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Hello Passionate Chef! Come help build a bistro in the mountains

4.5
(56 reviews)56

The experience

We’re a slow-living home tucked away in the mountains of Chiang Dao, surrounded by nature, quiet, and big skies. We’re at the early stages of building a future fusion bistro, and we’re looking for a chef who’s already worked in a kitchen or cooked at scale — someone who truly loves food and knows what it takes behind the scenes.

Note: View us on a laptop to view full gallery. Mobile limits pics.

What you offer

24 hours of help per week

Kitchen Hand: Help prepare, finish and serve meals.

Additional fee required

Amount: US$ 8 Per day

Fee pays for: Benefits for travelers, Materials for volunteer activities, and Donation to project

Description: We are a small, privately run home. The extra fee helps cover shared costs such as accommodation, utilities, maintenance, cleaning supplies, and household expenses. It also includes access to our gym, mountain bikes, shared food, and coffee. This contribution helps us cover basic overheads, as we do not operate with an active customer base.

What you get

1 day off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Team Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other people.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Discounts on Tours: Get discounts for tours and excursions around town.

Discounts on Accommodation: Get discounts for your stay in other hostels.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Free Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!

Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!

Free Events: Get free entrance for the best events in town.

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Yoga classes: Take free yoga classes at our place.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely

Dedicated Workspace: Specific space for you to work remotely

Requirements

Beginner English or Beginner Thai

Over 18 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Dao Home is a small, privately run slow-living home in the mountains of Chiang Dao. We’re currently in a quiet building phase — not running an active program or restaurant, but intentionally slowing down to focus on quality, creativity, and how we want to grow.

Our longer-term vision includes developing a small fusion bistro rooted in care, flavor, and intention. Right now, this stage is about exploration, practice, and collaboration, not production or volume.

We’re looking for a passionate cook who enjoys being part of a home where food matters. Cooking here is mainly for the household and occasional Airbnb guests. Some days there may be no guests at all; other days there may be a small group (usually 3–5 people). Schedules are flexible and communicated in advance.

This is not a high-pressure kitchen. It’s a place to cook thoughtfully, experiment with cuisines (Indian, fusion, brunch-style dishes, shared meals), and grow together. We often cook together, exchange ideas, and treat cooking as both care and creativity.

If you love food, enjoy shared living, and want to practice your skills in a calm, real environment — this space is for you.

Activities & Shift

Activities & Shifts (copy–paste):

🍳 Cooking & Kitchen Care
Prepare meals mainly for the household and occasional Airbnb guests. Cooking hours vary depending on guest flow — usually around 2–5 hours per day, and sometimes less during quiet days. We plan meals together and communicate guest numbers in advance.

🥘 Creative & Fusion Cooking
Experiment with brunch dishes, Indian food, fusion meals, and shared cooking experiences. Some days cooking may feel more like a creative activity (pizza nights, shared meals) rather than a task.

🧼 Kitchen & Home Care
Maintain cleanliness, organization, and hygiene in the kitchen and shared spaces. Caring for tools, ingredients, and the home is an essential part of this role.

🐔 Light Animal Food Prep
Help with simple, consistent food preparation for our animals (mainly chickens). This is straightforward and part of daily rhythm.

🌿 Occasional Support Tasks
When needed, help with light gardening or general home tasks. This is a shared home, not a fixed job role.

⏰ Shift Style
We follow a slow, flexible rhythm. There is no fixed service schedule and no rush. Some days are very quiet; others are more active. This role is part-time by nature, allowing time to explore Chiang Dao, rest, and enjoy the environment.

This position is based on trust, communication, and shared responsibility — not supervision or strict structure.

Rules

Chef & Kitchen Guidelines

1. Kitchen Layout & Systems
Our kitchen has an intentional layout and workflow.
Please do not change the setup, organization, or placement of tools or ingredients without asking first.
If you have ideas or improvements, we’re open — just communicate before making changes.

2. Cleanliness & Food Safety (Non-Negotiable)
Cleanliness is essential, especially when handling raw meat or animal products.
Wash hands properly and frequently
Sanitize surfaces, boards, knives, and sinks after use
Separate raw and cooked foods correctly
Never leave cleaning “for later”
If you’re unsure how to clean something properly, always ask. We prefer questions over assumptions.

3. Ask When You’re Unsure
Initiative is valued — but not at the expense of communication.
If you don’t know:
How something is cleaned
Whether an ingredient can be used
How food should be stored
Whether something is for guests or personal use

👉 Please ask first.
We have a cleaner and systems in place — coordination matters.

4. Respect for Ingredients
Some ingredients are:
For guests
For household use
For personal use only
Please do not use ingredients without clarity.
If you’re unsure which category something belongs to, ask before using it.
We will clearly divide ingredients, and this division must be respected.

5. Meals, Guests & Boundaries
As the cook, you hold a lot of responsibility and trust.
Do not offer free meals to guests or visitors unless we explicitly say so
Always assume meals are paid unless told otherwise
If someone asks for food and you’re unsure — ask us first
This avoids misunderstandings and protects the sustainability of the home.

6. Collaboration Over Ego
We cook together and share feedback openly.