Chef de Partie

lelé kitchen | Los Gatos, CA

At lelé kitchen, we believe Eastern European cuisine deserves the same level of respect as the world’s great culinary traditions.

Our food is rooted in the flavors and techniques of Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, and the Baltics, interpreted through California’s extraordinary seasonal produce.

Because a wonderful member of our team is moving to another state, we are looking for a strong hot-line Chef de Partie to replace them. We want someone who is excited to become part of one of the Bay Area’s most interesting independent restaurants while maintaining a reasonable work-life balance for the industry.

What You’ll Do

• Work a key position on the hot line during dinner service.
• Prepare and cook proteins, sauces, vegetables, pasta, and garnishes with consistency and precision.
• Properly execute dishes featuring proteins such as duck, rabbit, venison, pork, and seafood.
• Work closely with the sous chef during preparation and service.
• Maintain proper seasoning, cooking temperatures, plating, and quality standards.
• Complete daily prep efficiently and prepare your station for the following service.
• Receive, label, rotate, and properly store ingredients.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and fully stocked station.
• Communicate clearly with the rest of the kitchen team.
• Contribute ideas and participate in developing new dishes as you grow in the role.
• Follow all food-safety and sanitation standards.

Who We’re Looking For

We are interested in cooks who have developed strong fundamentals in ambitious, ingredient-driven kitchens.

Experience at California restaurants such as Rich Table, State Bird Provisions, The Progress, Nopa, Octavia, Frances, Pomet, Ernest, The Anchovy Bar, Zuni Café, Cotogna, Foreign Cinema, Penny Roma, The Morris, or restaurants of a similar caliber is highly valued, though not required.

You should:

• Be easy to work with and a true team member. We spend long days together, so we want to like and respect one another.
• Care deeply about ingredients and food.
• Have strong hot-line experience and solid cooking fundamentals.
• Be comfortable cooking and properly resting different proteins.
• Have strong knife skills and good organization.
• Be able to manage multiple pickups while maintaining consistency.
• Have experience working with fresh pasta or be eager to learn.
• Be calm, focused, and reliable under pressure.
• Be receptive to feedback and eager to continue learning.
• Take pride in cleanliness, preparation, and attention to detail.
• Have personality, but no ego. Good food can be made without unnecessary stress.
• Be yourself.

About lelé kitchen

We are a chef-driven, independently owned restaurant serving modern California cuisine through an Eastern European lens, or Eastern European cuisine interpreted through California produce.

Our menu changes constantly with the seasons and features handmade pasta, bread, fermentation, and preservation. We offer refined à la carte and tasting-menu experiences.

Every plate reflects precision and curiosity.

We value humility, consistency, craftsmanship, and hospitality as much as technical ability.

• Competitive salary based on experience 
• Five-day workweek, averaging 46–52 hours.
• Evening shifts

If you’re looking for a place where your ideas matter, your cooking continues to grow, and your work has a real impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send your resume, a few words about yourself, and a couple of photos of your food, and let’s meet in person.