Job Description

Sushi Chef

Location: Chicago, IL (Fulton Market)

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

About OMAKAI

OMAKAI is a traditional sushi 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 traditional sushi at an accessible price, and we are growing across South Florida and expanding to other cities nationally with our full-service restaurants and hand roll bars. We aim to hold ourselves to a five-star hotel standard in a casual dining room, which means the details matter here more than they do 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 Sushi Chefs at every level of our kitchen, from our roll and sashimi stations through our nigiri line. We require at least one year of restaurant experience for our entry-level Sushi Chef positions or a strong willingness to learn, and our senior stations require two or more years of hands-on nigiri and neta work.

Our sushi chefs work in four levels, and this posting is open to all of them. Chef B owns sashimi and the roll section. Chef B2 owns plating and saucing, the finishing station where every outgoing plate meets our presentation standard. Chef A2 owns neta prep and takeout nigiri, cutting and portioning all fish and toppings and keeping the nigiri station stocked and labeled before service. Chef A owns nigiri prep and service, the most demanding seat in the kitchen, where rice, fish placement, and presentation have to be identical from the first ticket to the last.

Where you start depends on your experience, knife work, and speed, and every level has a clear path to the next. We are looking for chefs who have done this work before or are strongly motivated to learn, know what excellence looks like, are genuinely kind, and bring high standards to the station.

Responsibilities

Sashimi (Chef B)

• Slice and plate all sashimi to standard with proper fish handling and freshness
• Keep fish at proper temperature and follow every handling and storage step
• Check quality before plating and pull anything that falls below standard
• Keep cuts precise and consistent from the first order to the last

Roll Section Prep and Service (Chef B)

• Set up roll station mise en place before service
• Execute every hand roll, cut roll, and specialty roll accurately and on time
• Keep rolls tight and consistent, and never send an open hand roll or a sloppy plate to the window
• Sequence the work when sashimi and rolls fire at once so neither station falls behind

Plating and Saucing Service (Chef B2)

• Apply sauces, garnishes, and finishing touches to every outgoing plate to our presentation standard
• Have sauces, garnishes, and finishing components prepped and ready before service so nothing slows the pass
• Hold presentation standards when plates pile up at the finishing station
• Use your peripheral vision to catch what needs help and jump in to support other line positions
• Raise a presentation or component problem with expo or the kitchen manager rather than finishing and running a substandard plate

Neta Prep (Chef A2)

• Cut and portion all fish and toppings to OMAKAI standards
• Keep the nigiri station fully stocked and labeled before service starts, every shift
• Break fish down efficiently when neta runs low during a rush and communicate with the kitchen manager
• Flag fish that is past its window or a labeling error immediately

Takeout Nigiri Service (Chef A2)

• Execute accurate, consistent nigiri on every takeout ticket
• Cut takeout neta with the same care as a dine-in plate
• Keep the station clean and organized and the tickets moving when takeout orders stack up
• Never let an inconsistent or off-looking piece go into a takeout box

Nigiri Prep and Service (Chef A)

• Prep and portion all nigiri components to standard before service
• Execute every order with consistent rice, fish placement, and presentation
• Deliver warm rice for contrast and precise fish placement on every piece
• Hold the station through a full rush without losing rice or fish consistency
• Pull in support before quality slips rather than cutting corners
• Taste and check quality thoroughly, and refuse to serve any product that falls below standard

All Levels

• Follow our recipe books and standard operating procedures exactly, on every item, every shift
• Prepare sushi rice to recipe, including washing, cooking, cutting, and seasoning
• Clean and filet a variety of fish and mollusks at the level your station requires
• Complete opening, running, and closing side work, including cleaning your station at the end of each meal period and storing food properly
• Minimize waste of fish, food, and kitchen supplies
• Support inventory and ordering accuracy, including checking that deliveries match what was ordered
• Contribute to training newer chefs and cooks when needed

Qualifications

• One year of restaurant experience is required for Chef B, and two or more years for our senior neta and nigiri stations (Chef A)
• Japanese cuisine knowledge is welcome but not required
• SafeServe, 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
• Skilled with a knife, including cleaning, filleting, and portioning a variety of fish and mollusks, is required for senior stations, but we are willing to train highly motivated candidates for entry-level positions
• 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, expo, 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 kitchen 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
• The kitchen is an enclosed space with a single dispatch window looking out over the dining floor
• 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 between tabletops, kitchen equipment, and corners

Characteristics We Value

• Detail-oriented, and you never let a plate that does not look right go out the window
• 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
• Composed, you keep your station clean and calm through a full rush
• Honest, you say when something is off instead of sending it out
• Team first, you support another station before being asked

Core Values

• You handle fish with the care of someone serving family, and you cut a takeout guest's neta with the same care as a dine-in plate. You help a newer chef learn a portioning cut with patience rather than keeping the technique to yourself.
• Be Reliable.Your station is prepped, stocked, and labeled before service starts, every shift, so the line never waits on you. You hold the same rice, fish, and timing consistency from the first ticket to the last.
• Blowing Minds.Warm rice for contrast, precise fish placement, tight rolls, and clean sashimi cuts on every piece. A plate that looks off never leaves your hands, and an inconsistent piece never goes into a takeout box.
• Make It Happen.When neta runs low or the station gets buried, you break fish down faster, sequence the work, and pull in support before quality slips. You communicate with the kitchen manager instead of letting tickets stall.
• No Drama.You stay calm and focused when the roll station is slammed or takeout orders stack up, keeping the area clean and the team steady. Gossip has no place at OMAKAI, and the best idea wins no matter who it comes from.
• Build Trust.You flag fish that is past its window, a labeling error, or a timing problem to the kitchen manager immediately instead of sending it out. 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 nigiri, drizzling sauce, or making rolls
• You do not want to own prep, station readiness, and labeling before service
• You see prep and takeout as grunt work and only care about being on the line
• You think deviating from a recipe or a process is acceptable or okay
• Your portioning, presentation, or freshness slips once the rush starts
• You get buried when sashimi and rolls fire at once
• You bring negativity, gossip, or dark energy into the kitchen
• You don’t take hygiene and food safety standards seriously

Compensation & Benefits

• $19 to $25 per hour, depending on experience and skill level, determined by a skill assessment and a speed assessment
• 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.