Ashburn Restaurant Inspections: Sense Of Thai, Phonomenal

ASHBURN, VA — Several restaurants around Ashburn, Sterling, and Dulles recorded violations during recent inspections from the Loudoun County Health Department. The most recent inspections occurred between March 16 and March 22.

COVID-19 restrictions have relaxed around the state, so health inspectors are returning to conduct some restaurant inspections in person. However, some visits, such as those for training purposes, can be conducted virtually.

Violations at restaurants typically focus on factors that can contribute to food contamination. The local health department can also perform a re-inspection to ensure that possible violations have been corrected.

Read more: Ashburn Restaurant Inspections: Okada, Matchbox, Chipotle

For every observed violation, the inspector provides a specific corrective action that can be completed to rectify the violation. Sometimes these are simple, and violations can be corrected during the course of the inspection.

Here are the most recent inspections from around Ashburn, Dulles, and Sterling, as they were written by the Loudoun County Health Department.

• Sarku Japan, 21100 Dulles Town Cir #238 Sterling, VA 20166
  • Date inspected: March 16
  • Total violations: 1
    • Raw shrimp was stored over RTE produce in the walk-in refrigerator.
• Eddie Merlot’s, 20350 Minot Dr Ashburn, VA 20147
  
  • Date inspected: March 17
  • Total violations: 1
    • Leafy micro greens of the one door reach in refrigerator in kitchen registered at between 47°F. As per the PIC said food were held in said unit overnight.
• Red Robin, 21045 Dulles Town Circle Dulles, VA 20166
  
  • Date inspected: March 17
  • Total violations: 2
    • TCS food items on top of the pizza prep unit cold holding at improper temperatures.
    • Dead/trapped mouse was found on the premises.
• Hilton Garden Inn Restaurant, 22400 Flagstaff Plaza Ashburn, VA 20148
  
  • Date inspected: March 17
  • Total violations: 7
    • Signed copies of food employee reporting agreement (Form 1B) not provided at the facility.
    • This food establishment has not established procedures for cleaning up vomiting or diarrheal events that happen in the facility.
    • Hand washing sink next to the walk in freezer in kitchen observed without paper towel. The paper towel dispenser was stuck.
    • Improper cold holding observed in that cut cantaloupe and honey dew registered at 51°F in a bowl in self serving table for buffet breakfast.
    • Improper cold holding in that milk in thermos registered at 50°F. Said thermos were placed on ice.
    • Open container of humus placed in the reach in refrigerator observed without datemarking.
    • Maximum temperature recording thermometer or thermolabel not provided for high temperature dishwasher.
• Pinebrook Elementary School, 25480 Mindful Ct Aldie, VA 20105
  
  • Date inspected: March 17
  • Total violations: 1
    • Observed: Food handling employee missing verifiable training in reporting signs and symptoms of illness.
• Sense Of Thai, 20413 Exchange St Ashburn, VA 20147
  
  • Date inspected: March 17
  • Total violations: 8
    • The person in charge is not able to relate information on the primary symptoms of illnesses/diseases that are transmissible through food and the big six foodborne illnesses.
    • Food employee at the bar observed cutting lemons for garnishing the ready to eat drinks with bare hands, without using any appropriate barriers.
    • Handwashing facility in the bar observed without paper towels and soap.
    • Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food in the walk in refrigeration unit in that raw shell eggs observed stored above vegetables (lettuce, carrots and celeries) in walk in refrigerator.
    • Thai ice tea (with milk) and milk registered at 47°F on ice in a container next to the bar.
    • Fried tofu registered at 54° in the table top cooler. Said food was taken from the walk in refrigerator and had been in said unit for an hour.
    • Two containers of prepared ready-to-eat (RTE) food such as chicken curries in the low boy refrigerator in kitchen were held beyond the marked disposition date (past 7 days).
    • In-use utensils improperly stored between use in that several scoops and tongs observed stored in a container of standing water in kitchen
• Sterling Community Center, 120 Enterprise Street Sterling, VA 20164
  
  • Date inspected: March 18
  • Note: Pre-opening inspection. The following are not violations, but are noted in the inspection report.
    • Provide employees must wash hands signs on handsinks in the kitchen as well as in employees restrooms.
    • Provide soap and paper towels to handwashing facility in the kitchen.
    • Provide sanitizer for three compartment sink and dishwasher.
    • Provide sanitizer test strips for measuring the adequate level of sanitizer.
• Mona’s Lebanese Cafe / Guilford Station Arts Club, 1006 Ruritan Circle Sterling, VA 20164
  
  • Date inspected: March 18
  • Total violations: 2
    • The person in charge (PIC) was not able to produce a verifiable employee health reporting agreement for each of the food employees
    • Prepared Ready to eat (RTE) time temperature control for safety (TCS) foods stored in the glass door refrigerator are not date marked for disposition ( lentils, cooked rice, stuffed cabbage, cooked vegetables)
• Hovatter Elementary, 41135 Collaboration Dr Aldie, VA 20105
  
  • Date inspected: March 18
  • Total violations: 2
    • Observed: An employee does not have a verifiable (employee health policy - form 1B) available for view.
    • Observed: In self service bins in the cafeteria: unwrapped forks, spoons, knives not inverted to protect from contamination from hands
• The Wine’ing Butcher- Ashburn, LLC, 20915 Ashburn Rd Ashburn, VA 20147
  
  • Date inspected: March 21
  • Total violations: 3
    • Observed bacon jam in pizza prep cooler with a date mark of 3/2.
    • Food establishment is using reduced oxygen packaging (ROP) of sausage, hamburger patties, and ground pork without a HACCP plan that does that would describe how the package shall be labeled.
    • Observed orza salad tightly cover while cooling.
• The Bungalow Alehouse-Ashburn, 44042 Pipeline Plaza Ashburn, VA 20147
  
  • Date inspected: March 21
  • Total violations: 1
    • Raw shrimp and raw calamari stored over sauces in prep unit, raw beef stored above cooked beef in walk-in, raw beef stored above macaroni and cheese in walk-in.
• Phonomenal, 20447 Exchange St Ashburn, VA 20147
  
  • Date inspected: March 21
  • Total violations: 9
    • Person in charge (PIC) unable to describe the symptoms of foodborne illnesses and the big six foodborne illnesses and the restrictions.
    • Signed copies of food employee reporting agreement (Form 1B) not provided during the inspection.
    • Chicken pho and cooked beef tendons registered between 45°F to 48°F in the walk in refrigerator. As per the PIC said food were taken of the walk in refrigerator an placed in kitchen for some time in morning to make some adjustments since the walk in refrigerator is tight.
    • Date marking not provided to cooked chicken and beef pho in walk in refrigerator being held for more than 24 hours.
    • The person in charge is not able to provide written procedures for the use of time as a public health control with the following potentially hazardous food items such as sprouts for Pho and cooked shrimp summer rolls.
    • Food temperature measuring thermometer not provided during the inspection.
    • Large container of cooked chicken observed placed on floor under the food prep table. Said chicken was cooked and is held to be sliced.
    • Facility observed using pots larger than the three compartment sinks and dishwasher.
    • Ventilation hood in kitchen observed with heavy accumulation of dust and grease.
• Hyatt House Dulles, 45520 Dulles Plaza Dulles, VA 20166
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 7
    • Employee/PIC does not have a verifiable means to show certified food protection manager (ServSafe) certificate. Staff indicated that a training is scheduled for next month for employees. Only certified food manager was not in building upon arrival.
    • Observed Philadelphia Cream Cheese at breakfast service to be out at ambient temperature and rotated back into cold holding after service.
    • Facility recently added Salmon to menu. Salmon was observed thawing in original packaging sealed with instructions on the labeling indicating that salmon is to be removed from packaging before thawing.
    • Observed Ice Scoop laying flat in potable ice bin at the bar. Observed cups laying on their side for scooping cereal stored in buckets.
    • Thermometer is not functioning on 2 DR Cold Holding Unit in Kitchen.
    • Observed establishment to be utilizing quat disinfectant with no means of testing concentration.
    • Observed mold like substance beginning to accumulate on the guard in the ice bin.
• Black Hog BBQ, 20064 Riverside Commons Plaza #180 Ashburn, VA 20147
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 1
    • Observed rack of ribs 127F at an improper hot holding temperature.
• Nick’s Taverna, 42395 Ryan Rd #130 Ashburn, VA 20148
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 5
    • EHS observed an employee load the dish machine with dirty dishes and then empty and handle clean dishes and utensils without first washing their hands.
    • House made sauces considered TCS (time temperature control for safety) foods (greek dressing, fattoush dressing, greek yogurt sauce) due to them containing garlic and oil are cold holding at improper temperature at the cook line. The sauces are held in squeeze bottles in a bowl of ice. Bottles are not fully submerged in ice. Temperatures of the sauces are 67F.
    • Ready to eat (RTE) prepared stuffed grape leaves (dolmades) were held past the maximum 7 days in the cooler. The dolmades are date marked 3//14/2022- 3/20/2022.
    • Upon review of the menu items with the PIC it was determined that the greek dressing which contains raw shell egg yolk is not marked with a disclosure asterisk on the menu. The reminder statement is printed at the bottom of the menu.
    • EHS observed >4 chemical spray bottles without labels.
• Ghumanz Food Inc, 46000 Old Ox Rd #108 Sterling, VA 20166
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 4
    • Observed 1 inch opening across the bottom of the backdoor containing no door sweep.
    • Observed one roach crawling up wall near 3 vat when inspecting air drying storage for containers. Observed 4 more baby roaches crawling out of caulking in wall. Observed one baby roach on hand sink to the right of the 3 vat sink.
    • Observed caulking on the wall by the 3 vat to be coming apart, with a mold like substance.
    • Observed wet in use mop stored on ground near corner where other violations were noted. Mop is contributing to standing water.
• Mr. Pollo Peruvian Charcoal Chicken, 23520 Overland Dr #152 Sterling, VA 20166
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 5
    • Employee observed drinking water from bottle in kitchen.
    • Chicken tamales registered at 50°F in one door reach in refrigerator.
    • Temperature control for safety (TCS) food, beef soup registered at 125°F in hot holding table.
    • Date marking not provided to mango lassi prepared in the facility. Said food will be held for 4 days as per the PIC.
    • The only food thermometer in the facility observed broken.
• Punjabi Junction, 23520 Overland Dr #122 Dulles, VA 20166
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 4
    • Observed cooking utensils being stored in room temperature water.
    • Date marking not provided to two containers of mango lassi (mango and yogurt smoothie) in the reach down refrigerator in the bar. As per the PIC said lassi was prepared several days prior.
    • Date marking not provided to prepared ready to eat food temperature control for safety food (TCS) such as fried chicken, cooked vegetables and vegetable samosas in the walk in refrigerator.
    • Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination in that raw chicken observed stored above raw salmon in shelves in the walk in refrigerator.
• Falcons Landing @ West Falls Center, 46661 Algonkian Pkwy Sterling, VA 20165
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 2
    • EHS observed a large amount of Ice that had been dumped in the handwashing sink to the left of the entrance.
    • EHS observed personal items being stored next to cleaned items in the dishwashing area.
• Brambleton Middle School, 23070 Learning Circle Ashburn, VA 20148
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 1
    • Covered receptacle in employee restroom has a "do not use" sign.
• Arby's, 23511 Overland Dr Sterling, VA 20166
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 5
    • The person in charge (PIC) did not know the 6 big foodborne illnesses that are reportable to the department.
    • Employees and conditional employees are not aware of the reporting procedures concerning information about their health as they relate to the symptoms caused by illness, infection, or other source that is associated with an acute gastrointestinal illness or a lesion. Signed copies of form 1 B not provided during inspection.
    • The food establishment does not have written procedures for cleaning up vomiting or diarrheal events that happen in the facility.
    • Hand washing facility next to the dishwasher observed with dirty utensils placed in it.
    • Chemical dishwasher not sanitizing dishes after wash and rinse cycle.
• Falcons Landing Military Retirement Community, 20522 Falcons Landing Circle Sterling, VA 20165
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 2
    • Roast beef on the line (130F) and a pork tenderloin in the hot holding warmer (124F) were found hot holding at improper temperatures.
    • Several light fixtures within the kitchen directly above lines, prep areas and dishwashing areas were observed without shielding.
• Kindercare Learning Center, 106 Free Court Sterling, VA 20164
  
  • Date inspected: March 22
  • Total violations: 2
    • Observed 2 DR Cold Holding Unit to have malfunctioning thermometer read on outside of unit. Separate thermometer is in unit at warmest part for verification.
    • Quaternary ammonia test strips for testing sanitizer at 3 compartment sink expired 6/2016 and 6/2019.

Not all restaurants recorded violations. Here are the locations that received flawless inspections from the health department.

• Master Wok
• Sbarro #736
• Hillside Elementary School
• Benihana
• Golly Waffles, LLC
• Hammerdown Barbeque Mobile
• Kabob Grill
• Stone Hill Middle School
• Steuart W. Weller Elementary School
• Creighton’s Corner Elementary School
• What the Heck Barbecue
• Pizza Hut
• Creative Taste of Leesburg
• Sanders Corner Elementary School
• Newton Lee Elementary School
• Belmont Station Elementary
• Madison's Trust Elementary
• Countryside Elementary School