Cook

Indian Moments at Mango Hill, QLD, is looking for an experienced Cook to join their kitchen team. The restaurant sits on Halpine Drive in Mango Hill and is owned and run by a husband and wife who opened the doors in 2020, bringing with them more than eighteen years in hospitality and a long held ambition to cook the food they grew up with for their own community. Its kitchen ranges across both ends of India, from the deep curries and smoky tandoor dishes of the north to the dosas and lighter flavours of the south, alongside biryanis, a well followed Indo-Chinese range and a selection of Indian beverages to go with them. Trading runs seven days for dine-in and online orders, with later service on Friday and Saturday nights, and the room runs on the promise the owners made at the start, that every guest is looked after like family. The role will suit a cook who takes real pride in authentic Indian food, keeps a clean and orderly section through a busy service, and wants a permanent place in a close knit kitchen.

Cook | Indian Moments | Mango Hill, QLD

Key Responsibilities

• Cook dishes to order across the full menu, from northern curries and tandoor items to South Indian dosas, biryanis and the Indo-Chinese range, following the recipes and methods the owners have set.

• Work through the daily mise en place before service: peeling, chopping and grinding, blending masalas and marinades, making dosa and idli batters, soaking rice and pulses, and portioning meat and vegetables ready for the line.

• Weigh and measure ingredients to the standard recipe so each dish leaves the kitchen the same way every time.

• Set and adjust the tandoor, ovens, grills, ranges and fryers to the right cooking temperatures, and watch them through service so breads, skewers and slow cooked dishes come off as they should.

• Taste and season as you cook, adjusting spice, salt and heat so a curry served on a quiet Tuesday tastes the same as one served on a Saturday night.

• Portion each dish to the set size, plate it to the presentation standard, and finish it with the right gravy, sauce, chutney, raita or garnish before it goes to the pass.

• Prepare dishes for guests with particular dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, Jain and nut free requests, adjusting chilli levels where asked and keeping preparation separate so there is no cross contact.

• Check produce, meat, seafood, dairy and spices as deliveries arrive, looking at freshness, condition, packaging and use by dates, and setting aside anything that is not up to standard.

• Put deliveries away and store food in the cool room, fridges, freezers and hot holding units at their required temperatures, labelling, dating and rotating stock so older items go first.

• Probe and check cooked items before they are served or held, cool and store leftover preparations safely, and thaw frozen goods the correct way.

• Work your section through the dinner and weekend rush, keeping to order times and calling with the tandoor and curry sections so a whole table goes out together.

• Plate for the dining room and pack online and takeaway orders so the food travels well and arrives as it should.

• Assist the owners with menu planning when seasonal specials, regional dishes or festival items are being added, cooking trial batches and giving feedback on how each dish runs on the line.

• Estimate the quantities of meat, vegetables, rice, dry goods and spices each service will need, and tell the owners what to order so the kitchen is stocked for busy trade without carrying waste.

• Show junior kitchen hands and apprentices how the work is done, working beside them on prep and passing on knife skills, spice blending, tandoor technique, curry bases and plating.

• Follow the kitchen's food safety and hygiene procedures at every stage, recording temperatures, handling allergens separately and completing the cleaning schedule for your section in line with Queensland food safety requirements.

• Keep the benches, equipment, utensils and cool room clean and tidy, wash down at the end of each shift, and report faults with the tandoor, refrigeration or exhaust so service is not held up.

• Keep to the set portion sizes, use ingredients carefully so waste stays down, and let the owners know when prepped items or dry goods are running low.

Qualifications and Experience

• At least one year of relevant experience as a Cook, ideally gained in an Indian restaurant or another busy à la carte kitchen.

• An AQF Certificate III including at least two years of on the job training, or an AQF Certificate IV, in commercial cookery or a closely related field.

Hours and Salary

• Hours: 38 hours per week - Full-time

• Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 plus superannuation per annum

Personal Attributes

• Consistent, with a close eye on quality, portioning and presentation.

• Disciplined about cleanliness, food handling and personal hygiene.

• Dependable, and clear in communication with both kitchen and floor staff.

• Willing to share knowledge and bring less experienced staff along.

How to Apply

If this sounds like the right kitchen for you, we would like to hear from you. Send your resume with a short covering letter as the first page, addressing your experience, your qualification and the Indian cooking styles you know best.