China Wok Chinese restaurant in Ocala cited for 16 health violations in Marion County, Florida

Mai fun noodles & the ricePhoto byOcalaQueen 352 / Google Reviews

OCALA, Fla. - A Chinese restaurant in Ocala racked up over a dozen disturbing violations during a recent inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, though it was permitted to continue operating while addressing the issues, according to reports.

What was discovered during the inspection?

China Wok, located at 6845 Se Maricamp Rd in Marion County, Florida, was cited for 16 violations on April 15th, including 6 classified as high priority - infractions that could pose a potential risk to public health and safety if not corrected promptly.

The high-priority violations involving bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, cross-contamination risks, and lack of proper time/temperature controls were particularly concerning from a food safety standpoint.

Other notable violations found

Among the alarming discoveries were employees failing to wash hands properly, touching ready-to-eat items like cooked noodles with bare hands, improperly storing raw animal products over prepared foods, and using non-food grade bags in direct contact with meats and vegetables.

Inspectors also found noncompliance issues, such as improper date marking on foods held over 24 hours, unclean food storage conditions, improper thawing methods for perishable items, and utensils stored in unclean water below safe temperatures.

Despite its considerable violation history, China Wok currently holds an impressive 4.5-star rating across over 550 Google reviews from local and visiting patrons.

An administrative complaint was recommended due to the repeated high-priority violations.

However, China Wok was not ordered to close, as the infractions did not pose "an immediate threat to the public," according to the inspector's note.

As long as the eatery thoroughly addresses all cited issues, it appears likely to maintain its popularity among locals craving its traditional Chinese fare.

A reviewer named Steven Catanzaro said on Google Reviews recently:

Great quality, hard to find good Chinese food in FL

Another customer, going by the name, Kwanzaa Spiller

The staff and food here is AMAZING!!!!

China Wok Violations (4/15/2024 Inspection):

High Priority:

• Employees failing to wash hands
• Bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods
• Utensils stored in unclean water
• Non-food grade bags used for food storage
• Raw animal products improperly stored over ready-to-eat items
• No time marking system for limited time/temperature foods

Intermediate:

• No paper towels/hand drying device at handwash sink
• Ready-to-eat foods held over 24 hours not date marked

Basic:

• Improper food dispensing containers
• Employee beverage improperly stored
• Employee food improperly stored
• No copy of latest inspection report available. No document available
• Soiled non-food contact surfaces
• Reuse of single-use items
• Improper methods of thawing foods
• Unlabeled working food containers