On April 9, Nagasaki Restaurant had its food service operation license suspended due to inspections by Fayette County Public Health finding the restaurant to be “an immediate danger to public health.”
Nagasaki Restaurant, located at 240 E. Court St. in Washington C.H., serves Japanese, sushi and Thai food. The owner of the restaurant, Reiza Sains, said he hopes to reopen the business soon.
The initial inspection of Nagasaki found the restaurant out-of-compliance in several areas of the State of Ohio Food Inspection Report.
Mice droppings were found in the kitchen and storage area. An accumulation of soil residue was found in the kitchen and storage room floor, especially under and behind equipment. Sewage lines were found to be leaking in the basement.
According to the report, there was a complaint received from the water company regarding the flooding of the facility basement and the appearance of sewage within that water.
Before Nagasaki’s license can be reinstated, the restaurant must have another inspection once it meets the following criteria:
– Facility must be treated professionally for mice infestation
– Facility must be thoroughly cleaned
– All food contact surfaces (including utensils and equipment) must be washed, rinsed and sanitized
– The basement must be cleaned: sewage and water found in basement must be removed
– A licensed plumber must re-inspect all plumbing fixtures
Reiza Sains, the owner of Nagasaki, explained that the building they are in will require costly repairs and many of those repairs are coming out of his own pocket. According to Sains, he does have Terminix treating the facility every two weeks for pests, and Terminix told him that many of his issues are coming from the empty building beside his restaurant.
Sains said he and the landlord have been working on several issues within the facility since they first began renting it five years ago, but there is a lot that has needed and will need done.
Sains said they have cleaned everything well and have been working on it since they first closed on April 9. He said he hopes his customers will be understanding.
According to Fayette County Public Health, a re-inspection at Nagasaki will be completed in the near future.
Other recent facility inspections by Fayette County Public Health included: Winner’s Jeffersonville Market, Wendy’s (Jeffersonville) and Little Caesars Pizza (Washington Court House).
Winner’s Jeffersonville Market received three non-critical violations: dented cans, fan guards inside the beer cooler were found with soil residue and stained ceiling tiles were found in the deli office and restroom areas.
Wendy’s in Jeffersonville had one non-critical-violation and one critical-violation. The non-critical involved an accumulation of food residue being found within the two make-table coolers. The critical-violation involved improper holding temperatures for food items: the ice-cream mixture was found at 46 degrees Fahrenheit and several food items in the make-table near the ice-cream machine were found at 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cold food items should be stored at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent growth of pathogens. The ice cream machine was shut down immediately for repair and future inspection. Perishable items in the food-make table were discarded.
Little Caesars Pizza was inspected for a complaint of bare-hand contact on cooked food.
During the inspection, it was reported that no bare hand contact was observed. There was a conversation with the person in charge pertaining to the importance of not touching food items with bare hands.
The freezer was found inoperable but food items were not being stored within this freezer, so it was a non-critical violation. Prior to the freezer being used again, it must be repaired, inspected and deemed safe to use.
The back door was still found to be broken, which is a repeat violation. The door must remain closed and if it is not fixed by May 31, further action—such as license suspension—against Little Caesars will be taken.
The Environmental Health Division of Fayette Public Health licenses both food service operations (such as restaurants) and food retail establishments (such as gas stations and grocery stores). As it licenses both, it will also take complaints for both. Those who wish to make a complaint of the health and safety of an establishment can call 740-333-3590.
Reach Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355 or on Twitter @kenanipel.
