Chef de Cuisine - Banquets

Job Description

The Chef de Cuisine – Banquets leads banquet kitchen operations at The Westin Yokohama, overseeing menu preparation, food quality, presentation, timing, hygiene, and service for meetings and events. Candidates typically need substantial professional culinary experience, strong knowledge of Japanese and international cuisine, food-safety awareness, leadership ability, and experience managing teams in a hotel or high-volume hospitality environment. Responsibilities include planning menus, controlling food costs and inventory, coordinating with banquet and event teams, training culinary staff, maintaining Marriott standards, and ensuring a safe, organized kitchen. The successful candidate is expected to remain calm under pressure, demonstrate creativity and consistency, communicate effectively, and work flexible shifts, including weekends and holidays.

Company Info

The Westin Yokohama is a luxury hotel in Yokohama, Japan, operated under the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand, part of Marriott International. Westin is known for its focus on wellbeing, restful stays, healthy dining, and revitalizing guest experiences. The Yokohama property serves leisure travelers, business guests, conferences, weddings, and other events, with restaurants, banquet facilities, fitness and wellness services, and modern guest accommodation. Marriott International is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, managing a broad portfolio of internationally recognized hotel brands. Employees generally work within structured global standards covering guest service, food safety, sustainability, training, and professional development. A banquet culinary leader at the hotel can gain experience working with multicultural guests, large-scale events, premium ingredients, and Marriott’s international operating procedures.

Destination Guide

Japan offers strong opportunities in hotels, restaurants, tourism, resorts, and professional kitchens, especially in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Okinawa. The culture values punctuality, respect, cleanliness, teamwork, and careful attention to detail. Yokohama provides a coastal city lifestyle close to Tokyo, with excellent public transport, diverse dining, shopping, parks, and international communities, although living costs can be high. Hospitality work often involves long or irregular shifts, weekends, and seasonal demand. Foreign applicants generally need an employer-sponsored work status, commonly an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa or another appropriate category, depending on duties and qualifications. Employers may assist with sponsorship, but applicants should confirm requirements with immigration authorities. Relocation normally involves arranging housing, residence registration, health insurance, a bank account, and tax procedures. Japanese language ability is highly beneficial, particularly for kitchen communication and workplace integration.