Inspectors with the Salt Lake County Health Department closed an Asian fusion restaurant Tuesday after finding — among dozens of other violations — infestations of live rodents, cockroaches and flies.
The East Sea Restaurant, 120 N. 900 West, Salt Lake City, also was storing food in containers that previously held toxic materials. There also may have been someone using the facility for “private sleeping quarters,” a report on the department website shows.
In all, the restaurant, which serves a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese food, was cited for 89 health code violations, 36 of which are considered critical to human health. The business, shut down for “imminent health hazards,” will remain closed until the owners fix problems and health inspectors deem it safe for the public.
Among the most severe problems, according to the report:
• Live cockroaches, flies and mice in the establishment. Facility was not clean and not routinely inspected for pests.
• Rodent bait station was stored on a food preparation surface.
• Food containers were soiled with feces.
• Shelves throughout the kitchen were unclean to sight and touch, including mouse droppings.
• Interior surfaces of the ventilation hood were heavily soiled with grease; cookie sheets used to store egg rolls in the walk-in cooler were dirty; shelves in the walk-in cooler were unclean to sight and touch; drawers in kitchen were dirty; and freezers had large accumulations of ice.
• The person in charge was not ensuring that food establishment operations were not being conducted in a private sleeping quarters.
• Personal drinks were stored above and next to food and equipment in the waitress station.
• Cooked rice was not cooled properly, which could increase bacteria growth.
• Paint was stored next to food in the waitress area; chemicals were stored next to sheet pans in the dishwashing area.
• Sweet rice was stored in a container that previously contained poisonous or toxic materials.
East Sea had similar issues with dead mice and cockroaches in November 2015 and May 2017, health inspections reports from those time periods show.
In both cases, Salt Lake County inspectors worked to “advise and educate” owners of what needed to be done to comply with standards, the reports state.