A sushi restaurant in Suwanee was closed last week because the raw seafood was not being kept cold enough to ensure food safety.

Wasabi & Sushi, 1291 Old Peachtree Road, failed its second consecutive routine inspection with a 49/U. The restaurant had a 36/U in October.

Management was docked for its third violation of improper food temperatures. A cooler wasn’t maintaining temperatures at 41 degrees or below and raw salmon, shrimp, tuna and eel used for sushi were all discarded.

The restaurant’s time control measures were also inadequate to protect food safety, the inspector said. Containers of sushi fish and rice combinations were discarded because there was no documentation indicating when it was prepared and when it should be discarded.

The restaurant also had no documentation showing that the tilapia, which is served raw, had been properly frozen to destroy parasites. The fish has been taken off the menu until parasite documentation is provided by the seafood supplier.

In …

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Two DeKalb County restaurants lost an evening of business last week when they were temporarily closed after failing a second consecutive routine health inspection.

However, both made a quick turn-around. They each passed a follow-up inspection and re-opened the following afternoon.

Gokul Sweets, 763 DeKalb Industrial Way, Decatur, initially scored a 58/U because employees were careless when handling food.

The inspector said employees were not cleaning their hands immediately before prepping food, and they were touching ready to eat foods with bare hands. One employee was drinking a soda from an open container while cooking at the wok station.

In addition, food was not protected from contamination. A bulk container of cooked peanuts had been placed outside behind the facility to cool.

The restaurant passed its follow-up inspection with a 91/A.

A Decatur pizzeria was also given permission to re-open after scoring an 83/B on a second inspection.

Rocco’s New York Pizza, 2064 N. …

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A take-out Indian restaurant in south Atlanta saw a dramatic drop in its health score after an inspector found rat droppings on dry storage shelving.

Tasty Curry, 1550 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, received a failing score of 46/U.

The facility was marked down for other signs of uncleanliness, too. The inspector noted food debris on the floor underneath cooking equipment, and a buildup of food debris on non-food contact surfaces.

And food prep counters, equipment and utensils were not sanitized, the Fulton County Health inspector noted.

Points were also deducted from the overall health score because the facility had no thermometer to measure food temperatures. When the inspector took temperature readings some of the cold foods were not within the proper range for food safety.

Among other code violations, some food containers were uncovered in the reach-in cooler, prepared foods were not marked with a disposal date and the inspector said raw meats were stored over …

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A food booth at China Mall in Chamblee was recently closed by the DeKalb County Health Department after failing a second consecutive routine inspection.

Among the violations at China Kitchen, 5385 New Peachtree Road, raw pork belly and cabbage were being prepped in the multi-compartment sink at the same time. The cabbage was thrown away.

Vegetables can only be washed in the vegetable sink, and the multi-compartment sink should be sanitized before and after thawing or prepping raw animal products, the inspector noted.

Prepared sauces and beans were also subject to contamination because they were stored below and next to raw animal foods in the cooler. The items were rearranged to be stored separately.

In other violations, raw fish and uncooked buns filled with pork were stored on a rack at room temperature in the kitchen. China Kitchen manager explained that the food was prepped for cooking and had only been left out for 15 minutes. However, that was long enough for the …

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Gwinnett County health officials have suspended the food permit of Nanoom To Go for the second time this year.

The restaurant at 3312 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Duluth, has yet to celebrate its first anniversary, but has had problems passing a routine health inspection. Last week, it failed yet another routine inspection with a 51/U and was required to close its doors and come up with an action plan to correct all risk control violations.

During the inspection, the inspector found several frozen meats and seafood thawing improperly throughout the facility.

For example, raw squid was thawing in standing water in the produce sink, while Napa cabbage was on an adjacent drain board. The squid was moved to the cooler to continue thawing.

Raw pork products were thawing at room temperature on the prep table and on the meat slicer. Raw fish was thawing on top of a chest freezer.

Nanoom To Go has had repeat violations of not protecting food from cross-contamination in storage. Several …

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Confusion over when to use bleach and when not to use it caused the health score to drop at a Doraville restaurant.

At El Autentico Sinaloense, 5303 Buford Highway, sanitizer was improperly used to disinfect cut vegetables, but wasn’t used on dirty dishes or counter-tops and tables, as required.

The DeKalb County health inspector took points off for all three violations, and gave the Mexican restaurant a 52/U on the routine inspection.

According to the inspection report, an employee sliced some lettuce, added water and poured a small amount of bleach over the vegetables. The mixture was discarded because only approved chemicals can be used to clean vegetables. Bleach can only be used as a sanitizer, the inspector noted.

However, it wasn’t being used when cleaning dirty dishes or wiping down surfaces. Dishes were improperly stored in the mop sink until they could be washed. When they were washed no sanitizer was used as a disinfectant.

Also, the sanitizer bucket for wet wiping …

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The health score at a Japanese restaurant in Sandy Spring took a big hit during a recent routine inspection.

Numerous code violations regarding food storage, broken and dirty equipment and unmarked containers of food dropped the score by 30 points. Sushi Huku, 6300 Powers Ferry Road, earned a 61/U.

According to the report, a bag of onions was in an outside storage area where chemicals are also kept. Fish and scallops were stored under beef and chicken in the freezer and a cooler. A case of drinks was left on the kitchen floor. Unmarked food containers were found in all the coolers and freezers.

The restaurant also needs cleaning and repair work in the kitchen, according to the inspector.

Duck tape was used to repair gaskets on the reach-in coolers, and one of the coolers had heavy debris on its gaskets. The three-compartment leak had a major leak in the pipes. The sushi bar had debris on the floor and under the equipment. And debris and mold were found inside the ice …

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The food permit of a Vietnamese noodle shop in Gwinnett County was suspended after a health inspector spotted several live roaches on a dirty meat slicer.

I Love Pho, 4650 Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross, was given a 51/U, its second failing score in the past six months.

The meat slicer had heavy food debris on the blades and inside the unit, according to the routine inspection report. The ice machine was also dirty with a thick, mold-like substance inside.

The inspector had employees clean the slicer and ice machine, and told management to bring in a professional exterminator for pest control.

Also, three containers of beef soup were discarded because the soup had not been cooled properly. The soup was left to cool at room temperature, then the deep containers were placed in the freezer to speed up the process. After almost two hours the soup was still too hot.

It was the third time the restaurant had used an improper cooling process for potentially hazardous food, the …

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The Real Chow Baby at Ponce began the week Monday morning with an opportunity to pull up a recent failing health score.

Last week, the Asian fusion restaurant at 782 Ponce De Leon Avenue received a 59/U, and the inspector said management needed retraining on controlling food safety risks.

For example, hand sanitizer was used to wipe down a food thermometer, an improper method of disinfecting kitchen equipment, the inspector said.

A spring roll in the cooler was wrapped in a kitchen towel instead of disposable packaging or placed in a covered container.

An employee was seen handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands instead of using a utensil or wearing gloves. And an employee’s open beverage container was on the food prep table near clean equipment and utensils.

In other violations, some food temperatures in the walk-in cooler were too high. Fish was being held at 54 degrees, and raw chicken was at 46 degrees. Juices in the bar coolers were past their expiration dates. They …

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A follow-up inspection usually leads to a higher health score for restaurants needing to improve. There’s a little time to fix problem areas or retrain employees before the inspector comes back.

But for Phil’s Southern Cooking in Stockbridge a second inspection pulled their score down not up.

A few employee mistakes were costly. Twice, an employee was observed putting on gloves without washing his hands. And a food prep employee was drinking out of a cup that had no lid or straw.

Both violations are risk factors for food borne illness and carry more weight in the final health score, according to the Henry County health inspector.

The restaurant at 4727 N. Henry Boulevard was given a 65/U on the re-inspection. Its previous routine health score was a 73/C.

In other violations, food items were stored improperly in two coolers. Raw link and ground sausages were shelved above cooked sausages, and raw eggs were above fresh green peppers and lemons.

Also, crowder peas and corn were …

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