Executive Chef

Position Summary

Desi Dragon is seeking an experienced, hands-on Executive Chef to lead culinary operations and build a disciplined, high-performing kitchen team. The role leads menu execution, recipe development, food quality, kitchen workflow, sanitation, training, waste control, and team performance. Professional experience with both Indian and Chinese cuisine is required; Indo-Chinese experience is highly preferred.

Purchasing, vendor management, inventory accounting, supplier negotiations, and overall restaurant food-cost management are primarily owned by the Restaurant Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all culinary and kitchen operations.
• Maintain strong standards for Indian and Chinese cuisine.
• Develop, test, document, and standardize recipes.
• Establish plating, portioning, preparation, and food-quality standards.
• Supervise and develop the Sous Chef, Line Cooks, Junior Cooks, and kitchen support staff.
• Train kitchen employees on recipes, techniques, equipment use, sanitation, and kitchen procedures.
• Organize prep systems, stations, mise en place, production schedules, and kitchen workflows.
• Monitor service execution and resolve kitchen bottlenecks.
• Conduct food-quality checks before and during service.
• Minimize waste, overproduction, preparation errors, and improper portioning.
• Maintain kitchen sanitation and inspection readiness.
• Establish opening, closing, cleaning, and food-safety procedures.
• Collaborate with the Restaurant Manager regarding ingredient needs, shortages, quality concerns, and operational requirements.
• Support hiring and practical assessment of kitchen employees.
• Participate in menu development, tastings, special events, guest interactions, and restaurant promotions.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5-10 years of professional culinary experience, including at least 3-6 years in a kitchen leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated professional experience preparing Indian and Chinese cuisine.
• Strong knowledge of Indian spices, curries, proteins, rice preparations, breads, sauces, and regional flavor profiles.
• Strong knowledge of Chinese wok cooking, marinades, sauces, stir-frying, steaming, frying, and preparation techniques.
• Strong knife and professional cooking skills.
• Experience developing and standardizing recipes.
• Experience training and supervising kitchen staff.
• Strong food-safety and sanitation knowledge.
• Ability to lead high-volume service.
• Strong verbal communication and organizational ability.
• Availability Monday through Sunday according to the agreed employment schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

Core Soft Skills

• Leadership and accountability.
• Strong communication and coaching ability.
• Attention to detail and organization.
• Decision-making and problem solving.
• Creativity and adaptability.
• Calmness under pressure.
• Professionalism and guest awareness.

Hiring Process

Candidates will receive a clear preview of the interview and evaluation process. The anticipated process includes:

• Application and resume review.
• Structured interview focused on culinary leadership, Indian and Chinese cuisine experience, team management, and operational judgment.
• Practical culinary assessment evaluated using defined criteria.
• Final discussion and reference checks before a hiring decision.

Candidates will be informed in advance of any practical testing expectations and how they will be evaluated.

Preferred Qualifications

• Indo-Chinese culinary experience.
• Restaurant-opening experience.
• Catering or events experience.
• NYC Food Protection Certificate. 
• Comfort appearing and speaking on camera for appropriate restaurant marketing, team content, or promotional activities.
• Ability to speak Bengali is a plus but is not required.

Situational Question

During a busy dinner service at Desi Dragon, several orders are already delayed, one of the strongest Line Cooks calls out unexpectedly, and a guest returns a dish because the flavor is inconsistent with a previous visit. At the same time, the Executive Chef notices that one kitchen station is not following the standardized recipe correctly.

The candidate should explain how they would handle the situation, including:

• What they would address first and why.
• How they would reorganize the kitchen team for the remainder of service.
• How they would handle the guest's food-quality concern.
• How they would address the employee who was not following the standardized recipe.
• What they would do after service to reduce the likelihood of the same issues happening again.

The response should be concise but detailed enough to demonstrate the candidate's approach to prioritization, leadership, communication, quality control, and problem solving.

Why Join Desi Dragon

This is an opportunity for an experienced Executive Chef to help shape the culinary foundation of a new restaurant from the ground up.

The role offers:

• A major leadership opportunity. The Executive Chef will have meaningful influence over kitchen systems, recipe standards, team development, service execution, and the overall culinary direction of Desi Dragon.
• A spacious professional kitchen environment. The kitchen is being designed to support serious restaurant operations, training, organization, and high-volume execution.
• Access to modern tools and technology. DM Plaza intends to equip its teams with strong operational and restaurant technology to support efficient day-to-day work.
• Autonomy with accountability. The work environment is intended to give strong performers room to lead without unnecessary micromanagement, while maintaining clear expectations around execution, quality, and results.
• Performance-driven growth. Strong performance, leadership, and measurable results can create opportunities for increased responsibility and compensation over time.
• An opportunity to build a team. The Executive Chef will help shape, train, and develop the kitchen team during the restaurant’s opening phase.
• Creative involvement. The role includes participation in menu development, recipe testing, tastings, events, guest experiences, and restaurant promotions.
• A visible role in a growing hospitality concept. The Executive Chef will be part of the opening and development of Desi Dragon within the broader DM Plaza project.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit the following application materials to hiring@dhanmondiplaza.com:

• Current resume.
• Brief cover note or introduction summarizing relevant Executive Chef or kitchen leadership experience.
• Summary of professional experience with both Indian and Chinese cuisine.
• Relevant menu samples, food photos, portfolio materials, or examples of dishes or restaurant concepts developed, if available.
• A written response to the situational question.