Chandler Restaurant Hit With 10 Violations, Including Using Meat From Mystery Supplier

The latest inspection turned up mystery meat.Photo byAni KolleshionUnsplash

In anything in life, there’s always going to be a first place and a last place. Someone that does something the best, and someone that does something the worst. Typically, we don’t keep track of the worst of the worst, but it’s possible to figure it out, including in restaurant health inspections. Comparing results over the course of an entire year can be difficult, as around greater Phoenix there are tens of thousands of food-handling establishments around the Valley. However, in terms of the last 1,030 restaurants to receive a visit from the health department, one Chandler restaurant received the highest number of critical violations.

A restaurant automatically receives a D-level health score in the county if at least three Priority Violations are found. A Priority Violation is one that directly contributes to the increased threat of foodborne illness and injury. In the case of Sushi & Cocktails, six were found during its September 26 inspection at 1949 West Ray Road. 

Over the previous 13 inspections, Sushi & Cocktails has typically performed well, with eight of the inspections receiving zero violations, and only two violations respectively on two different inspections. However, in total, Sushi & Cocktails received 10 total violations during the most recent inspection, with the six Priority Violations and another four Priority Foundation Violations, which are not food-related and have to do with documentation, certifications, and the integrity of the building. 

The first Priority Violation came with the raw beef bulgogi and beef short rib stored in the walk-in cooler. The beef was stored in clear bags without any official labeling, other than “retail” written over the plastic in Sharpie. All food must come from approved vendors, and it was impossible to determine the food came from an approved vendor based on its plastic bag/permanent marker labeling. The restaurant was instructed not to use any of the beef until it could provide documentation of the origins of the meat. 

The next issue came with the storage of raw pork directly above vegetables. Raw meats and proteins must always be stored under read-to-serve foods and vegetables to avoid cross-contamination with meat drippings. The inspector also found rice that had been sitting overnight to cool. However, cooling food has a total of six hours to coll from 135 degrees to under 41 degrees. Despite sitting overnight, the rice still tested at 72 degrees. The inspector provided some options for approved cooling options. There were a number of other issues regarding proper cooling times. It is important to cool foods quickly down to below 41 degrees, as bacteria thrive in temperatures above 41 and below 135. Anything longer than six hours is considered unsafe and unsanitary.