Ricardo Ortiz
Whittier
Summary
Experienced culinary professional with a strong background in meat and fish preparation, proficient across various kitchen stations including crudo, sauté, and grill. Demonstrated ability to maintain inventory control and ensure compliance with health and safety standards, resulting in improved operational efficiency. Skilled in preparing high-quality meals while adhering to recipes, which contributed to enhanced customer satisfaction and repeat business. Proven track record of mentoring staff and fostering collaborative relationships within the kitchen team to maximize productivity.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
LINE COOK
FIA STEAK
Santa Monica
01.2023 - 01.2026
- Preparation and fabrication of meat and fish
- Trained & proficient in each station, i.e.; crudo, veg, sauté , grill
- Ensuring inventory was accounted for and ordering as needed
- Maintained cleanliness and organization in the kitchen, ensuring compliance with health and safety standards, which improved operational efficiency.
- Prepared high-quality meals by following recipes and maintaining consistency, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Monitored food quality and freshness, ensuring all ingredients met high standards for taste and safety, which maintained the restaurant's reputation.
- Communicated effectively with other staff members regarding orders and menu changes.
- Kept stations stocked and ready for use to maximize productivity.
- Retained consistent quality and high accuracy when preparing identical dishes every day.
- Monitored product freshness and rotation dates to maintain quality assurance standards.
- Mentored and trained staff by teaching cooking skills and kitchen maintenance, improving overall quality and performance.
- Reviewed recipes to determine exact measurements and ingredients to create dishes.
- Trained new team members on proper meat and vegetable preparation techniques.
- Executed proper techniques when preparing menu item ingredients.
- Established and maintained open, collaborative relationships with kitchen team to maximize efficiency.
- Maintained clean and orderly appearance throughout kitchen and dining area.
SUSHI CHEF/INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
TATSUKI RESTAURANT
Woodland Hills
01.2020 - 01.2023
- Accounting and stock of inventory
- Sourcing of fresh fish and ingredients, maintaining professional relationships with vendors and acquiring the best products for the restaurant
- Prepared and presented high-quality sushi dishes, ensuring adherence to culinary standards and customer expectations.
- Developed new sushi recipes and menu items, contributing to an innovative dining experience that attracted new clientele.
- Assisted in forecasting inventory needs based on sales trends, optimizing stock levels to meet customer demand without excess.
- Prepared sushi rolls with fresh ingredients and traditional recipes.
- Cleaned, cut, and prepared fish for sushi dishes.
- Stored raw ingredients correctly according to established protocols.
- Prepared finfish, shellfish and fresh produce items to use in sushi.
- Assisted in opening and closing duties such as cleaning, restocking.
- Collaborated with other chefs in preparing meals for large parties or events.
BARTENDER/SERVER
EUREKA
Woodland Hills
01.2016 - 01.2020
- Extensive beer and wine education
- Menu knowledge and communication
- Upselling items to promote guest check & tip average
Lead Line Cook
MARIAS ITALIAN KITCHEN
Calabasas
01.2013 - 01.2016
- Led kitchen operations, ensuring timely food preparation and adherence to quality standards for customer satisfaction.
- Collaborated with front-of-house staff to optimize service delivery, resulting in improved dining experiences for guests.
- Implemented food safety practices, maintaining high sanitation standards and compliance with health regulations.
- Trained new cooks on recipes, preparation methods, safety procedures and sanitation guidelines.
- Kept stations stocked and ready for use to maximize productivity.
- Assisted in food inventory and control while properly receiving and storing delivered items.
- Maintained cleanliness in the kitchen area by adhering to health and safety regulations.
- Managed a team of kitchen staff including assigning tasks and monitoring performance.
- Followed proper food handling methods and maintained correct temperature of food products.
- Prepared dishes in fast-paced environment working with teammates to maintain high customer satisfaction rate.
- Improved employee performance by providing constructive suggestions and encouragement.
- Monitored cooking temperatures and ensured that dishes were presented properly.
- Performed other related duties as assigned by the Head Chef or Kitchen Manager.
Education
PIERCE COLLEGE
WINNETKA, CAHIGHSCHOOL DIPLOMA -
A.E.W.C
Reseda, CASkills
- Continuous learning
- Professionalism
- Meat preparation
- Fish preparation
- Inventory management
- Recipe adherence
- Food quality assurance
- Health compliance
- Kitchen organization
- Cooking techniques
- Staff training
- Food safety standards
- Customer satisfaction
- Sushi preparation
- Ingredient sourcing
- Station management
- Sanitation practices
- Time management
- Order accuracy
- Team coordination
- Customer service
- Knife skills
- Recipe adaptation
- Recipe creation
- Reliable and trustworthy
- Problem-solving
- Line station oversight
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
LINE COOK
FIA STEAK
01.2023 - 01.2026
SUSHI CHEF/INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
TATSUKI RESTAURANT
01.2020 - 01.2023
BARTENDER/SERVER
EUREKA
01.2016 - 01.2020
Lead Line Cook
MARIAS ITALIAN KITCHEN
01.2013 - 01.2016
PIERCE COLLEGE
HIGHSCHOOL DIPLOMA -
A.E.W.C