Commis Chef

Last year has seen the launch of Fonda, an exciting, contemporary Mexican restaurant, years in the making from chef Santiago Lastra and MJMK Restaurants. Opening on Mayfair’s Heddon Street, Fonda has showcased regional Mexican cooking through Santiago’s unique lens, presented in an elegant, vibrant style, complemented by contemporary design.

In Mexico, a Fonda is a family-owned eatery, serving traditional dishes in an informal setting, each inspired by personal recipes from the generations that came before. Santiago Lastra’s Fonda builds on this concept to showcase recipes from across the country. Though seemingly simple, Fonda’s dishes will draw on the quality and provenance of ingredients, combined with innovative techniques to elicit the flavours of Mexico in a modern way. The warmth and genuine hospitality will be at the forefront of how we look after our team and guests, replicating Mexico’s traditional family run Fonda’s.

Fonda’s design is grounded in the warmth of rural Mexico and the vivid hues of its urban landscapes, conveying the colour, beauty, and evolution of the country’s artistic heritage.

At Fonda, our team’s welfare and happiness always comes first. We value the importance of work-life balance and here are some of the benefits and welfare that we offer to our Commis Chef:

50% staff discount across all MJMK restaurants.
Up to £500 team referral bonus.
Opportunity to develop your career with MJMK as we expand.
Mental health and well-being assistance with Hospitality Action who can offer free advice and counselling if you’re struggling at work or at home.
Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, after your first year with us.
An enhanced pension plan after you’ve worked with us for 5 years.

A FONDA Commis Chef is:

A team player who can support the services and sections to maintain a premium guest experience, whilst working in a large team environment.
Experienced in working with fresh, top-quality ingredients.
An enthusiastic and proactive individual, who whilst supporting the senior team can take ownership of their section and departments of the Fonda Kitchen.
Able to work with integrity, generosity, and excellent attention to detail for people & product.
Passionate and knowledgeable about food and hospitality and able to exceed guests’ expectations.
A champion of our values and ethos, be always working to a ‘Best in Class’ level.

We’d love to hear from you if you’re an experienced Commis Chef and you’re up for a new challenge and the opportunity to work alongside Santiago Lastra.

About MJMK Restaurants

MJMK Restaurants own and operate a collection of award-winning restaurants. Founded in 2018 by lifelong friends Jake Kasumov and Marco Mendes, our journey began with Casa do Frango. In 2020, we partnered with chef patron Santiago Lastra to open KOL, a restaurant in Marylebone celebrating Mexican cuisine with British ingredients. KOL has since earned a Michelin Star and been named one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

In 2024 saw two new ventures: Fonda, a contemporary Mexican concept in Mayfair - our second collaboration with Santiago Lastra - and AngloThai in Marylebone, a debut restaurant from husband-and-wife John and Desiree Chantarasak, blending Thai flavours with British ingredients. Within three months of opening, AngloThai earned a Michelin star.

In the 2025 National Restaurant Awards, AngloThai was named The Square Opening of the Year and ranked 7th in the Top 100 list, followed by KOL at number 50. Luso, a contemporary Portuguese restaurant in Fitzrovia, opened in September 2025.