BOCA RATON, FL. State inspectors walked into Kousine Peruvian Asian at 1668 North Federal Highway on September 10 and found that no one in charge was present or performing managerial duties, that employees had no written health policy requiring them to report illness symptoms, and that at least one employee was not reporting symptoms anyway. Seven high-severity violations were cited that day. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The absence of any active manager on the floor that day is not a paperwork problem. When no one in charge is overseeing a kitchen, the violations that follow tend to multiply. That is exactly what the record from September 10 shows: the managerial failure appears at the top of the list, and nine more violations follow beneath it.
The shellfish citation is among the most specific hazards documented. Inspectors found inadequate shell stock identification and records, meaning oysters, clams, or other shellfish on the menu could not be traced to a certified source. The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted to warn customers that some items were served raw or undercooked.
Kousine describes itself as a Peruvian-Asian fusion concept. A menu that blends both cuisines routinely features raw preparations, including ceviche and raw fish dishes. Diners who ordered those items on September 10 had no posted warning that they were consuming food that carries elevated risk.
What These Violations Mean
The three illness-related violations cited together form a specific chain of risk. There was no written employee health policy, an employee was not reporting symptoms, and handwashing technique was cited as improper. Each of those violations is serious alone. Together, they describe a kitchen where a sick employee could prepare food, handle surfaces, and serve customers without any system in place to catch or stop it. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads through exactly this sequence.
The shellfish traceability violation carries a different kind of risk. When a customer gets sick after eating oysters or clams, public health investigators trace the illness back through the shellfish tag to identify the harvest location and pull product from other restaurants. Without those records at Kousine, that tracing is impossible. If someone became ill after eating shellfish there, investigators would have no trail to follow.
Food documented as being in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated adds a third category of concern. That citation means inspectors observed something wrong with the food itself, not just with how it was stored or handled.
The intermediate violations extend the picture. Multi-use utensils that are not properly cleaned develop bacterial biofilms within 24 hours, films that resist standard sanitizing. Single-use items being reused creates cross-contamination pathways between dishes and between customers. Inadequate toilet facilities undermine the basic handwashing infrastructure that every other hygiene practice depends on.
The Longer Record
The September 10 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show Kousine Peruvian Asian has been inspected 27 times, accumulating 124 total violations across that history.
The pattern in recent years is difficult to overlook. On December 12, 2024, inspectors cited 6 high-severity and 2 intermediate violations. On July 22, 2024, the tally was 4 high and 4 intermediate. On August 21, 2025, inspectors found 4 high and 4 intermediate violations again. Then came September 10, 2026, with 7 high-severity citations.
The facility has been emergency-closed twice, both times for fly activity. The first closure came on December 6, 2021, with a reopening the following day. The second came on July 27, 2023, with a reopening on July 28. Neither closure appears to have produced a sustained period of clean inspections. The violations that followed each closure returned to the same categories: management, illness policies, food safety fundamentals.
The day after the September 10 inspection, on September 11, inspectors returned and found 1 high-severity and 1 intermediate violation still present. The most serious cluster had been addressed, but the restaurant had operated through the full September 10 inspection cycle without a closure order.
Open for Business
State inspectors documented seven high-severity violations at Kousine Peruvian Asian on September 10. They included an absent manager, no illness reporting policy, an employee not reporting symptoms, improper handwashing, food in poor condition, shellfish with no traceability records, and no advisory warning customers about raw food.
Florida law gives inspectors the authority to order an emergency closure when conditions pose an immediate threat to public health. That order was not issued.
The restaurant served customers that day.
