NYC Restaurants Ordered Closed June 16-23

NEW YORK CITY — Vermin, dirty dishes and poor personal cleanliness — restaurants across the city have dirty secrets they'd rather not share. But New York City's Health Department is watching.

Every year, inspectors arrive unannounced at more than 25,000 restaurants to examine health and safety standards.

Most eateries pass inspections, but some fall short of the city's standards, accruing violation points for everything from broken light bulbs to "public health hazards," like vermin and failure to follow food safety protocols.

Restaurants hit with non-food-safety violations might get a fine or a lower letter grade, with zero to 13 points warranting an 'A' and violations totaling 28 points or more earning a 'C' (this system is criticized for its efficacy by some gourmands).

Public health hazards that can't be resolved on the spot, like a mouse or fly infestation, pose a bigger issue: immediate closure.

In an unusually clean week for the city's restaurants, here's the sole eatery that the Department of Health closed down since June 16:

Queens

New Shanghai Tan Restaurant (135-20 40th Rd.)

Violation Points: 55

• Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
• Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
• Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
• Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
• Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
• Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.