Teppanyaki Chef Job Description Template (Hibachi Chef)

Teppanyaki ads fail in a predictable way. They describe a cooking job and then hire someone who cannot hold a table for ninety minutes, or they describe a show and then hire an entertainer who cannot cook a steak to temperature. The job is both, in a proportion that depends on your restaurant, and the ad has to say what that proportion is.

Below is a template you can copy. For how to screen and audition candidates, see our guide to hiring a teppanyaki chef.

1. Say which kind of teppanyaki you run

There are two broad formats, and experienced chefs usually know which one they want.

Name your format in the first line of the ad. It is the single biggest filter you have.

2. Teppanyaki chef job description template

Job title

Teppanyaki Chef [(Hibachi Chef) if you hire in North America], [Restaurant name], [City]

About the restaurant

[Restaurant name] has [x] teppan grills seating [x] guests each. We run [a show-style grill / a fine-dining teppanyaki counter] serving [signature items]. A typical night is [x] seatings per grill. Our beef is [grade and origin, if it matters to you].

The role

You will cook and host at the grill for a full service, from greeting the table to the last course. You report to [title] and work alongside [x] other teppan chefs.

What you will own

• Cooking every course at the grill to our specs and to each guest's requested doneness
• Running the table: greeting, pacing, explaining dishes, handling requests
• [Performance elements we expect: onion volcano, utensil work, egg tricks, or "no tricks; this is a quiet counter"]
• Allergen and dietary requests at a shared grill, following our separation procedure
• Grill mise en place, portioning and plate-up to spec
• Cleaning and seasoning the teppan between seatings and at close
• [Training new teppan chefs]

What we are looking for

• [x] years cooking teppanyaki for guests, or [x] years of line cooking plus a willingness to train
• Confident, clear speaking voice in [language]; comfortable talking to strangers for a full service
• Accurate temperature control on [beef cuts, seafood]
• Able to stand and work a hot grill for [x] hours
• [Food handler certificate required locally]

Hours

[x] hours a week, [x] days off, mainly evening service from [time]. [Weekend and holiday expectations.]

Pay and benefits

[Currency][range] per [hour / year], plus [tips / service charge share / per-table bonus]. [Uniform and knives provided or allowance.] [Meals, leave, insurance.]

Visa and relocation

[State whether you sponsor, and what you cover. If you do not, say so.]

How to apply

Send [CV and a short video of you cooking at a grill for guests] to [contact]. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to cook a [paid] audition service for [x] guests.

3. Writing the performance part honestly

This is the part most ads leave vague, and it is the part candidates most want to know. Be specific about three things.

• How much talking. "You will speak with the table throughout" and "occasional explanation of each course" attract different people.
• Which tricks, if any. If you expect a set routine, say so and say whether you teach it. A skilled fine-dining teppan chef may not want to juggle, and you should know that before the audition.
• Covers per night. Two seatings of eight at one grill is a different evening from four seatings of ten.

If you hire from Japan, do not assume a candidate's background matches your format. A chef who has worked a quiet counter may never have done a show routine, and the reverse is also true. State your format in the Japanese version of the ad too, and ask about it at interview.

4. The allergen line

A shared grill is where allergen incidents happen, so put your procedure in the job description. It tells candidates you run a careful kitchen, and it gives you something concrete to test at interview.

In the US, the FDA recognises nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the ninth on 1 January 2023 under the FASTER Act. Soy sauce, butter, egg, shrimp and sesame oil are all standard on a teppan, so a line such as "You will follow our procedure for cooking allergen orders on a cleaned zone of the grill with separate utensils" belongs in the duties list.

Other countries have their own allergen lists; use the one where you operate.

5. Pay, tips and the title

Publish a range and say how tips work, because tips can be a meaningful part of a teppan chef's pay and candidates will compare offers on it. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median wage for restaurant cooks at $17.98 an hour and for chefs and head cooks at $62,470 a year (May 2025). A senior teppan chef who also trains others is closer to the chef figure.

On the title: using both "teppanyaki chef" and "hibachi chef" once in a North American ad helps it appear in searches for either term. Elsewhere, "teppanyaki chef" is enough. For how tip pooling interacts with kitchen staff in the US, see US tip pooling rules for kitchen staff.

6. Pre-publish checklist

• Is the format (show-style or fine-dining) in the first line?
• Is the talking and performance expectation specific?
• Are grills, seats and seatings per night stated?
• Is the allergen procedure mentioned in the duties?
• Is there a pay range, and is the tip arrangement explained?
• Is the audition described, and is it paid? (See chef trial shift rules.)
• Is the visa position stated either way? (See visa sponsorship for Japanese chefs.)

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Tip, wage and allergen rules vary by country, state and city; check the rules where you operate before publishing.