ORLANDO, FL. Rico Chino Asian Cuisine on South Semoran Boulevard drew 12 high-severity violations in a single inspection this week, the highest count among 15 Orange County restaurants cited for serious food safety failures between July 11 and July 17, 2026. Among the most alarming findings: inspectors documented food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food from unapproved sources, and no person in charge present or performing duties.
Rico Chino's violations did not stop there. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for inadequate shell stock identification, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish, food in poor condition or adulterated, no employee health policy, and employees not reporting illness symptoms. That combination, management absent, sick-worker protocols missing, and food sourced outside the regulated supply chain, represents nearly every category of systemic failure inspectors are trained to flag.
The Violations
Pizzany's on Collegiate Way followed with 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors found no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, food from unapproved sources, and inadequate shell stock records. Two separate handwashing violations were also documented: inspectors cited both inadequate handwashing by employees and improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning workers were attempting to wash hands but doing so incorrectly, and food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Tsuki Sushi and Grill on Narcoossee Road accumulated 9 high-severity violations. The inspection documented inadequate handwashing facilities, food from unapproved sources, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, toxic substances improperly stored or used, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also cited time as a public health control not being properly used, a violation that occurs when food is allowed to sit in the temperature danger zone without a documented time-tracking system in place.
Memories of Peru II on International Drive received 8 high-severity citations, including no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw foods, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. That last citation is significant on a tourist corridor: International Drive draws visitors with a wide range of dietary needs, and 32 million Americans have food allergies.
Naatu Naatu Indian Veg Cusine on South Apopka Vineland Road also drew 8 high-severity violations. Despite being a vegetarian establishment, inspectors cited it for failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, a violation typically associated with raw fish or undercooked meat. Toxic chemicals were also found improperly stored or labeled, and the restaurant had no consumer advisory and no allergen awareness on record.
Santiago's Bodega on Virginia Drive matched that count with 8 high-severity violations of its own. Inspectors found no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The bodega, a neighborhood fixture on Virginia Drive, had no intermediate violations listed alongside those eight critical findings.
Gogi Hotpot and BBQ and Sushi on West Colonial Drive drew 7 high-severity violations plus a rare intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal. Inspectors also found food not cooked to required minimum temperature, parasite destruction procedures not followed, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and food from unapproved sources.
Mito Sushi and Grill on Eagle Watch Drive also collected 7 high-severity violations, with no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw foods. Notably, Mito Sushi sits just four addresses away from Neo Asian Kitchen and Boba Tea on Eagle Watch Drive, which drew its own 7 high-severity violations the same week, including food in poor condition, food from unapproved sources, required procedures for specialized processes not followed, and improper sewage disposal cited as an intermediate violation.
Yalla Shawarma and Grill on International Drive was cited for 7 high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, inadequate shell stock records, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no consumer advisory, and improper handwashing technique. Single-use items were also found to be improperly reused.
Vicky Bakery on North Alafaya Trail drew 7 high-severity violations and zero intermediate citations. Inspectors found no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and time as a public health control not properly used.
World of Beer on East Central Boulevard received 5 high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no employee health policy, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana on Gateway Village Circle drew 6 high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also cited improper sewage or wastewater disposal and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned as intermediate violations.
Tainos Bakery on Narcoossee Road was cited for 3 high-severity violations: improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also found improper sewage disposal and single-use items being reused.
Eskina Brazilian Restaurant on International Drive drew the fewest citations of the group, with 1 high-severity violation for food not cooked to required minimum temperature and 1 intermediate citation for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
What These Violations Mean
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited this week at Rico Chino, Pizzany's, Tsuki Sushi, Memories of Peru II, Santiago's Bodega, Gogi Hotpot, Mito Sushi, Neo Asian Kitchen, and Yalla Shawarma, is not a paperwork problem. When food enters a kitchen outside the regulated supply chain, it bypasses USDA and FDA inspection, meaning there is no traceability if a customer gets sick. If a batch of shellfish is contaminated with Vibrio and there are no harvest records, public health officials cannot identify the source or pull it from circulation.
The handwashing violations documented at Pizzany's, Tsuki Sushi, Memories of Peru II, Gogi Hotpot, Mito Sushi, Yalla Shawarma, Vicky Bakery, and Agave Azul represent two distinct failures. Some restaurants lacked the physical infrastructure to wash hands properly. Others had workers who attempted to wash hands but used incorrect technique, meaning the motion was there but the pathogens were not removed. Both failures place the same contamination risk on every plate those workers touch.
No employee health policy, documented at Rico Chino, Pizzany's, Memories of Peru II, Naatu Naatu, Santiago's Bodega, World of Beer, Neo Asian Kitchen, Yalla Shawarma, Vicky Bakery, and Agave Azul, means there is no written framework requiring sick workers to stay home or report symptoms. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks, can be transmitted by a single infected food handler to dozens of customers through a single shift. The violation appeared at more facilities this week than any other single citation.
Parasite destruction procedures, flagged at Rico Chino, Naatu Naatu, Gogi Hotpot, Yalla Shawarma, and Vicky Bakery, require that fish served raw or undercooked be frozen to specific temperatures for specific durations to kill parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm. At a vegetarian restaurant like Naatu Naatu, the citation raises questions about what ingredient triggered it. That question is not answered in the inspection record.
The Longer Record
Vicky Bakery on Alafaya Trail has the longest inspection history of any facility cited this week, with 40 prior inspections on record. Seven high-severity violations in a single visit, after four decades of state scrutiny, is a pattern that cannot be attributed to inexperience or unfamiliarity with the code.
Memories of Peru II carries 35 prior inspections, Rico Chino and Pizzany's each have 33, and Mito Sushi and World of Beer each have 32. These are not new restaurants navigating their first compliance cycle. They are established operations with long enough histories that inspectors and owners both know exactly what the standards require.
Santiago's Bodega and Naatu Naatu each have 28 prior inspections on record. Both drew 8 high-severity violations this week, including food from unapproved sources and no employee health policy, violations that appear repeatedly in facilities with long inspection histories and suggest the underlying practices have not changed between visits.
On the newer end, Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana has only 9 prior inspections on record and already accumulated 6 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate citations this week, including no allergen awareness and improper sewage disposal. Eskina Brazilian Restaurant has just 7 prior inspections and drew a cooking temperature violation on this visit. Whether those two restaurants correct course early or follow the trajectory of the longer-tenured facilities on this list is a question the next round of inspections will answer.
