Head Chef - Yubi

Company Overview

Launched in Dubai in 2025, YUBI, created in partnership with acclaimed Chef Reif Othman is the UAE’s first homegrown handroll bar, celebrating Japanese craftsmanship, culture, and creativity. Inspired by the art of omakase and the energy of Tokyo’s dining scene, YUBI reimagines the traditional sushi experience through a modern, social lens.

YUBI is about connection between chef and guest, flavours and texture, culture and curiosity. Every handroll is made to order, every detail intentional, creating a dining journey that feels both intimate and vibrant. With bold flavours, minimalist design, and a soulful atmosphere, YUBI transforms simplicity into sophistication redefining how Dubai experiences Japanese cuisine.

Role Overview

You will run the kitchen day to day, setting the standard for quality, consistency, and food safety, while leading and developing the team. You will also be the face of the brand: engaging with guests, appearing in social media content, and representing YUBI at promotional events.

We are not looking for someone who simply manages a kitchen. We want a technically strong, commercially minded, charismatic chef who leads from the front and becomes a recognizable face of YUBI.

Key Responsibilities

• Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Craft: Prepare and oversee handrolls, sushi, and sashimi to YUBI’s standards, applying precise technique in rice preparation, fish handling, and knife skills. Execute the menus accurately and give feedback on dish performance and guest preferences.
• Leadership & Team Management: Lead, train, and develop chefs and kitchen staff, maintaining discipline, technique, and accountability across the team.
• Operational & Commercial Management: Manage daily inventory, ordering, and stock levels, controlling food cost, waste, and labour productivity while supporting menu profitability.
• Quality & Consistency: Ensure every dish meets standards for rice quality, seafood freshness, temperature, portioning, and presentation, including during high-volume service.
• Food Safety & Hygiene: Enforce HACCP standards, with particular focus on raw seafood handling, temperature control, storage, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Guest Engagement & Brand Representation: Engage confidently with guests from the open kitchen, maintain a polished and presentable appearance, and represent YUBI in photo and video content, on social media, and at promotional events.
• Hands-On Leadership: Lead from the front on the line, keeping energy high and adapting quickly in a fast-paced, guest-facing environment.
• Pre-Opening Support: Where applicable, support restaurant openings through recruitment, training, SOP implementation, and kitchen systems setup.
  
  

• Technical mastery of Japanese cuisine: sushi, sashimi, handrolls, rice, fish handling, and knife skills
• Proven experience leading and developing a kitchen team, ideally as Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef
• Commercial awareness: food cost, inventory, waste, and labour productivity
• Charismatic and comfortable engaging guests in an open kitchen, on camera, and at brand events
• HACCP knowledge, especially raw seafood handling and cross-contamination prevention
• Preferred: experience in the UAE with an established, well-regarded Japanese restaurant or sushi brand