Restaurant Inspections: Il Mee Receives 10 Critical Violations

The state health department recently inspected a few restaurants in the Annandale area. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Il Mee Restaurant
7031 Little River Turnpike
Date of inspection: Feb. 12
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Open drinking containers stored in a manner that may contaminate food, food contact surfaces or utensils. Observed open beverages in sushi prep area and in dishwashing area.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some of the food items from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: Clean dishware in the dishwashing room was mixed with dirty dishes.
Critical: Some of the food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that poisonous and toxic materials are not properly stored to prevent the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens or single service items. Observed bleach stored above and adjacent to corn starch containers in the dry storage area.
Critical: The tags for the molluscan shellfish are not being retained for 90 days.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Visibly soiled or improperly cleaned equipment or utensils were observed being used during food preparation.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Unwrapped or uncovered food in the following location where the food is subject to contamination: Observed open bags of flour and rice in the dry storage room.
Non-critical: The cavity and/or door seal of the microwave oven is observed soiled.
Non-critical: Water from the handwashing sink in the kitchen and the dishwashing room were measured at a temperature less than 100 degrees. Kitchen 63 degrees, dishware 67 degrees.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: Sauce containers at sushi prep area.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Wiping cloths that were laundered on site were observed air-drying in the dishwashing area above clean dishware.
Non-critical: Heavily soiled wiping cloths in use.
Non-critical: Wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces were observed stored on the counter.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of one of the refrigerator units are damaged.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Some of the equipment is not designed and constructed to be durable.
Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surfaces of some equipment had accumulations of grime and debris.
Non-critical: The faucet was not easy to clean because the component is damaged or condition is in poor repair.
Non-critical: Plumbing connections under the handsink in the dishwashing area piping are leaking.
Non-critical: The sink basin at the handsink in the kitchen is slow to drain.
Non-critical: Observed that the dishwashing room, equipment/beverage room is in need of cleaning.
Non-critical: Observed that the ceiling tiles in dishwashing area, kitchen area, dry storage are not maintained in good repair.
Non-critical: Light bulbs in the dishwashing area are not covered by a protective shielding.
Non-critical: Observed that inadequate lighting was provided in the walk-in refrigerators, walk-in freezers, and/or dry storage areas.

Osaka & Camino Boutique Lounge
6669 Little River TP
Date of inspection: Feb. 12
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical: A review of the menu with the foodservice operator indicates that there is no consumer advisory for the following food items that may be served raw and/or undercooked: new paper menu that are place on the tables have sushi items without consumer advisory.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The tags for the molluscan shellfish are not being retained for 90 days.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw fish above kimchi.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: multiple knives.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: raw tofu 50F, cooked eel 50F, cooked crab meat 48F, masago 55F.
Non-critical: The person in charge (PIC) has a valid certificate of successful completion of a Certified Food Manager (CFM) exam but does not possess the CFM card issued by ORS Interactive, Inc.
Non-critical: Wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces were observed stored on the counter.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: knives, can opener, spoons submerged in standing water.
Non-critical: The following equipment is not installed in a manner that allows accessibility for cleaning, nor is it installed with closely abutting surfaces to minimize the need for cleaning: 3-compartment sink.
Non-critical: Observed that the floors under the cooling units in the kitchen is in need of cleaning.

Shilla Bakery
7039 Little River Turnpike
Date of inspection: Feb. 12
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food handler was observed drinking from an uncovered beverage container while in the kitchen.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is commercially processed is not used or discarded within 24 hours of when the original container was opened and is not observed to be date marked.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.
Non-critical: The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: Containers of sugar, bottles of water.
Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor. Cans of food, bag of onions observed to be stored on the floor in the kitchen. Observed raw shelled eggs stored on the floor in the walk in cooler.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: Ice scoop handle on ice.
Non-critical: There is no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions. Using a chlorine test kit to measure a quaternary ammonia sanitizer.
Non-critical: Observed that the light fixture in the kitchen is not maintained in good repair.