WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County health inspectors documented a widespread cockroach infestation, unsafe food handling and an unusable handwashing sink at a Malvern restaurant during Aug. 4 inspections that also identified temperature-control, sanitation and maintenance violations at four other food facilities.
At House of Biryanis & Kebabs, 309 Lancaster Ave., inspectors reported seeing cockroaches throughout the kitchen, including inside refrigeration equipment, near the mop sink and walk-in cooler, in light fixtures, on walls and across the warewashing area.
An inspector reported that a cockroach fell from a refrigerator when the unit was opened. Juvenile and adult cockroaches were observed, indicating insects in multiple stages of their life cycle.
The Health Department directed the restaurant to discard opened food, single-use items and other products that may have been contaminated. Inspectors also ordered the business to obtain professional pest-control service, remove cardboard, seal openings and deep-clean the kitchen.
The inspection report did not state that the restaurant was closed.
Inspectors found the kitchen’s only handwashing sink had been turned off because it leaked heavily when activated. The report stated that employees had not been washing their hands and directed the facility to repair the sink.
Other conditions included an overflowing grease trap, dirty dishes filling all three compartments of the warewashing sink and raw animal products stored above ready-to-eat food.
Cooked tofu was measured at 80 degrees instead of the required minimum of 135 degrees and was discarded. Biryani rice was found cooling at room temperature, while the restaurant lacked required documentation for using time rather than temperature to control the rice’s safety.
Inspectors also cited uncovered food, products stored directly on the floor, missing date labels, improper thawing of raw chicken and the reuse of single-service containers.
Pesticides, fogging products and a can of household insecticide were found inside the restaurant. The department directed the facility to remove the products, sanitize exposed surfaces and discard uncovered food and unsealed utensils because inspectors could not determine whether the pesticides had been used.
The person in charge did not demonstrate adequate food-safety knowledge, according to the report.
Anthony’s Cucina Fresca in Downingtown was cited after sliced cheese was measured at 50 degrees and sliced tomatoes at 45 degrees, above the maximum required temperature of 41 degrees. The food had been placed out less than two hours earlier and was moved to a cooler.
Breading used for raw chicken was held at room temperature and discarded during the inspection. Inspectors also found residue on a deli slicer, missing shellfish identification tags, an empty paper-towel dispenser and repairs needed at a handwashing sink and prep sink.
At Green Meadows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Malvern, inspectors ordered the facility to discard melted or damaged utensils and replace rusted wire shelving.
The center was also directed to clean knives, equipment, floors, drains and walls and to provide sanitizer test strips at its three-compartment sink.
Mino Group Inc. in Frazer was cited after raw beef and gyoza were measured at 50 degrees in a preparation cooler. Other temperature-controlled foods were measured between 43 and 45 degrees in a refrigerator and were discarded.
Inspectors directed the business to repair or replace the refrigerator and stop using it for temperature-controlled products until it receives approval. Raw shrimp and fish were also found stored above ready-to-eat foods but were moved during the inspection.
On the Hook Fish & Chips, a mobile food operation inspected at 3805 Perkiomen Ave. in Reading, was cited for holding batter and flour at room temperature for longer than four hours.
Coleslaw was measured at 46 degrees and was allowed to be served for another 30 minutes under time-based controls before the remainder was discarded. Other temperature-controlled food was removed from the refrigerator while its operation was evaluated.
The mobile facility lacked dish soap, sanitizer and sanitizer test strips and was directed to obtain the supplies before opening the following day. It also did not employ a full-time certified food manager, according to the report.
Twelve other facilities inspected Aug. 4 were listed as in compliance:
- Aneu Catering/Fresh Ideas in Paoli
- Bravo Pizza of Avondale
- Coventry Café in Pottstown
- Elegance Cafe/Tredyffrin in Paoli
- Festival Dairy Queen in Exton
- Guatemala El Buen Vestir in Oxford
- Highgate at Paoli Pointe Assisted Living
- Kolb’s Farm Store in Spring City
- Riggtown Oven Inc. in West Chester
- Square Bar in West Chester
- Walmart No. 2167 in Exton
- Wholly Grounds in Oxford
The Health Department cautions that an inspection reflects conditions observed at a particular date and time and may not represent a facility’s long-term sanitation or food-safety performance.
Residents can submit confidential environmental health complaints at https://www.chesco.org/5843. Anyone who becomes ill after eating at a food establishment should call the department at 610-344-6225 rather than use the online form.
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