King County Closes Issaquah Restaurant After Illnesses

ISSAQUAH, WA — Public health investigators have temporarily shuttered an Issaquah restaurant after a group became sick with a gastrointestinal illness after eating food from a delivery in late January, officials announced Tuesday.

According to Public Health - Seattle & King County, five people ate a meal delivered from Chinese Taste on Jan. 29 and developed suspected gastroenteritis shortly after. Investigators said the symptoms and timing of the outbreak suggested a bacterial toxin that can develop on foods that have sat too long at room temperature or stored outside of safe temperature ranges.

Environmental Health investigators visited the restaurant on Feb. 4 and reported several potential risks inside the restaurant that could promote foodborne germs and bacterial growth, officials said. Public health crews noted insufficient handwashing stations, inadequate tools to prevent bare hand contact with foods, a lack of proper temperature controls and cooling procedures, an unapproved food preparation area, and an overall risk of cross-contamination between foods.

After the inspection, public health officials suspended the restaurant's operating permit and delivered management a list of tasks to complete before they can reopen. Officials said inspectors would revisit the restaurant within two weeks to determine if food handling practices met the standard to reinstate the permit.

Prior to the outbreak, officials said the restaurant's safety rating was "needs to improve," the lowest on the scale, which indicates high-risk violations were found during previous routine inspections.

Updates on the investigation will be posted on the Public Health - Seattle & King County website.