Webster Board of Health shuts down Empire Wok restaurant

Webster – The Board of Health has ordered the Empire Wok to close its restaurant operations until it corrects a number of violations found by Health Agent Cathleen Liberty in a routine inspection on March 12.

Board of Health Chairman Dave Zalewski said in a statement Tuesday that the restaurant will remain closed until it meets the minimum safety and sanitation standards for food establishments. The bar, however, can remain open, provided that no food is served.

Ms. Liberty wrote in the inspection report that she found several critical violations in the food preparation area: an accumulation of food debris on cutting boards stored under the prep table and on knives in a knife rack next to the hand sink, frozen meat thawing at room temperature, rather than thawing in a refrigerator or under running water, and wet cloths stored on the prep table.

In the cooking area, she found containers stored uncovered in the refrigerator and in the cold hold, food debris on all equipment, insufficient sanitizers, and an accumulation of food, water, and grease on the floor and under equipment.

Ms. Liberty found additional critical violations in the storage area and basement.

There were a total eight violations that relate to foodborne illnesses, which prompted the shut down order.

The board recommended that the restaurant increase the staff who are ServSafe certified. Ms. Liberty said she would like to see two of the food prep staff and two of the kitchen staff be certified. Currently, only one person is certified.  ServSafe addresses all areas of restaurant operations and would be beneficial to Empire Wok’s overall service, she said.

ServSafe classes are offered in multiple languages, which could benefit non-English speaking staff, she noted.

The board also recommended that the restaurant hire a food consultant, who could work with all the staff members to ensure compliance in each of the problem areas.

To address the cleanliness aspect, the board will require that the restaurant hire a cleaning company to clean daily, and to supply the Board of Health with invoices from a company who removes oil from Fryolators.

The board had received eight complaints about the restaurant in the last year, and has issued cease and desist orders in the past, one as recently as last month. In that instance Empire Wok addressed the problem issues within two days, and was allowed to reopen.  The owner is Dong Yeo Ying.