DORAL, FL. Back in April 2026, a state inspector walked into El Sushi by Soya on NW 41st Street and documented a food worker who had not reported symptoms of illness, a violation that health officials classify as the single most direct cause of multi-victim outbreaks. The restaurant was not closed.
That finding was one of seven high-severity violations recorded on April 8, 2026, along with two intermediate violations. The facility's record going into that inspection already included 332 total violations across 29 inspections.
What Inspectors Found
The cooking temperature violation is particularly significant for a sushi restaurant. El Sushi by Soya serves cooked items alongside raw preparations, and state records show an inspector found food not reaching the required minimum internal temperature during the April visit. At a facility where raw fish is already part of the menu, undercooking cooked proteins adds a second, distinct pathway for pathogens to reach customers.
Two separate chemical violations were cited in the same inspection. Inspectors found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Both were recorded as high-severity findings.
The sewage disposal violation rounded out the nine-violation total. Improper wastewater handling introduces the risk of fecal contamination spreading through a kitchen, touching surfaces that contact food.
What These Violations Mean
The illness non-reporting violation is the one public health officials point to most often when explaining how outbreaks begin. When a food worker with norovirus, Salmonella, or hepatitis A continues working without disclosure, every plate that leaves the kitchen is a potential transmission event. The violation does not mean a sick employee was confirmed working that day, but it does mean the system designed to catch that scenario was not functioning.
The handwashing technique violation compounds that risk. Inspectors do not cite this violation when an employee simply skips the sink. They cite it when an employee makes a handwashing attempt but executes it incorrectly, leaving pathogens on hands that then touch food, utensils, and surfaces. Combined with food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized, the April inspection documented three separate contamination pathways operating simultaneously.
The consumer advisory violation matters specifically at a sushi restaurant. State rules require that menus or table notices warn customers when raw or undercooked items are being served, so that pregnant women, elderly diners, and people with compromised immune systems can make informed choices. Without that advisory, those customers have no way of knowing the elevated risk they are accepting.
Two chemical violations in a single inspection, both rated high-severity, represent an acute and separate danger. Mislabeled or improperly stored cleaning chemicals near food preparation areas can cause poisoning that has nothing to do with bacteria or viruses. Customers would have no way to detect it.
The Longer Record
The April 2026 inspection was not an outlier. State records show El Sushi by Soya has been inspected 29 times and accumulated 332 total violations. The restaurant has never been emergency-closed.
The pattern of high-severity violations is consistent going back years. Inspectors cited 7 high-severity violations in February 2023, 5 in July 2023, and 6 more in July 2023 during a follow-up visit. A third visit in September 2023 added 2 more high-severity findings. The 2024 inspection in August produced 6 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate ones.
El Sushi by Soya: High-Severity Violations Over Time
The January 2026 inspection, just three months before the April visit, had already produced 5 high-severity violations. The April inspection raised that count to 7, matching the facility's worst single-inspection total in the records going back to 2023.
In none of those inspections did the state move to emergency-close the restaurant. As of the April 8, 2026 inspection, El Sushi by Soya remained open for business with seven high-severity violations on the books.