Royal Chef China Bistro

Observed employees enter the kitchen and, without washing their hands, start to make drinks and soups and handle food; one employee was wearing gloves, going into the dining room to do other tasks, returned to the kitchen, and then started to handle food without washing their hands and changing gloves. COS. Items discarded; employees washed hands. CA: Hands shall be washed prior to working with food, when changing tasks, and contamination occurs.

Observed cans with dents on the seals. COS. Removed; after removing several dented cans, person-in-charge was instructed to have a staff member go through all cans and remove all dented cans as the facility has a large number of cans. CA: Packaging shall be in good condition to protect the integrity of the food.

Observed raw chicken skewers stored next to tortillas and above various sauces; observed a container of raw chicken stored in direct contact with bags of cooked chicken; observed a container of raw chicken stored touching a container of vegetables; observed a container of raw chicken touching container of cooked pasta and a bag of pasta and this container of raw chicken was stored over several containers of onions and a bag of carrotts; observed a bag of raw chicken stored in the same container as a package of raw beef and this was stored over containers of raw beef and onions; in the walk-in freezer, observed raw chicken not in its manufacturers packaging that was stored over raw beef not in its manufacturers packaging; in the walk-in freezer, observed raw ground beef not in its manufacturer packaging that was stored over eggrolls not in their manufacturers packaging; pictures taken attached to report. COS. Contaminated items were discarded and all units were rearranged based on cook temperatures to prevent contamination. CA: Food shall be stored in a manner that prevents cross contamination.

Observed that the facility was chopping cabbage and had placed a soiled, sanitizer wet wiping cloth in direct contact with the food; the rag was stored touching the food. Picture attached. COS. Cabbage discarded. CA: Food shall only come into contact properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized food contact surfaces, single-use items, or properly laundered clean linen.

Observed cold TCS food stored above 41 F (fried chicken); facility has a bus tub full of fried chicken sitting on the counter, they are leaving the chicken on the counter and pulling from it when an order is received; the items are not marked for time and there is no time as a public health control plan. COS. Items to be discarded 4 hours from when they were removed from refrigeration. CA: TCS food that uses cold holding as a control for safety shall be held at 41 F or below.

Observed hot TCS food that was stored below 135 F (chicken wings); observed that the facility is keeping a tub of cooked chicken wings on top of a refrigerator that they are pulling from when orders come in, the chicken wings were cooked today, but they are not actively cooling them and storing them here to be pulled from. COS. To be discarded 4 hours from when they were cooked. There is no time as a public health control plan and time is not marked on the items. CA: TCS food that uses hot holding as a control for safety shall be held at 135 F or higher.

Observed many foodborne illness and public health intervention violations including handwashing, employee health reporting requirement acknowledgement, food integrity not protected, food not protected from cross contamination, date marking, time and temperature control, and chemical usage. CA: It is the responsibility of the person-in-charge to prevent, identify, and address violations as they may occur and to maintain active managerial control over the facility.

Observed that the facility has TCS food prepared over 24 hours ago that were not date marked; when discussing when items were made with the person-in-charge, was informed specific containers of fried chicken were made yesterday (12/30), however, when employees added dates to food they marked the dates as (12/29); PIC informed to keep the older date of 12/29 to be safe. COS. Dates added; discussed the importance of date marking as based on the inspection employees are unsure of when items were prepared. CA: TCS food held longer than 24 hours shall be date marked.

Observed residential pesticides in the kitchen and are using non-EPA registered chemicals and sanitizers. COS. Removed. CA: All chemicals shall be used according to their conditions of use, including only using residential pesticides in residential settings, and only using chemicals that registered and intended for use in commercial settings.

Observed that the facility had some employee health reporting requirement acknowledgements, but were unable to produce employee health reporting requirement acknowledgements for all randomly selected employees. CA: Facility shall have verifiable proof of employee health reporting requirement acknowledgement for all employees.

Observed employee drinks stored not in single-use cups (mugs and tumblers) that were stored with and above food (condiments, fortune cookies). COS. Removed. CA: Employee drinks shall be stored in single-use containers with a lid and a straw and handled to prevent contamination.

Observed food stored uncovered in freezers. COS. Plastic wrap used to cover food. CA: Food shall be stored covered.

Observed many (more than a dozen) containers of non-easily identifiable foods (powders, seasonings, liquids) that were not labeled with the common name of the food. COS. Labels added. CA: Non-easily identifiable foods shall be labeled with the common name of the product.

Observed that the facility was attempting to cool cooked shrimp by placing them in dense and overfilled containers, covering them with plastic wrap, and then placing it in the cooler. COS. Food was broken down and loosely covered to help facilitate cooling. CA: Cooling methods shall be appropriate for ensuring that food reachs the required time and temperature benchmarks.

Observed employees preparing and cooking food while wearing jewelry on their wrists (watches). COS. Removed. CA: With the exception of a plain band ring, no jewelry may be worn on the hands or wrists while preparing food, to include medical information bracelets.

Observed wet wiping cloths stored on counters throughout the kitchen. COS. Sanitizer buckets were made and all wet wiping cloths were placed into the buckets. CA: Wet wiping cloths shall be stored in sanitizer solution at the appropriate concentration between uses.

Observed containers stacked while wet. CA: Containers shall be thoroughly air dried prior to stacking.

Observed plates not in-use that were stored upright without overhead protection. COS. Burner plates placed. CA: Plates and utensils shall be stored inverted or otherwise protected from overhead contamination.

Observed fixed-in-place equipment (sinks) that were not properly sealed to the wall. CA: Fixed-in-place equipment shall have enough space behind them to allow for cleaning or be sealed to the wall.

Observed unsealed wood throughout the kitchen and observed cardboard being used as a shelf liner. CA: Non-food contact surfaces shall be constructed of a corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent, and smooth material.

Observed heavy accumulation of debris on and in equipment throughout the kitchen. CA: Equipment shall be thoroughly cleaned and cleaning frequency shall be enough to prevent accumulation.

Observed accumulation of debris on around the edges of the kitchen. CA: Facility shall be thoroughly cleaned and cleaning frequency shall be enough to prevent accumulation.

Observed that the hand sink was being used as a dump sink. COS. Employees trained on proper hand wash sink usage. CA: Hand sinks shall be for hand washing only.

Observed gaps at the back screen door. CA: Exterior openings shall be self-closing and tight fitting.

Observed scoops stored with the handle in the product. COS. Scoops removed. CA: In-use utensils shall have the handle stored out of the product.

All openings to exterior must be kept tightly closed when not actively in use. Gap above rear screen door. Corrected while on site.

All food use items must be smooth, easily cleanable, free from chips and cracks. Bulk bin lids cracked on flour, rice, etc. Replace broken lids with new lids.

Observed that the facility was attempting to cool items by placing them into a bulk container and bags then stacking/placing them close to each other. COS. Items spread out. CA: Cooling shall be done in a manner that facilitates the cooling process.

Observed that the facility was attempting to thaw food by storing it on the counter. COS. Placed into a refrigeration unit. CA: Thawing shall occur using approved means such as under cold running water, placing in a refrigeration unit, cooking from frozen, or by microwaving and immediately cooking.

Observed that there were gaps around the back door. COS. Door was properly closed to prevent pest entry and close the gaps. CA: Outer openings shall be self-closing and tight-fitting or otherwise protected from pest entry.

Observed plates stored upright without overhead protection. COS. Burner plates placed. CA: Plates and utensils shall be stored inverted or otherwise protected from overhead contamination.

Observed employee belongings stored with and above food and food contact surfaces. COS. Removed. CA: Employee belongings and activities shall be in designated locations that prevent contamination.

Observed that employees left the kitchen and were doing other tasks and then returned to working with food. COS. Food discarded and employees washed hands. CA: Employees shall wash hands prior to working with food and when changing tasks.

Observed employee drinks not in single-use containers with a lid and a straw that were not stored with and above food and food contact surfaces. COS. Drinks moved. CA: Employee drinks shall be stored in single-use containers with a lid and a straw and handled to prevent contamination.

Observed that the hand sink was blocked with buckets and a linen bag. COS. Hand sink cleared. CA: Hand sinks shall be kept clear and accessible.

Observed that the facility had TCS food prepared over 24 hours ago that were not date marked. COS. Dates added. CA: TCS food held longer than 24 hours shall be date marked.

Observed that the facility was using scoops without handles to scoop items and the scoops are stored in the product. COS. Removed. CA: In-use utensils shall have a handle and the handled shall be stored out of the product.