Chef Skills Test for Remote Hiring: Assessing a Chef in Japan

When the chef you want is in Osaka and your restaurant is in Toronto, you cannot ask them to come in on Tuesday and cook. Flying a candidate out for a tryout is expensive, and in many countries they cannot legally work during a visit anyway. So most restaurants hiring from Japan end up deciding on the strength of a CV and a video call, which is exactly how bad hires happen.

There is a better way. You can test most of what matters remotely, and then confirm it in the first weeks of employment. This guide sets out how.

1. The problem with hiring a chef you cannot taste

A chef's CV tells you where they worked, not what they did there. Titles in Japanese kitchens do not map neatly onto titles abroad (our guide to Japanese kitchen roles explains the hierarchy), and a candidate who spent five years at a respected counter may have spent three of them on prep. Meanwhile, the qualities that make a chef succeed abroad (teaching, adapting to local fish, working with a mixed team) barely show up on paper.

Remote testing will never be as good as standing next to someone during service. The goal is narrower: to cut the risk to a level where the visa, flights and housing are a sensible bet.

2. A three stage process

3. Stage 1: recorded video tasks

Send the same brief to every shortlisted candidate, in Japanese, with a deadline of about a week. Ask them to film on a phone, with one continuous take per task and no editing. Continuous takes matter: you want to see time and hesitation, not a highlight reel.

Tasks for a sushi chef

• Break down one medium fish of their choice (sea bream or mackerel both work) from whole to fillets, with the camera showing the board.
• Cut five slices of sashimi and form eight pieces of nigiri, filmed from above.
• Sharpen a knife for two minutes.
• Explain, to camera, one piece of nigiri as they would to a guest who knows nothing about sushi, in the language your counter needs.

Tasks for other roles

• Kitchen or kaiseki chef: make ichiban dashi and a simple clear soup; katsuramuki of daikon; plate one dish.
• Ramen chef: talk through their broth process with footage from a real batch; show noodle handling and bowl assembly at speed.
• Head chef: the relevant technical task plus a ten minute recorded walk through a menu they have written, including how they costed it.

Pay attention to what candidates ask before they film. A chef who asks which fish you use locally, or what knives are allowed, is already thinking about your kitchen.

4. Stage 2: live video test or a practical test in Japan

Option A: live video

Schedule a 45 minute call. The candidate works in a kitchen they have access to, with a second phone or a tripod. You name the task on the call so it cannot be rehearsed: "fillet this, then make six pieces of the same weight", "cut this into the finest katsuramuki you can in three minutes". Ask them to weigh portions on camera. Live testing shows speed and consistency, and it exposes a stage 1 video that was not really theirs.

Option B: a practical test in Japan

If you, a partner or a trusted chef will be in Japan, a practical test in person is the gold standard. You can taste the food, which no video will let you do. Hire a kitchen by the hour (rental kitchens and cooking studios are common in large Japanese cities), buy the ingredients yourself so everyone works with the same fish, and test your final candidates on the same day. If you cannot travel, some restaurants pay an experienced chef in Japan to run the test and report back with a scored rubric.

Pay the candidate's travel to the test and give them a meal. It is a small cost compared with the hire, and it signals the kind of employer you will be.

Do not bring them over to "try out"

It is tempting to fly a candidate in for a week in your kitchen. Be careful. A visitor usually has no right to work. For the United States, the State Department is explicit that employment is not permitted on a visitor (B-1/B-2) visa or under the Visa Waiver Program, which is how most Japanese nationals visit. Other countries have similar rules. A visit to observe the kitchen and meet the team is one thing; putting a visitor on the line is another. If you want an in-person test, do it in Japan, or make the trial part of the job once the visa is granted.

5. Stage 3: a paid trial period after arrival

The final test happens once the chef is employed, on your payroll, with the right visa. Treat the first 60 to 90 days as a structured probation, written into the contract (see our employment contract checklist). Things to agree up front:

• The length of the probation and what happens at the end, including any notice period, in line with local law.
• Three or four measurable expectations: "runs the sushi station on Friday service unassisted by week six", "shari consistency signed off by the head chef by week four".
• Two review meetings, with written notes, at roughly 30 and 60 days.
• What the restaurant commits to in return: training on local rules, a named colleague to help, and a fair hearing.

Remember that a sponsored chef's visa is often tied to your job. Ending employment during probation can have immigration consequences for them, and sometimes reporting duties for you. Plan the probation as a way to support the hire, not as an easy exit. Our onboarding guide covers the first 90 days in detail.

6. A scoring rubric you can copy

Use one sheet per candidate, scored by at least two people where possible. Scores of 1 to 4 per line.

If you tested by video only, drop the taste line and redistribute its weight. Record why you gave each score in one line. When you compare candidates a week later, the notes are worth more than the numbers.

7. Common mistakes

• Judging on plating photos. Anyone can post a beautiful plate. Ask for continuous video of the process.
• Testing only the star skill. A brilliant nigiri maker who cannot run a clean station will cost you more than they earn.
• Using a test nobody on your team can evaluate. If you do not know what good katsuramuki looks like, find someone who does before you set the task.
• Moving too slowly. Good chefs in Japan have options: the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's figures show 2.18 job openings per applicant for food preparation workers in July 2026. Aim to finish stages 1 and 2 within three weeks.
• Forgetting the candidate is testing you. A clear brief, prompt feedback and paid expenses are part of your pitch.

For the full picture of the hiring process, start with how to hire a Japanese chef.

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules on trial work, probation and visitor activities vary by country. Check with a local employment lawyer and immigration adviser before arranging any work by a candidate.