Mandarin Oriental Muscat is looking for a Chef de Cuisine - Banquet to join our culinary team.

Are you a master of craft? Do you thrive in a team that succeeds together, demonstrating integrity and respect while acting responsibly? Do you embrace a growth mindset? We invite you to become a fan of the exceptional. 

Mandarin Oriental is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences located in prime destinations around the world, with a strong development pipeline. Increasingly recognized for creating some of the world’s most sought-after properties, the Group provides legendary service inspired by Asian heritage whilst representing the very cutting-edge of luxury experiences.

Mandarin Oriental Muscat

Situated in a prime beachfront location, Mandarin Oriental, Muscat is a chic urban resort that offers 150 stylishly appointed guestrooms and suites, five restaurants and bars, a lush Spa at Mandarin Oriental, and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel features a one-of-a-kind ballroom boasting spectacular views of the Arabian Sea as well as a variety of banquet and meeting spaces to accommodate social and business events.

For those seeking a luxury living experience in one of Muscat’s most desirable districts, an exclusive collection of 155 Residences at Mandarin Oriental combine the Group’s legendary service, world-class amenities and sweeping sea or mountain views.

Scope of Position

The Chef de Cuisine will assume full responsibility of all related operational, administrative, and financial aspects for the culinary operation of the Banqueting, Outside Catering & Room Service.

Responsibilities

Departmental:

• Oversee all operational and administrative culinary aspects Banqueting, Outside Catering & Room Service. and be able to prioritise the required level of engagement in both areas depending on business volumes and other related parameters.
• Create and maintain a great synergy between Main Kitchen and other kitchens Kitchen to assure maximum efficiency.
• Work closely with the respective service team members on coordinating service flow, timings and set ups of all events, including coffee breaks, buffets, set menus, cocktail receptions and any others as required.
• Regularly review menus regarding popularity of dishes, food cost and seasonality with the Banquet Manager, In Room Dining Manager and Executive Pastry Chef and suggest new menu proposals to the Executive Chef.
• Ensure plating guides are up to date and distributed appropriately.
• Ensure that all plating guides are followed according to set dish description, cooking method and presentation image.
• Development of new Banquet and In Room Dining menus and offerings with the Executive Chef
• Meet and suggest menu options with potential banquet clients and catering team. If required join sales calls.
• Attend and participate the weekly/daily events meeting with the Catering and Events Sales team to assure a smooth communication flow in addition to email correspondence.
• Constantly identify areas for improvement in Food and Beverage quality by reviewing various quality audit reports, guest comment cards and guest incident reports, and formulate action plans accordingly, also in cooperation with the respective Banquet Manager and In Room Dining Manager.
• Encourage proactive, efficient, and effective inter-departmental communication within and beyond the Food and Beverage division in order to promote a climate of teamwork and enthusiasm.
• Provide leadership, direction, and support to all colleagues at any time.
• Train, evaluate and schedule all colleagues in accordance with the applicable standards, policies and as per the overall business requirements.
• Liaise with the Learning & Development Manager on departmental learning and development needs for all colleagues of the restaurants and oversee the overall training activities of the outlets including a heavy involvement in classroom training, role plays and on the job trainings.
• Prepare a weekly roster to schedule all colleagues effectively to maintain the standards of Mandarin Oriental while operating within budgeted labour cost guidelines and headcounts, depending on the business volume.
• Observe all aspects of the banquet forecasts and plan effectively to make most efficient arrangements for manpower, equipment and supplies accordingly.
• Maintain access to resources of casual labour, assure high quality casual labour is always available and manage productivity of casual labour.
• Support the Chief Steward in creating the cleaning and side duty schedules for all positions and ensure compliance and follow through.
• Oversee and follow through the food safety standards set by Mandarin Oriental Muscat, Safe & Sound and through the local Muscat Municipality rules and regulations.
• Always supervise the maintenance and cleanliness of the Kitchens and Stewarding area and carry out daily checks and monthly walk-throughs with the respective stewarding and engineering colleagues. Follow up accordingly on the produced reports to achieve an immaculate environment.
• Ensure proper care, security, and maintenance of all hotel equipment through attentive supervision.
• Ensure that all buffet displays are food safe, creative, clean and with attention to detail as per set standards by the Executive Chef.  
• Ensure that Mandarin Oriental, Muscat’s grooming, and appearance standards are implemented and always maintained to reflect an image of professionalism and care.
• Personally follow up with guests where possible or required and show presence in the dining area regularly.
• Personally monitor and follow through on any requirements of VIP guests who are dining in the event as well as for special dietary requirements.
• Ensure customer satisfaction in accordance with the MOHG Legendary Quality Experiences (LQEs), the MOHG Pillars and the respective service standards of MOQA.
• Constantly drive and motivate the team to create specific WOW moments to surprise and delight guests in the event in cooperation with the Banquet Manager and IRD Manager.
• Communicate Rules & Regulations to all colleagues by using the Colleague Handbook and any other appropriate documents.
• Conduct counselling and disciplinary action as appropriate in accordance with Mandarin Oriental, Muscat’s procedures.
• Conduct daily meetings with the team and provide a regular forum for two-way communication with the whole team.
• Conduct weekly hands-on dish training to ensure food knowledge and cooking methods are always up to date.
• Ensure recipe costings are up to date and in line with selling prices.
• Oversee and take full responsibility of all food safety related administration.
• Ensure support is given to the Commissary and Butchery for the daily market list and inventory control.
• Maintain solid records of all holiday and PH clearance and assure none are accumulated within the Kitchen.
• Monitor the monthly P&L and food cost and carry out regular detailed analysis of outlet related financial information including menu engineering.
• Follow all procedures, policies, and practices regarding the Jardine audit related requirements for the culinary department.
• Support other operations if required for any events with manpower or with actual dishes.
• To be updated with the latest food trends in the F&B industry to ensure the outlet Cuisine and Buffets are in line or ahead of international standards.
• Plan and execute special promotional activities for the outlets and plan for festive season events related to the outlet.
• Attend and participate in all required meetings as scheduled.
• Perform any other reasonable duties as required by the Executive Chef.

Our commitment to you

• Learning & Development. Your success is our success. We craft unique learning and development programmes for various stages in your career so that you grow, continuously.
• MOstay. When you work as hard as our colleagues do, it’s important to take time off. As a member of the #MOfamily, you can stay with us wherever you go in the world. The MOstay programme offers complimentary nights and additionally attractive rates on rooms for you and your loved ones.
• Heath & Colleague Wellness. Finding the right work-life balance is important. Your wellbeing matters to us. A variety of health benefits and wellness programmes are offered to all our colleagues, globally.