Get an Education as Sushi Chef

Sushi is a highly specialized component in the Japanese cuisine. Professional sushi chefs aspire to work on a level where art meets food. Sushi has become fairly mainstream and even available fresh from supermarkets where it may be prepared on site by grocery store sushi chefs.

Aspire to train as a sushi chef?

This highly stylized food form is also quite elementary when it comes to ingredients. If you’ve ever sat at a sushi counter, then you’ve watched the chefs create colorful dishes from simple ingredients.

Ingredients of a sushi chef:

• fish, including tuna, salmon, eel, octopus, and halibut
• rice, both brown and white
• seaweed
• caviar
• avocado
• asparagus
• cucumber
• crab
• shrimp
• tempura
• pickled ginger
• wasabi
• soy sauce

Education for a Sushi Chef

Remember, this culinary art is in high demand, no longer relegated to California restaurants, where sushi first gained notoriety in this country. And today’s professional sushi chef is no longer limited to those fresh from Japan.

There are a couple of education strategies if you are passionate about becoming a sushi chef:

• Seek out a formal sushi chef academy—there are a few and the number is increasing as the demand for experienced professional sushi chefs spikes.
• Pursue a traditional culinary arts degree followed by a number of professional courses in Asian cuisine and/or sushi arts.

In some restaurants the sushi bar could be considered a station manned by just one of many station chefs or a couple of specialized station chefs. Point is, be prepared to do a little bit everything with an emphasis on sushi.

Job Requirements for a Sushi Chef

Because the role of sushi chef is so specialized you could go to work in a wide variety of culinary jobs, requiring you possess a well-rounded set of skills and abilities. Prepare yourself for the following general job responsibilities when looking for a job that allows you to work as sushi chef:

• Knowledgeable in Asian and/or Japanese cuisine.
• Experienced with traditional sushi preparation and various forms (rolls, temaki, nigiri, sashimi, futomaki, etc), including choice of ingredients, design, and presentation.
• Expert knife skills.
• Innovative presentation of dishes.
• Responsible for sushi station hygiene and sanitation.
• Ability to take direction and provide direction when necessary.
• Ability to interact positively with the public.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work other kitchen stations in the absence of a line cook or station chef.
• Responsible for creating new dishes, assisting with menu creation.

Sushi Chef Salaries

Salaries for any type of chef differ greatly. Top-notch sushi chefs could be very in-demand and command a considerable salary. But so many professional restaurants and even grocery stores employ sushi chefs that salaries have become watered down.

Factors that determine your wages as a sushi chef:

• Type of restaurant, kitchen or professional environment
• Your education
• Your culinary experience
• Your reputation
• Region and metro area

Expect to earn between $20,000 and $40,000 for line cook abilities up to master chef level.