Position: Sushi Chef
Restaurant: Zuma
Location: DIFC, Dubai, UAE
Job Type: Full-Time
Experience Level: 2+ years sushi/Japanese kitchen experience, fine dining preferred
Zuma is one of the most recognised contemporary Japanese dining brands in the world, and its Dubai restaurant in DIFC is among the busiest and most demanding kitchens in the city. Known for its robata grill, izakaya-style sharing plates, and a sushi counter that guests specifically request to sit in front of, Zuma is now hiring a Sushi Chef to join its culinary team.
This is not an entry-level sushi counter. Zuma’s kitchen runs on precision, discipline, and consistency at volume — every roll, sashimi cut, and nigiri needs to meet the same standard whether it’s the first order of service or the two-hundredth. If you’ve trained under a structured Japanese kitchen hierarchy and can work fast without sacrificing technique, this role is built for you.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Preparing sushi, sashimi, nigiri, and maki to Zuma’s exact recipe and presentation standards
- Handling fish butchery and breakdown — filleting, portioning, and quality-checking daily deliveries
- Maintaining rice preparation standards, including seasoning, temperature, and texture consistency
- Working the sushi counter during live service, including guest-facing preparation where required
- Monitoring freshness, rotation (FIFO), and cold-chain compliance for all raw seafood
- Coordinating closely with the head chef and kitchen brigade to keep ticket times aligned during peak service
- Maintaining strict hygiene, food safety, and HACCP standards at the sushi station at all times
- Supporting menu development, seasonal specials, and tasting sessions led by senior chefs
What Zuma Is Looking For
- Minimum 2 years of experience as a sushi chef, ideally within a fine-dining or high-volume Japanese restaurant
- Strong knife skills and proven fish-butchery technique
- Deep understanding of Japanese culinary fundamentals — rice, knife discipline, plating, and freshness standards
- Ability to work calmly and precisely under high-pressure, high-cover service
- Experience working within a structured kitchen brigade system
- Good spoken English; Japanese language skills are an advantage but not required
- Valid food safety certification, or willingness to obtain UAE-required certification
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and public holidays, in line with restaurant service hours
Why This Role Is Worth Considering
Zuma’s name carries serious weight on a culinary CV. Training and working within one of the most respected global Japanese restaurant groups builds technical discipline that’s recognised anywhere in the world — not just in Dubai. The brand’s structured brigade system means clear progression paths, from sushi chef to senior sushi chef, sous chef, and beyond, for those who perform consistently.
Working the sushi counter at a restaurant of this calibre also means constant exposure to high-profile guests, premium ingredients, and a pace that sharpens technique far faster than a slower-paced kitchen would. For chefs serious about building a long-term career in Japanese cuisine, few Dubai kitchens offer this level of exposure and training rigor.
SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO
