About Us:

Royal Mandi is a popular and fast-growing Middle Eastern restaurant in Canberra, known for serving authentic Mandi dishes and traditional Arabian cuisine. We are committed to delivering high-quality, flavorful meals and providing excellent customer service. As our customer base continues to grow, we are looking for a skilled and experienced Cook to join our kitchen team.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a reliable and qualified Cook with a strong understanding of Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly Mandi-style cooking. The successful candidate will assist in preparing, cooking, and presenting dishes while maintaining high food safety and hygiene standards. This role is essential to ensuring our kitchen operates efficiently and consistently delivers top-quality meals to our customers.

Key Responsibilities:

Prepares, seasons, and cooks a variety of traditional Middle Eastern dishes, with a strong focus on authentic Mandi, in accordance with Royal Bait Al Mandi’s recipes and quality standards.

Examine ingredients and food items to ensure freshness, quality, and compliance with health and safety regulations before use.

Regulates and monitors temperatures of ovens, grills, charcoal pits, and other cooking equipment specific to Mandi-style preparation.

Prepares meals from scratch, including marination and slow-cooking of meats, rice preparation, and blending of traditional spices to ensure consistency and authenticity in flavour.

Season food appropriately during the cooking process, following traditional techniques and balancing regional flavour profiles.

Portions and presents dishes attractively, adding gravies, sauces, nuts, raisins, and other garnishes as per house standards.

Stores food properly in temperature-controlled environments, ensuring freshness and reducing waste.

Prepares meals to accommodate special dietary or cultural requirements, including halal compliance and customer-specific requests.

May assist in menu planning and estimation of food supply needs, based on customer demand and seasonal availability.

May train and supervise junior kitchen staff, ensuring all team members follow proper food safety, preparation, and presentation standards.

Skills & Experience Required:

At least 2 years of experience as a Cook in a busy commercial kitchen (experience with Middle Eastern cuisine is highly desirable).

At least a certificate III in Commercial Cookery or equivalent.

Good understanding of traditional cooking techniques, spices, and ingredients used in Mandi and Arabic dishes.

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks under pressure.

Familiarity with food safety and hygiene practices (formal training or certification preferred).

Strong teamwork and communication skills.

Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and public holidays as required.

Why Join Us:

Opportunity to work in a culturally rich and dynamic culinary environment.

Friendly and supportive team.

Stable full-time employment with growth opportunities.

Contribute to one of Canberra’s most loved specialty restaurants.

How to Apply:

Please apply along with your resume and a cover letter outlining your experience relevant to this role. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.