Hand In Salad, 'White Fuzzy Substance': Hiram Restaurants Fail Inspections (ICYMI)

HIRAM, GA — Black mold in the ice machine, a "white fuzzy substance" growing in the cooler and a worker sticking her bare hand into salad greens were just some of the problems found as two Asian restaurants in Hiram failed their health inspections during the past week.

Hai Hai Steakhouse scored a 60/U and Asian Express scored a 63/U on their inspections. Both are located on Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway in Hiram.

At Hai Hai Steakhouse, inspectors last Friday saw a female employee use her bare hand to scoop up salad greens and put them in a bowl to be served. She was told to wash her hands and put on gloves and the salads she'd already made were discarded.

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Raw eggs were being stored next to cut watermelon and lemons and above broccoli in a cooler. Food like house-made sauces, including a seafood sauce, and white rice were being stored at temperatures that were too high.

A container of broccoli was found on the floor, kitchen employees weren't wearing the proper hair restraints and a manager was found not to have basic food-safety knowledge.

The restaurant had scored a 91/A on its most recent inspection in March and a 76/C on an inspection in February.

At Asian Express, a "black mold-like substance" was found in the ice machine and a "white, fuzzy substance" was found in a cooler. Raw beef was being stored next to ready-to-eat eggrolls in the cooler and a large container of brown sauce made the previous day was found to be stored at a high temperature.

Boxes of frozen fish and other seafood were being stored on the floor, employees were wearing bracelets and other jewelry and didn't have proper hair restraints and a manager was found to not know basic food-safety procedures.

The restaurant had scored an 82/B on its most recent inspection in March and a 90/A during an inspection in October 2015.

Both restaurants will be inspected again within the next 10 days. If they have not improved on problems cited on last week's inspections, health inspectors could shut the restaurants down until the problems are addressed.

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