Head Chef - Hawaiian Street Food Menu

About the role

The Head Chef owns the El Ta'koy kitchen in Doha: taste, consistency, speed, presentation, food safety and food cost. The role delivers Chef Luis Pous's Hawaiian street food menu (poke, tacos, bao, small and sharing plates) to brand specification in a high-volume food hall, adapted for the Qatar market with fully halal sourcing and alcohol-free sauces and marinades. It leads the brigade, runs ordering and stock, and keeps the kitchen ready for Qatar MoPH inspections. Kitchen and bar share one management structure, working closely with the Bar Manager.

Key responsibilities

• Pre-opening (first 8-10 weeks): localise the menu with halal-certified proteins and local produce, build market lists and supplier accounts, write and test recipe cards and prep sheets, recruit and train the brigade, and agree the menu approval process with the landlord
• Daily kitchen operations: run opening and closing, deliver dishes to brand spec, hold ticket times at peak and manage raw fish service safely
• Purchasing, stock and cost control: order stock, run weekly counts and monthly inventory, hit the target food cost and manage labour to the rota budget
• Food safety: keep the kitchen MoPH-compliant, maintain HACCP records, enforce hygiene and allergen controls, and respond to audits with a written action plan within 7 days
• People leadership: set the rota, brief the team, develop the Sous Chef, complete probation reviews and handle discipline in line with HR policy
• Menu development: propose specials and seasonal items, fully costed, and never change recipes or suppliers without written approval from the Brand Executive Chef

Required profile

• 7+ years in professional kitchens, including 2+ years as Head Chef or Chef de Cuisine, with opening experience and multi-unit or franchise brand experience
• 4+ years in pan-Asian kitchens (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Southeast Asian) or Hawaiian/Pacific Rim cuisine, and Latin/Mexican (tacos, salsas, masa)
• HACCP Level 3 (or equivalent) and Qatar food handler / PIC certifications already held
• Culinary diploma or equivalent experience, fluent English and Arabic or an Asian language
• Able to stand full shifts and lift 20 kg regularly

Required skills

• Raw fish handling, sushi rice, wok and high-heat cooking, marinades and glazes from scratch, grill and fry stations, bao and steamed doughs, pickling and fermentation
• Basic pastry
• Food cost control, stock and waste management, recipe costing in Excel / POS and inventory systems