J-1 Culinary Trainee

Training Plan: Orientation (0,5 month): You will receive orientation to the company and local community and includes learning about our company’s customers, culture, business strategies, etc.; learn about payroll schedules and payroll tax withholding; local training area, housing options, apartment complexes and transportation options; meet key contacts and other employees; receive computer training on company systems; receive orientation to local community including cultural centers, volunteer opportunities, local sporting events, and entertainment venues. Orientation is scheduled to take up to one month and takes places concurrently with the first phase of training. Garde Manger Demi Chef (3,5 months): You will learn to prepare and coordinate the production of cold food items in order to maintain high standards of quality; learn American contemporary styles of presenting food and preparation of buffets; learn to prepare all cold food items for buffet, banquet and restaurant use according to standard recipes, visually inspect appearance of all cold food for proper color combination and overall presentation to maintain appeal; prepare requisitions for supplies and food items for production in work stations; check and control proper storage of all food items in refrigerators and freezers to maintain product freshness. Sauce/Soup Demi Chef (4 months): You will learn process for preparing four essential parts of stock, demonstrate three methods for preparing stocks; identify the two basic kinds of soups and prepare using the basic ingredients for broth, consommé, puree, clear, and cream soups; learn grand sauces and prepare several kinds of sauces; cooking and cooling techniques for beef and chicken stock, de-grease stocks and finish product; learn planning and preparing clear, cream, puree, chowder, and cold soups; participate in soup and sauce cookery; preparation of all basic stocks, types of soups and sauces; learn use of thickening agents, sweet sauces and their uses. Hotline Demi Cook (3 months): You will learn preparation of products such as savory items, entrees; learn culinary knife skills and cuts; learn product tasting, station organization, egg cookery, small sauce production, and protein cookery such as braising, stewing, roasting, sauteing, broiling, grilling, and poaching; learn the process for simultaneous preparation of several portions of vegetables, starches, and proteins; construction of food presentations on plates; and evaluation of the results. Chef de Partie (1 month): You will develop supervisory and culinary leadership skills through guided training at Birdsong restaurant in San Francisco. Under the chef’s supervision, the participant will learn to coordinate kitchen assignments, assess cooks’ performance, provide constructive feedback, and support service readiness. Training will emphasize meticulous station setup, ingredient preparation and storage, portion consistency, refined presentation, and precise timing across courses. You will also learn to identify and address quality concerns, coordinate small-batch production, and reinforce the teamwork and attention to detail essential to an exceptional fine-dining experience. Requirements: You have a hospitality degree from a post-secondary academic education with a minimum 2-year full-time course, approved by the Ministry of Education Recent relevant one year work experience in the (ultra) luxury hotel industry or fine dining restaurant