MERRITT ISLAND, FL. Back in April 2026, a state inspector walked into Hibachi, Sushi, Ramen, Bento, Boba Tea at 700 E Merritt Island Causeway and found food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, a violation that means pathogens like Salmonella can survive in the finished dish and reach the customer's plate.
That was one of eight high-severity violations documented on April 15. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The inspector found no one in charge present or performing supervisory duties. CDC data cited in state inspection records links the absence of active managerial control to three times more critical violations in a given establishment.
Toxic substances were improperly identified, stored, or used, creating what state records describe as an immediate risk of chemical contamination of food, surfaces, or equipment. That violation, alongside the undercooking citation, placed customers at risk from two entirely separate hazard categories on the same visit.
Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Cutting boards, prep surfaces, and other equipment that touch food directly are a primary vehicle for bacterial transfer between raw and ready-to-eat items, particularly in a restaurant serving both raw sushi and cooked hibachi dishes.
Handwashing failures compounded the picture. Inspectors cited both inadequate handwashing facilities and improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning employees either lacked the infrastructure to wash properly or were not doing so correctly even when facilities were available.
The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. A sushi and hibachi menu routinely includes raw fish and dishes that customers can order cooked to varying degrees, and without a posted advisory, diners with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, elderly customers, and young children have no way to make an informed choice. There was also no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff, a gap that affects the roughly 32 million Americans living with food allergies.
What These Violations Mean
Undercooking is among the most direct paths from a commercial kitchen to a hospital. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bacteria can cause severe illness within hours of consumption. At a restaurant serving both hibachi-style cooked proteins and raw sushi, an undercooking violation and a raw-food advisory failure on the same inspection represent overlapping exposure routes for the same customer in the same meal.
The toxic substance violation is a separate category of risk entirely. Improperly stored or unlabeled chemicals can contaminate food, prep surfaces, or equipment without any visible sign. A customer would have no way to know.
The handwashing failures documented here are not isolated lapses. When the infrastructure for handwashing is inadequate and the technique is also wrong, the problem is systemic. Studies show that proper handwashing reduces foodborne illness transmission by more than 50 percent. When both the facility and the practice fail simultaneously, that protection disappears.
The allergen finding carries its own weight. Food allergies send roughly 30,000 people to emergency rooms each year in the United States. A kitchen that cannot demonstrate allergen awareness is one where a customer's stated allergy may not be taken seriously or communicated accurately through the food preparation process.
The Longer Record
The April 2026 inspection was not this restaurant's worst on record, but it fits a pattern that stretches back years. State records show 31 total inspections on file for this location, with 294 total violations accumulated across that history.
The inspection on September 23, 2024, produced nine high-severity violations and three intermediate violations, the highest combined count in the recent record. That was followed by a clean inspection two days later on September 24, 2024, and another clean visit on November 22, 2024. The pattern of serious violations followed by passing inspections has repeated itself multiple times.
On May 1, 2025, inspectors cited six high-severity violations. Eight days later, on May 9, 2025, the restaurant passed with zero high or intermediate violations. On December 2, 2025, it drew four high-severity violations again.
The April 15, 2026 inspection, with eight high-severity violations, is the most recent entry in that cycle. The restaurant has never been emergency-closed across its 31 inspections on record.
Still Open
State inspectors documented eight high-severity violations at this Merritt Island restaurant on April 15, 2026. They covered undercooking, chemical storage, surface sanitation, handwashing infrastructure, handwashing technique, raw food advisories, allergen awareness, and the absence of any supervisory presence.
The restaurant remained open.