best so the nori stays crispy
• Hold temperature, visual appeal, and quality on every roll
• Never serve a roll that has been sitting, and never send an open hand roll
• Hold pace and roll quality through a full counter without cutting a portion or skipping a step

Counter Hospitality and Hand Roll Explanation

• Engage the guests seated in front of you throughout service
• Explain hand rolls and ingredients, and answer questions about the menu and preparation
• Read the guest and adjust, giving a first timer a full walkthrough and a regular their usual
• Keep a calm, friendly presence at the counter even during a rush
• Offer a comparable option when an ingredient runs low rather than telling a guest we are out

All Shifts

• Follow our recipe books and standard operating procedures exactly, on every item, every shift
• Prepare sushi rice to recipe when the shift calls for it, including washing, cooking, cutting, and seasoning
• Complete opening, running, and closing side work, including breaking down and resetting the station for the next service and storing food properly
• Minimize waste of fish, food, and supplies
• Support inventory and ordering accuracy, including checking that deliveries match what was ordered
• Coordinate with the Counter Chef Captain, servers, and the rest of the counter to keep service moving
• Contribute to training newer chefs when needed

Qualifications

• One year of restaurant experience is required, or a strong willingness to learn
• Japanese cuisine knowledge is welcome but not required
• SafeServe 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 certificate
• Comfortable with a knife for portioning and prep work, and willing to learn our hand roll technique if you have not done this work before
• Comfortable working in full view of guests, explaining hand rolls and ingredients and answering questions while you keep up with tickets
• Able to learn and memorize the entire food menu in detail, including ingredients, preparation, and presentation
• Able to maintain both quality and speed through a rush
• Communicates well with teammates, servers, and management, especially during a rush
• Reliable transportation to and from the restaurant
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States

Working Conditions

• Indoor counter environment in a restaurant that handles fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, wheat products, rice, dry seaweed, sauces, and many other food and beverage products
• Candidates with food allergies must inform management during the application process
• Noise levels vary depending on how busy the restaurant is
• You 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 area
• Standing for long periods, with some bending and kneeling to reach items such as plates, knives, sauces, and dry goods
• Constant knife handling and contact with raw seafood, including cold and wet product
• Moderate lifting, up to 50 pounds
• Maneuvering in a narrow space behind the counter, between equipment, coworkers, and corners

Characteristics We Value

• Detail-oriented, and you never hand across a roll that does not look right
• Consistent, with portioning and presentation that hold up ticket after ticket
• Fast and precise at peak volume, without cutting corners
• Disciplined about recipes, standard operating procedures, and food safety
• Genuinely kind, with patience for teammates who are still learning
• Conversational, you can explain what you are making while your hands keep moving
• Composed, you keep your station clean and your presence calm through a full counter, with guests watching
• Honest, you say when something is off instead of sending it out
• Team first, you support the rest of the counter and the servers before being asked

Core Values

• You 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 If

• You think the job is just assembling hand rolls and don’t want to provide outstanding and genuine service to guests
• You do not want to own prep, station readiness, and labeling before service
• You want a quiet kitchen station and see guest conversation as an interruption to the tickets
• You think deviating from a recipe or a process is acceptable or okay
• Your portioning, presentation, or freshness slips once the counter fills
• You would let a roll sit at the station rather than reset your timing to hand it across fresh
• You bring negativity, gossip, or dark energy behind the counter, where guests can see and hear it
• You don’t take hygiene and food safety standards seriously

Compensation & Benefits

• Commission 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/hostesses
• 50% meal discount while working
• 25% meal discount when dining with us as a guest on your own time
• Medical insurance reimbursement
• Free parking
• Flexible scheduling
• A dedicated onboarding and training program

Equal Opportunity Employer

OMAKAI 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.