The dumplings at Chef Liu in Doraville keep customers coming back. But a health inspector said the restaurant wasn’t keeping them hot enough for food safety.

The popular menu items are often precooked and held under temperature controls. During a recent routine health inspection some pork and vegetable dumplings were sitting out away from any heat source. They had cooled down too much and had to be reheated to the proper temperature range.

Dumplings were also being prepared on a counter of plywood, which is not permissible under the state health code.

Chef Liu scored a 43/U and had its food permit suspended. It was the second consecutive failing routine inspection for the Chinese restaurant at 5283 Buford Highway.

Among other code violations, there were rodent droppings throughout the kitchen and storage area. The facility needed to be serviced by a pest control, the inspector said.

Employees prepping food were not wearing hair restraints. The employee hand sink was blocked with dishes.

There were problems in the walk-in cooler. Containers of food were uncovered. Raw beef was stored on top of pickled vegetables. Raw chicken, shrimp, pork and eggs were all stored on the same shelf.

Chef Liu can have its food permit reinstated after passing a follow-up inspection. No one at the restaurant was answering the phone for comment.

Other recently featured restaurants brought up their health scores on follow-up inspections. Three Way Wings, 830 McDonough Blvd., Atlanta, scored an 82/B. Zafraan, 2255 Calloway Court, Cumming, scored an 85/B.

Here are other recent inspection scores from area restaurants.

Cobb County

• Chilito’s, 745 Chastain Road, Kennesaw. 94/A
• Great Wall, 1275 Powers Ferry Road, Marietta. 84/B
• Marietta Wings & More, 1869 Cobb Parkway, Marietta. 88/B
• Marlow’s Tavern, 1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta. 75/C
• Olive Garden, 2467 Cobb Parkway, Smyrna. 100/A

DeKalb County

• Dynasty Garden, 3274 Northlake Parkway, Tucker. 91/A
• Front Page News II, 351 Moreland Ave., Atlanta. 88/B
• Hudson Grille, 4046 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 93/A
• Little Szechuan, 5091 Buford Highway, Doraville. 77/C
• Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant, 1171 S. Hairston Road, Stone Mountain. 98/A

Fayette County

• Big Daddy’s Oyster Bar, 101 Crossings E., Peachtree City. 86/B
• Borgo Italia, 2882 Highway 54, Peachtree City. 91/A
• Mimmo’s Pizza, 1014 Senoia Road, Tyrone. 99/A
• Pies-On Pizza, 375 E. Lanier Ave., Fayetteville. 94/A
• Tyrone’s Box Car Café, 865 Senoia Road, Tyrone. 93/A

Fulton County

• Gut Buster’s, 806 Ralph David Abernathy, Atlanta. 98/A
• Keso Mexican Grill, 11030 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek. 97/A
• Landmark Diner, 3231 Camp Creek Parkway, East Point. 83/B
• Panera Bread, 5958 State Bridge Road, Duluth. 97/A
• Walter’s Soul Food Café, 394 Cleveland Ave., Atlanta. 88/B

Gwinnett County

• Carino’s Italian, 1802 N. Brown Road, Lawrenceville. 80/B
• Chinese Dhaba, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross. 96/A
• Do Re Mi Restaurant, 2550 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth. 97/A
• Mi Casa,1064 Old Peachtree Road, Lawrenceville. 92/A
• Spiced Right, 3131 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, Suwanee. 83/B

– by Laura Berrios for the Food & More blog

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