About this role
Line Cook
Location: Coconut Grove, FL
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 looking for a Line Cook to join our kitchen and learn the foundation station. No previous kitchen experience is required and we will train you, so this is a strong first step for someone who wants a career in a sushi kitchen. Japanese restaurant experience is a plus but not required.
This seat owns four things: sushi rice, appetizers, desserts, and takeout assembly. You cook and hold rice to standard for every service, execute all hot and cold appetizers and desserts on time, and pack takeout orders accurately in coordination with the rest of the line and the hostess stand. It is the foundation of everything the kitchen sends out, which is why rice quality, timing, and takeout accuracy matter as much here as they do at any station. Line Cooks at OMAKAI have a direct path to our sushi chef positions. We are looking for someone who is hungry to learn, reliable, genuinely kind, and brings high standards to the station.
Responsibilities
Rice
• Wash, portion, cook, and season sushi rice to OMAKAI standards for every service
• Monitor temperature, texture, and quality throughout the shift so rice is consistent from the first ticket to the last
• Deliver warm, properly seasoned rice on every batch
• Start the next batch early when rice runs short mid-service rather than letting the line run dry
• Tell the kitchen manager when a batch is not up to standard instead of using it anyway
Appetizers
• Prepare and execute all hot and cold appetizer items to standard
• Maintain prep levels throughout service so the station never runs short
• Time appetizers to the flow of each table's experience
• Check every plate before it leaves the station and pull anything that falls below standard
Desserts
• Prepare and plate all dessert items to standard
• Have desserts prepped and stocked ahead of service
• Hold quality and presentation throughout the shift
• Keep dessert components labeled, dated, and rotated
Takeout Assembly
• Assemble and pack all takeout orders accurately and efficiently
• Coordinate with the builder and hostess seats so every handoff to a guest or delivery driver is timely and complete
• Check each order against the ticket before it is sealed
• Pack orders neatly so food arrives the way it left the kitchen
• Keep the station clean and the tickets moving when takeout orders stack up
Every Shift
• Follow our recipe books and standard operating procedures exactly, on every item, every shift
• 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 food and kitchen supplies
• Support inventory and ordering accuracy, including checking that deliveries match what was ordered
• Handle food safely and follow all company, federal, state, and local health and safety requirements
• Support teammates and other stations, including the dishwasher, without being asked
Qualifications
• No previous kitchen experience required, we will train you
• 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
• Able to learn and memorize the recipes and menu items for this station in detail, including ingredients, preparation, and presentation
• Comfortable following a recipe and a process exactly, every time
• Able to maintain both quality and speed through a rush
• Communicates well with teammates and management, especially during a rush
• Available for nights and weekends
• 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
• Work around hot equipment, knives, and raw seafood, including cold and wet product
• Moderate lifting, up to 50 pounds
• Maneuvering between tabletops, kitchen equipment, and corners
Characteristics We Value
• Hungry to learn, and you take feedback as a way to get better
• Reliable, and your station is prepped and ready before service starts
• Consistent, with rice, plating, and packing that hold up ticket after ticket
• Organized, and you keep the foundation station calm when apps, desserts, and takeout all hit at once
• Detail-oriented, and you check an order against the ticket before it is sealed
• Genuinely kind, and you support a teammate or the dishwasher without being asked
• Honest, and you say when something is off instead of sending it out
• Team first, and you understand that what leaves your station shapes every guest's experience
Core Values
• You understand that rice, appetizers, and packing shape every guest's experience. You support the dishwasher or a teammate without being asked.
• Be Reliable. You cook and hold sushi rice to standard all shift, and you prep appetizers and desserts before service.
• Blowing Minds. You deliver warm, properly seasoned rice on every batch, plate appetizers and desserts to standard, and pack takeout orders accurately and neatly.
• Make It Happen. When rice or a prep item runs short mid-service, you start the next batch early and coordinate with the line rather than letting the station run dry.
• No Drama. You stay cool, calm, and organized even when appetizers, desserts, and takeout all hit at once. Gossip has no place at OMAKAI, and the best idea wins no matter who it comes from.
• Build Trust. You tell the kitchen manager when a rice batch or a prep item is not up to standard instead of using it anyway.
This May Not Be the Right Fit If
• You think this is just basic prep and does not affect the rest of the kitchen
• You treat rice, appetizers, and packing as unimportant
• You are not driven to hit consistency or timing
• You do not want to own station readiness before service starts
• You would use a batch or a prep item that is not up to standard rather than flag it
• You bring negativity, gossip, or dark energy into the kitchen
Compensation & Benefits
• $18 to $19 per hour, depending on experience
• A direct path to our sushi chef positions
• 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.