Restaurant Inspections: Restaurant Cited for Using Residential Pesticides

From March 26 to April 5, the state health department 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.

Yechon Restaurant

4121 Hummer Rd.

Date of inspection: April 5

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Some cooked potentially hazardous foods are not being adequately cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours and to 41 degrees within a total of six hours.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Pesticides labeled for residential use were observed in the facility and are being applied by the operator to control pests.
• Non-critical: The following methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate proper cooling: Very large pot used to cool the beef soup.
• Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than six inches off the floor.
• Non-critical: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: knives store in between cooling units.
• Non-critical: The cutting board along the 2dr prep cooler(2) are heavily scratched and scored. The food contact surface is no longer easily cleaned and sanitized due to condition.
• Non-critical: The following equipment is not installed in a manner that allows accessibility for cleaning, nor is it installed with closely abutting surfaces to minimize the need for cleaning: caulking needed at the 3-vat sink.
• Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: floors in the walk-in cooler, interior in Maximum 2dr cooler.

Palace Garden

7131 Little River Turnpike

Date of inspection: April 4

• 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): The person in charge is not able to provide written procedures for the use of time as a public health control with the following potentially hazardous food item(s): Sushi rice, sushi at buffet.
• Non-critical: There was no temperature measuring device located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: True 3 dr reach in cooler, True 2 dr.
• Non-critical: The certified food manager could not provide a food temperature measuring device.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: salt, sugar, pepper, chili powder, soy sauce, oil, vinegar containers need labels.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The food on display is not protected from contamination. Observed lettuce, mushrooms, carrots, on a table in the buffet area without a cover or sneeze shield.
• Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following unit(s) are damaged): True 3 dr reach in cooler, Superior freezer.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The following refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41 degrees: True 3dr reach in cooler.

Cafe Tu-Ah

7117 Columbia Pike

Date of inspection: April 3

• 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): Unlabeled food containers with the following food items that are not easily identified by appearance: flour, sugar, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, hot sauce, sweet sauce.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Clean spoons in the waiter station and in the kitchen stored with the food-contact surface facing upward.

Sorak Garden Restaurant

4308 Backlick Road

Date of inspection: April 3

• 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: A food employee was observed handling ready-to-eat food using their bare hands.
• Critical: The following food item(s) is observed to be unsound or adulterated: observed crab mix served in a clam shell.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Unwrapped or uncovered food in the following location where the food is subject to contamination: Observed two large pots containing beef on the floor of the walk in cooler that were left uncovered and not in the cooling process.
• Critical: A review of the menu with the foodservice operator indicates that there is no consumer advisory for food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked.
• Non-critical: There was no temperature measuring device located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: Green World 3 dr reach in cooler, True 3 dr reach in cooler.
• Non-critical: The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: sauces containers and spice containers, on dining tables, working counters, service stations, and prep tables in the kitchen.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: knives observed to be stored in between cooling units.
• Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following unit(s) are damaged: Green World 3 dr reach in cooler, True 2 dr reach in refrigerator.
• Non-critical: The following farm-raised fish (SALMON) served raw or partially cooked were observed without a written statement from the supplier stating that the fish were raised and fed according to state health code.
• Non-critical: Observed the handsink at the kitchen being used to hold a faucet for drinking water.