Tell me about yourself

Start with your current role and most relevant kitchen experience, then highlight two or three achievements that show your fit for this position. Keep the focus on the past 5 to 10 years and connect each point to skills the employer values, such as menu development, cost control, or leadership. For example, say: "I am currently a sous chef at a neighborhood bistro where I helped redesign the weekend menu and reduced food waste by 18 percent." Mention a previous role only if it adds context to your skills or career progression. Keep your answer to about two minutes and practice it so you sound natural. Avoid reciting your resume line by line or going back to unrelated early jobs.

Why do you want to work at our restaurant?

Show that you know the restaurant’s concept, service style, and target guests, and explain how your skills align with that vision. Mention a specific dish, service style, or reputation detail that attracted you, and link it to what you bring, such as experience with local sourcing or plated fine dining. For example, say you admire their commitment to seasonal produce and describe a past project where you designed a rotating menu based on local suppliers. This shows you understand their priorities and can contribute immediately. Avoid vague praise like "I love this place" without specifics, and do not speak negatively about past employers.

How would you describe your cooking style?

Define your cooking style in concrete terms, such as modern American with French technique, rustic Italian focused on local produce, or high-volume brasserie cooking with consistent execution. Include the techniques and flavor profiles you use most often, and mention how you adapt to different menus or guest needs. Give a short example, like a signature dish or menu section you developed and why it represents your style, including any sourcing choices or techniques used. This helps interviewers picture how you would fit on their menu. Avoid buzzwords or vague labels; instead, be specific about ingredients, methods, and presentation so the hiring team understands your approach.

How do you handle high-pressure service?

Explain a clear system you use to stay organized under pressure, such as mise en place discipline, ticket triage, clear station roles, and calm communication. Emphasize how you prioritize tasks and keep the team focused while maintaining consistency and quality. Provide an example of a busy night where you managed multiple tickets, such as stepping in to expedite or reorganize staff flow, and explain the steps you took to prevent errors. Quantify results if possible, for instance, maintaining ticket times or reducing errors during peak service. Avoid implying you thrive on chaos; instead, show you prepare to prevent it and can lead calmly when it happens.

How do you control food costs and manage inventory?

Describe your regular processes for inventory counts, portion control, vendor management, and menu engineering to keep costs within targets. Mention tools you use, such as inventory sheets, ordering schedules, or POS reports, and how you analyze food cost percentages to make menu adjustments. Give a concrete example where you identified a high-cost ingredient, negotiated with a vendor or found a seasonal substitute, and lowered costs without sacrificing quality. Include numbers when possible, for instance reducing average food cost by a measurable percentage over a quarter. Avoid claiming universal fixes; explain that ongoing monitoring and communication with front-of-house are necessary to maintain targets.

How do you handle dietary restrictions and allergies?

Explain a clear protocol for managing allergies, including ticket annotation, separate prep areas or equipment when needed, and staff training so everyone understands cross-contact risks. Stress communication with the server team and confirming orders with the guest when a restriction is flagged. Share a specific case where you successfully managed a severe allergy, such as remaking a dish with separate utensils and confirming steps with both the server and the guest. Describe the checks you used to ensure safety and guest satisfaction. Avoid casual statements like "we just avoid certain ingredients" and never imply you take shortcuts; food allergies require strict, repeatable procedures.

How do you train and develop kitchen staff?

Outline a structured approach that combines hands-on demos, shadowing, written recipes or station guides, and gradual increases in responsibility. Mention regular feedback sessions and short skills drills you run before service to build speed and consistency. Provide an example where you trained a junior cook from basic prep to running a station, explaining the milestones you set and how you monitored progress. Highlight outcomes like improved ticket times or reduced errors. Avoid saying training is "on the job only"; effective training includes planned lessons and follow-up.

How do you ensure food safety and sanitation in the kitchen?

Describe your routine for maintaining HACCP principles, scheduling cleaning tasks, conducting temperature logs, and running periodic audits or checklists. Emphasize staff accountability through assigned cleaning responsibilities and documented procedures. Give a concrete example where you improved compliance, such as implementing color-coded cutting boards and daily temperature logs that passed a health inspection with no critical issues. Explain how you coached staff to follow the new system. Avoid vague assurances; interviewers want specifics that show you can maintain a safe, compliant kitchen.

Tell me about a time you had to handle a difficult customer complaint

Start by describing how you listen to the guest, validate their concern, and offer a clear resolution while keeping the dining room informed. Stress the balance between empathy for the guest and protecting the kitchen’s standards and staff morale. Give a specific example, such as a guest receiving an undercooked steak, where you apologized, offered a remake or alternative, and worked with the server to follow up after the dish was corrected. Include the outcome, like the guest leaving satisfied or a manager noting improved recovery. Avoid blaming front-of-house or minimizing the guest’s experience; focus on effective, accountable resolution steps.

How do you stay current with culinary trends and continue improving your skills?

Explain that you read industry publications, visit other restaurants, attend workshops or supplier demos, and test new techniques during off-peak prep or special menus. Mention following specific chefs, food writers, or trade events that influence your menu decisions. Provide an example where you incorporated a trend into your menu after testing it, such as a fermentation technique or plant-forward dish, and describe guest response or sales impact. This shows you balance innovation with customer preferences. Avoid claiming you follow every trend; instead, describe a selective process for evaluating what fits your concept and guests.

Describe a time you resolved a conflict between kitchen staff

Situation and Task: In a busy kitchen, two cooks disagreed over station responsibilities, and their conflict started causing missed tickets and tension among the team. I needed to step in to restore order and clarify roles so service could run smoothly. Action and Result: I held a calm, private conversation with each cook to understand their perspective, then brought them together to agree on clear station boundaries and a simple checklist for handoffs. After implementing the checklist and short daily briefings, ticket errors dropped and the team reported improved communication within two weeks.

Tell me about a time you redesigned a menu to improve sales or efficiency

Situation and Task: Sales were flat and food costs were creeping up, so I was asked to redesign the menu to boost profitability without losing the restaurant’s identity. The challenge was to simplify prep while keeping signature flavors intact. Action and Result: I analyzed sales and cost data, removed low-margin items, and created six new cross-utilized components that appeared in multiple dishes to reduce waste. The changes increased menu profitability and reduced inventory turns by 12 percent in the first quarter, while guest feedback on the new items was positive.

Describe a time you had to adapt during an unexpected staffing shortage

Situation and Task: On a holiday weekend we were short two line cooks due to illness, and service was about to start, putting the restaurant at risk of long ticket times. I needed to reassign roles quickly to keep quality consistent. Action and Result: I reorganized stations, moved a prep cook to a simplified station with clear instructions, and adjusted the menu to temporarily limit high-labor items. We completed service with acceptable ticket times and received a manager note praising how we maintained standards, and the team felt supported after the shift.

chef Interview Questions: Complete Guide

Chef interview questions often cover your cooking skills, kitchen management, and how you perform under pressure. Expect a mix of practical questions, behavior-based scenarios, and conversation about menu development and food safety. You can prepare by practicing concise stories about your experience and rehearsing how you explain techniques and decisions.

Common Interview Questions

Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)

STAR Method: Structure your answers using Situation, Task, Action, and Result to tell compelling stories about your experience.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Show your interest by asking thoughtful questions

•What does success look like in this role after the first six months, especially in terms of menu development and team leadership?
•Can you describe the current team structure and how the kitchen and front-of-house coordinate during service?
•What are the biggest operational challenges the kitchen faces during peak service and on busy nights?
•How do you evaluate new dishes for the menu, and who is involved in that decision-making process?
•What are your expectations for training and professional development for cooks and chefs on the team?

Interview Preparation Tips

Practice concise stories about your biggest kitchen achievements and failures, focusing on what you learned and how you improved, so you can answer behavior questions naturally.

Bring a brief portfolio or photos of plated dishes and sample menus on your phone to illustrate your work, but be ready to explain techniques and ingredient choices clearly.

Before the interview, review the restaurant’s menu and recent reviews, then prepare two ideas for menu additions or cost-saving changes that respect their concept.

During the interview, demonstrate calm problem-solving by describing systems you use for prep, communication, and quality control, rather than just saying you work well under pressure.

Overview: What to Expect in a Chef Interview

A chef interview assesses technical skill, management ability, and fit with a restaurant’s culture. Expect a 30–90 minute sequence that includes a phone screen, in-person interview, a short kitchen trial (30–120 minutes), and often a tasting by the executive chef or owner.

•Technical proficiency (about 50% of the interview): knife skills, stock and sauce techniques, timing for a 12-cover service, and a station test where you must produce 3–4 dishes in 45–60 minutes.
•Leadership and operations (25–35%): scheduling, labor cost control, training methods, and conflict resolution. Have examples ready where you cut food cost by 2–5% or improved prep yield by 8–15%.
•Culture and menu fit (15–25%): culinary philosophy, ability to execute the menu, and communication with front-of-house.

Prepare specific, measurable stories: “Reduced waste 12% by instituting weekly inventory and standardized trim yields,” or “Managed a team of 8 during a 120-cover dinner, maintaining a 30-minute ticket time. ” Bring a one-page portfolio: 6 sample menus, 3 costed recipes, and photos of plated dishes.

Actionable takeaway: outline 3 measurable successes and prepare one 45–60 minute station test menu with costs and timings.

Subtopics to Master Before the Interview

Focus your prep on discrete, interview-ready skills. Break study into nine subtopics and assign time blocks: 30–60 minutes each for focused review.

•Master sauces (béchamel, velouté, demi-glace), braises, roasting, frying. Practice a 5-step demi-glace reduction and time it.

•Know target food cost ranges (e.g., 28–32% for casual, 24–28% for fine dining). Prepare 3 recipes costed to the cent and a plan to reduce plate cost by 3%.

•Scheduling for labor targets (labor at 25–30% of sales), cross-training plans, and daily prep lists.

•Be fluent in HACCP basics, allergen protocols, and ServSafe concepts. Describe one corrective action for a temperature breach.

•Explain par levels, FIFO, and negotiating 2–3 vendor contracts to cut costs 5–10%.

•Give examples of coaching a junior cook to promotion; outline a 4-week training checklist.

•Demonstrate how to run a 50-cover rush with ticket times under 30 minutes.

•Present 2 seasonal dish concepts with profit margins and sourcing notes.

•Pair 3 dishes with wines or cocktails; cite tensions such as acid balance.

Actionable takeaway: create a prep schedule covering these 9 topics at least twice before your interview.

Resources: Books, Courses, Tools, and Practice Options

Use targeted resources to build credibility and measurable results.

Books and references

•The Culinary Institute of America’s The Professional Chef — technique and costing chapters.
•On Food and Cooking (Harold McGee) — food science for troubleshooting.

Certifications and courses

•ServSafe Manager and local food-safety programs — often required by employers.
•Rouxbe or industry courses on menu costing and butchery — complete 5–10 hours of modules and keep certificates.

Online platforms and job sites

•Culinary Agents and Chef’s Roll for job listings and portfolio hosting.
•LinkedIn for networking; aim to connect with 10 regional chefs in 30 days.

Practical tools

•Excel or Google Sheets costing templates: include ingredients, yields, and extended cost formulas. Build 3 costed recipes as samples.
•Inventory apps (e.g., Kitchen CUT, MarketMan) for tracking par levels and reducing waste by measurable percentages.

Practice formats

•Mock interviews with a chef mentor: 2 sessions of 45–60 minutes each, focusing on a station test and behavioral questions.
•Run timed station tests in your home kitchen: 3 drills of 60 minutes simulating a 30-cover service.

Actionable takeaway: complete one certification, cost 3 recipes in a spreadsheet, and run at least two timed station tests before interviewing.

chef Interview Questions: Complete Guide

Michael Rodriguez

Common Interview Questions

Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Interview Preparation Tips

Overview: What to Expect in a Chef Interview

Subtopics to Master Before the Interview

Resources: Books, Courses, Tools, and Practice Options

Interview Prep Checklist

Build your job search toolkit

chef Interview Questions: Complete Guide

Michael Rodriguez

Common Interview Questions

Q1Tell me about yourself

Q2Why do you want to work at our restaurant?

Q3How would you describe your cooking style?

Q4How do you handle high-pressure service?

Q5How do you control food costs and manage inventory?

Q6How do you handle dietary restrictions and allergies?

Q7How do you train and develop kitchen staff?

Q8How do you ensure food safety and sanitation in the kitchen?

Q9Tell me about a time you had to handle a difficult customer complaint

Q10How do you stay current with culinary trends and continue improving your skills?

Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)

B1Describe a time you resolved a conflict between kitchen staff

B2Tell me about a time you redesigned a menu to improve sales or efficiency

B3Describe a time you had to adapt during an unexpected staffing shortage

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Interview Preparation Tips

Overview: What to Expect in a Chef Interview

Subtopics to Master Before the Interview

Resources: Books, Courses, Tools, and Practice Options

Interview Prep Checklist

Build your job search toolkit