FLEET SPECIALTY CHEF - BONSAI & TEPPANYAKI

About the role

The Fleet Specialty Chef – Bonsai & Teppanyaki is a senior culinary leadership role responsible for overseeing, standardizing, and elevating Bonsai Sushi restaurants, Teppanyaki dining venues, and all Bonsai-related pop-up culinary concepts across the fleet. This position ensures authentic Japanese cuisine execution, consistent product quality, strict food safety compliance (particularly with raw proteins), and continuous talent development within specialty dining operations. The role provides fleet-wide operational support, menu development, training, audits, innovation, and performance oversight while working closely with Executive Chefs, Specialty Outlet leadership, hotel operations, and shoreside culinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee fleet-wide operations for Bonsai Sushi, Teppanyaki restaurants, and Bonsai-branded pop-up concepts
• Provide hands-on operational support, coaching, mentoring, and performance oversight to specialty culinary teams
• Support new ship openings, specialty venue launches, and temporary pop-up activations
• Monitor service execution, production flow, food safety, knife handling, and brand consistency across all vessels
• Ensure premium guest dining experiences in all Japanese specialty platforms

Menu Development & Innovation

• Design, standardize, and maintain menus for Bonsai Sushi restaurants, Teppanyaki dining venues, and Bonsai pop-up and event-based concepts
• Develop seasonal features, promotional menus, and premium Japanese culinary offerings
• Maintain authenticity while ensuring fleet operational feasibility and cost efficiency

Culinary Expertise

• Demonstrated mastery in traditional and modern sushi production
• Sashimi handling and raw seafood preparation
• Nigiri, maki, specialty rolls, and contemporary plating
• Japanese hot kitchen items (tempura, teriyaki, ramen, donburi, yakitori, etc.)
• Teppanyaki-style live cooking performance (where applicable)
• Fish butchery, yield optimization, and advanced knife skills
• Strong knowledge of Japanese culinary culture, ingredients, and global Asian influences

Training & Talent Development

• Train, mentor, and develop Bonsai Chefs, Sushi Cooks, Teppanyaki Chefs, and specialty culinary teams fleet-wide
• Support progression programs, food trials, skills validation, and role profile compliance
• Establish standardized recipes, prep guides, cutting charts, and presentation standards
• Build succession planning and long-term bench strength across specialty outlets

Cost Control & Quality Assurance

• Drive food cost efficiency while maintaining premium seafood and ingredient standards
• Monitor portion control, yield management, wastage reduction, and inventory practices
• Partner with provisioning and culinary leadership on sourcing specifications and vendor quality
• Conduct operational audits, performance reviews, and corrective action plans across ships

Equipment & Food Safety Oversight

• Enforce HACCP, sanitation, temperature control, raw protein handling, and cross-contamination prevention
• Ensure proper use and maintenance of sushi cases, refrigeration, knives, grills, teppanyaki equipment, and specialty tools
• Coordinate with technical and hotel operations to minimize equipment downtime

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Stay current with global sushi trends, Japanese culinary innovations, and evolving guest expectations
• Introduce new concepts while maintaining high-volume operational efficiency
• Contribute to brand development and specialty dining excellence fleet-wide

Minimum Requirements

• Extensive senior-level experience in Japanese cuisine and sushi operations
• Teppanyaki or live cooking specialty concepts
• Cruise lines, luxury hotels, or high-volume specialty restaurant environments
• Strong background in raw seafood handling and premium specialty dining execution
• Proven leadership in training multicultural culinary teams
• Demonstrated experience in menu development, cost control, and quality assurance
• Strong organizational, communication, and operational leadership skills
• Ability to travel extensively across fleet operations

Core Competencies

• Fleet-level specialty culinary leadership
• Japanese cuisine authenticity with operational scalability
• Training & talent pipeline development
• Cost control & yield optimization
• Food safety excellence (especially raw proteins)
• Brand consistency & premium guest experience
• Strong collaboration with the shipboard and shoreside team