Sacramento County health inspectors shut down popular Japanese restaurant. Here’s why
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down a local Japanese restaurant after discovering major health violations, including an active cockroach infestation and sewage backing up in restrooms.
Additionally, four other Sacramento County restaurants received yellow placards due to various health concerns, ranging from slime buildup and food debris to a dead rodent.
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide.
A red placard, however, signals “imminent danger to public health and safety” and suspends the health permit until violations are corrected. This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.
In contrast, a green placard means a restaurant passed inspection.
The county performs about 14,000 inspections annually, with 97% of establishments passing, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
During previous inspections, health inspectors closed a local restaurant and hotel due to a lack of hot water and other food safety violations.
Tea Bar & Fusion Cafe, 2700 Capitol Ave. in midtown Sacramento, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites of Elk Grove, 2460 Maritime Drive in Elk Grove, both passed a reinspection and received green placards.
Here are the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Oct. 31 through Wednesday, Nov. 6, as of Thursday afternoon:
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com. The Bee publishes weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.
Sacramento County health inspectors close Japanese restaurant
Teriyaki Stop, 185 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 100, in Folsom, had three violations on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Health inspectors closed the Japanese restaurant for serious violations, including sewage surfacing in restrooms and non-operational restrooms.
Additionally, inspectors discovered an active cockroach infestation.
One live adult cockroach was seen on the floor drain in front of the three-compartment sink, along with more than 10 free-moving cockroaches under bait traps in the same area.
The restaurant had not been reinspected, as of Thursday, Nov. 7.
Local restaurants cited for food safety violations
The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of Oct. 31 through Wednesday, Nov. 6, resulting in a conditional pass.
Only the dates of violations are listed. Due to the conditional pass and receipt of yellow placard, a reinspection was or will be conducted within 24 to 72 hours of the inspection. The reports are linked.
For updates on individual restaurants, you can search the EMD website here.
Tupi Coffee, 1901 Eighth St. in Sacramento, had six violations on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
During inspection, Sacramento County health inspectors noted several violations, including a lack of hand soap at the front hand sink.
There was no sanitizer in the automatic dishwasher, even after three cycles.
Additionally, dark slime was seen on the ice machine’s working parts.
Inspectors said the coffee shop had no employees with valid food manager certificates or accessible California food handler cards.
Lastly, inspectors observed an employee’s coffee on a preparation table in the kitchen.
The coffee shop had not been reinspected as of Thursday, Nov. 7.
Butcher and Barrel, 723 K St. in Sacramento, had seven violations on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The steakhouse was cited by health inspectors for a bottle of liquor containing a fruit fly at a bar.
Inspectors also discovered one dead rodent in the downstairs storage and eight rodent droppings in the front bar area.
Potentially hazardous foods, including butter, milk and cheese, were observed out of proper holding temperature.
Inspectors said a spinach dip and soup in large containers had been cooling improperly for approximately four hours. Improperly heated short rib sauce was found in a steam table.
Additional violations included an uncovered employee beverage on the cook’s line and boxes of to-go containers stored on the floor in the downstairs storage area.
As of Thursday, Nov. 7, the restaurant had yet to be reinspected.
Huong Sen Tofu, 6830 Stockton Blvd., Suite 105, in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Sacramento County health inspectors cited the Vietnamese restaurant for lacking a valid food manager certificate, missing food handler cards for all employees and an expired health permit.
Inspectors said the facility had cleanliness issues, with accumulated grease and food debris on the floor beneath the main cook line, throughout the side storage room and on the hood filters.
Additionally, there were broken light covers above the main cook line.
Among the other violations, inspectors observed an employee eating in the main cooking area and found a plate of cut honeydew melon, reportedly intended for staff, stored on top of customer food items inside the walk-in cooler.
Vegetable egg rolls and fried tofu were at unsafe temperatures.
Various dishes, such as tofu, steamed buns and cooked corn, were on the service line with newly applied time stickers, despite being past their safe consumption times.
The restaurant had not been reinspected as of Thursday, Nov. 7.
Suzie Burger, 2820 P St. in Sacramento, had nine violations on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The hamburger joint was cited by Sacramento County health inspectors for violations including the absence of an employee with food safety certification and missing food handler cards for review.
Additionally, a case of food was improperly stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer and an employee beverage was in an improper container and placed on the prep cooler’s cutting board.
Other violations included raw beef patties stored above vegetables in a cold drawer, raising cross-contamination concerns.
Several potentially hazardous foods were outside of safe holding temperatures, including a cheese sauce kept in an insufficiently heated water bath.
A restroom hand sink was missing paper towels.
Inspectors had yet to reinspect the restaurant as of Thursday, Nov. 7.
