Restaurant Inspections: Oegadgib and Starbucks

The state health department recently inspected a few restaurants in the Annandale area. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Oegadgib Korean Restaurant
7331 Little River Turnpike
Date of inspection: Feb. 21
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Food stored in a location where it is subject to splash, dust or other contamination.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than six inches off the floor.
Non-critical: Food storage under other sources of contamination.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of a freezer unit are damaged.

Seoul Garden
7133 Columbia Pike
Date of inspection: Feb. 21
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Unwrapped or uncovered food in the following location where the food is subject to contamination: Observed open packages of flour, sugar, spices throughout the kitchen. Observed uncovered beef in the Ascend reach in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Pooled raw shell eggs that are not intended for immediate service were not cooked to a sufficient temperature and/or time to eliminate pathogenic bacteria.
Critical: Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked.
Critical: A review of the menu with the foodservice operator indicates that there is no consumer advisory for food items that may be served raw and/or undercooked.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Open drinking containers stored in a manner that may contaminate food, food contact surfaces or utensils.
Non-critical: There was no temperature measuring device located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: Ascend reach in coolers in the kitchen.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the handsink at the center prep station in the middle of the restaurant being used as a dumping station for dirty dishes.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Employees are not aware of or are not monitoring the cook temperatures of potentially hazardous food.

Starbucks in Safeway
7414 Little River Turnpike
Date of inspection: Feb. 20
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Non-critical: The permit holder failed to discontinue operations and notify the Health Department that an imminent health hazard may exist because of an emergency.
Non-critical: There was no temperature measuring device located in one of the cold or hot holding equipment.
Non-critical: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: Observed spoons used to mix milk into beverage stored with food contact surface above rim of container being exposed to bare hand contact upon use.
Non-critical: One of the refrigeration units is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41 degrees.
Non-critical: There is no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions.