Tasty Asian Gets 34 Violations: Inspection Report

A “tasty” Asian restaurant near Dixie Highway had 34 violations. A Mexican place we like had nearly 20. And a West Boca Thai place had 12.

On the bright side there were two perfect inspections in West Boca and one near-perfect inspection at a popular place just east of I-95.

Oishii (おいしい) in Japanese means tasty or delicious, but Oishii Japanese Restaurant on NW 20th in East Boca may have been a bit too interesting last week with 34 violations including 8 marked high priority, a stop-sale on sushi rice and concerns about improper fish. The most serious violations were:

• Employee handled soiled dishes or utensils and then handled clean dishes or utensils without washing hands. – Dishmachine Operator handling soiled dishware, glassware, flatware and then immediately handling cleaned and sanitized – Dishmachine Operator handling dishware, glassware, flatware, then putting on gloves and slicing cabbage.
• Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands. Establishment serves a highly susceptible population. – cook handling cooked noodles
• Nonexempt fish offered raw or undercooked has not undergone proper parasite destruction. Fish must be fully cooked or discarded.
• Operator unable to provide documentation that aquacultured fish has been raised in a controlled environment and fed formulated feed.
• Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. See stop sale. – for sushi rice. Recommended Timer and Velcro.
• Server handled soiled dishes or utensils and then picked up plated food, served food, or prepared a beverage without washing hands. – server scrapping dishes then wetting “finger-tips In Hand Wash Sink for less than two seconds, then walking away shaking water from finger-tips (no hand drying) and returning to food service.
• Single-use gloves not changed as needed after changing tasks or when damaged or soiled. – kitchen line cook washing hands with gloves on.
• Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet.

Rocco’s Tacos in Boca Center was hit with 19 violations including 9 high priority and an administrative complaint. The 9 bad ones were:

• Employee touched face/hair and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Employee handled personal phone, touched face, beard and mouth, removed hat and then handled clean plates without washing hands first. Employee washed hands.
• Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, or food storage area. Observed approximately 50 live flies in bar area. Flies observed landing on open straws, salt containers, juice container spouts, glasses, ice lines, scrub brushes for 3 compartment sink and on sink itself. Observed 6 flies landing on rolled up napkins sets on table near bar.
• Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Pico 50F, shrimp 50F, beans 52F, chicken 48F, empanadas 60F, sour cream 56F, corn 54F,and chicken taco 53F all at flip top cooler in cook line area closest to hand wash sink. All foods iced down. **Corrective Action Taken**
• Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cooked/heated yesterday/on a previous day not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within a total of 6 hours. Food has been cooling overnight. See stop sale. Salsa verde 53F at walk-in cooler cooling overnight. Food has not been pulled , portioned or prepped since last night. Food stored in large deep plastic covered container. See Stop Sale
• Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit or above. ground beef 120F at steam table in front line area. Food stirred to regulate temperature. **Corrective Action Taken**
• Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food prepared from/mixed with ingredient(s) at ambient temperature not cooled to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 4 hours. Pico 45F and chicken sauce 46 F cooling over night at walk-in cooler. Food has not been pulled , portioned or prepped since last night. Food stored in large deep plastic covered container. See Stop Sale. Tomatoes 51-52F Cooling overnight at reaching cooler in rear prep area in front of ice machine. Food has not been pulled , portioned or prepped since last night. Food stored in large deep plastic covered container. See Stop Sale.
• Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food. Raw pooled eggs over salsa at walk-in cooler. Food moved and properly stored. **Corrected On-Site**
• Raw animal foods not properly separated from one another based upon minimum required cooking temperature in walk-in cooler. Raw beef over raw pork at walk-in cooler. Foods moved and properly stored. **Corrected On-Site**
• Stop Sale issued on potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food due to temperature abuse. Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cooked/heated yesterday/on a previous day not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within a total of 6 hours. Food has been cooling overnight. See stop sale. Salsa verde 53F at walk-in cooler cooling overnight. Food has not been pulled , portioned or prepped since last night. Food stored in large deep plastic covered container. See Stop Sale. Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food prepared from/mixed with ingredient(s) at ambient temperature not cooled to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 4 hours. Pico 45F and chicken sauce 46 F cooling over night at walk-in cooler. Food has not been pulled , portioned or prepped since last night. Food stored in large deep plastic covered container. See Stop Sale. Tomatoes 51-52F Cooling overnight at reaching cooler in rear prep area in front of ice machine. Food has not been pulled , portioned or prepped since last night. Food stored in large deep plastic covered container. See Stop Sale.

That was the worst of the week. Far less troubling but still significant, Boon’s Asian Bistro in Boca Greens had 12 violations but only 1 high priority. And Orient House Express on SW 18th had 10 violations, 1 high priority.

As for the good news, Moon’s Tavern yet again had a perfect inspection. They seem to do well every time.

The Wendy’s in Boca Lyons Plaza (near Miller’s Ale House) was also perfect. And the popular Shake Shack on Glades near FAU was near perfect with just one minor violation.

Fire House Subs on Beracasa did pretty well with four minor violations. Ben’s Kosher Deli on 441 at Clint Moore and Yard House in Mizner Park both did okay with 5 violations each.

A few restaurants were so-so. Rafina and Orient House Express (2nd inspection the same day), both on SW 18th, had 9 violations each.

Tanzy in Mizner Park had 7 violations and Tap 42 in Boca Center had 6. As usual our spreadsheet is below.