Restaurant Inspections: Chef Huang and Subway

The state health department recently inspected a few restaurants along the Route 1 corridor. 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.

Chef Huang Restaurant
8638 Richmond Hwy
Date of inspection: Feb. 8
Critical (corrected during inspection): Open drinking containers on prep table.
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his or her hands after cleaning equipments and before putting on gloves to handle foods.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: open boxes of raw egg over sauces in walk-in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The food-contact surfaces of the following equipment were not observed sanitized: no sanitizer being used to clean food contacting prep table.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: knives, peeler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: cooked pork on prep top (46F) - moved to lower cabinet, bean sprouts (49F) in 3dr prep cooler - moved to walk-in cooler. Oil and garlic mix on chef's table (56F) - discarded.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following 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: cooked noodle, cooked chicken in walk-in cooler.
Non-critical: Harborage conditions exist.
Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor: raw beef in walk-in cooler and in walk-in freezer on ground.
Non-critical: Wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces were observed stored on the counter.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following unit(s) are damaged: 3dr prep cooler, walk-in cooler.
Non-critical: Observed that following are in need of repair: broken tiles, broken and missing coving, missing ceiling tiles, walk-in cooler and freezer loose handles.
Non-critical: Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.
Non-critical: Observed that the following are in need of cleaning: nonfood shelving, walls, floors, ceilings, gaskets, vents, inside and outside of equipments, dead roaches, and pipings.
Non-critical: Ceiling tiles over food prep area are all absorbent and not easily cleanable.
Non-critical: Light bulbs over dry storage shelvings are missing shielding.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the handsink in the kitchen is being used as a dump station and also to hold dirty dishes.
Non-critical: Water from the handwashing sink in the kitchen was measured at a temperature less than 100 degrees.

Subway
7868 Richmond Hwy
Date of inspection: Feb. 8
Critical (corrected during inspection): 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: two open drinks on prep table. Manager discarded during inspection.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: cooked beef (45F), cooked chicken (44F), cooked chicken (44F) in 2dr prep cooler - thermostat lowered and EHS observed cooler cooled to 41F before leaving facility.
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: lotion and ointment on prep table.
Non-critical: Ceiling tiles in kitchen are absorbent and not easily cleanable.