4 days ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco dumpling restaurant closed over cockroach infestation
San Francisco health inspectors closed two restaurants this week after finding live cockroaches in their kitchens and food preparation areas.
Dumpling Bites, a popular Sunset District spot at 1556 Noriega St., was issued an ' immediate health permit suspension and closure ' notice Wednesday after inspectors reported seeing a 'dying roach on the hand sink,' another roach in the sink basin and 'one dying next to the microwave.' Several live adult roaches were also found on monitoring boards near the cook's line, health inspectors said, adding they observed 'live nymphs crawling on the paneling of the woks.'
The closure notice cited violations of California's Retail Food Code, including inadequate vermin control, soiled wiping cloths on food prep surfaces and improper handwashing supplies.
Health inspectors said they reviewed a receipt from a pest control company dated Aug. 8, but noted the restaurant had also been self-treating. Officials ordered a third-party cleaning and pest treatment before reopening, which was scheduled for Aug. 23.
A representative from the restaurant could be reached for comment by phone.
Thanh Tam II Restaurant, a long-running Vietnamese restaurant at 577 Valencia St. in the Mission District, was shut down Thursday after inspectors found live and dead cockroaches concentrated around the grease trap beneath the three-compartment sink, as well as in the dry storage and back prep rooms.
Other violations included raw chicken and sprouts left at unsafe temperatures, improper food storage, dirty floors and equipment, and excessive cockroach bait residue on walls. The restaurant must undergo a deep cleaning, seal structural gaps and provide pest control reports before reopening.
The Barrel Room, a fine-dining restaurant and wine bar in the Financial District, was also cited. The restaurant initially received a conditional pass but later earned a full pass after correcting violations during the inspection.
Inspectors noted 'a dead mouse on a glue trap in the mop sink room downstairs' and 'mold on the baffle inside the ice machine.' Other violations included obstructed handwashing sinks, improper food temperatures and improperly vacuum-packed fish and other meats.
'One of the vacuum packed foods was dated 7/24, which was three weeks ago,' the inspector notes. 'The other foods did not have dates on them.'
