ORLANDO, FL. Tabla Orlando on Grand National Drive drew 10 high-severity violations during the week of May 11, the highest single-facility count among 15 Orlando restaurants cited for serious food safety failures, with inspectors documenting food from unapproved sources, undercooked food, improperly used time controls, and no consumer advisory for raw items, all in a single visit.
The person in charge was either absent or not performing duties during that inspection, a finding that state records link to cascading failures throughout a facility. Tabla Orlando has 32 prior inspections on record.
What Inspectors Found
Ocean Buffet on East Colonial Drive drew 8 high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, food from unapproved sources, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Inspectors also cited the buffet for inadequate shell stock identification records, meaning that if a customer became ill from shellfish, the origin of those shellfish could not be traced.
A Aki Sushi and Steakhouse on West Sand Lake Road added 8 high-severity violations of its own, including an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, food from unapproved sources, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals stored or labeled incorrectly. No person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection.
China Tea at Universal Boulevard was cited for 8 high-severity violations, among them a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, a finding specific to raw fish service. Without proper freezing protocols, parasites including Anisakis can survive in fish served to customers. China Tea also lacked an employee health policy and had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
@ The Diner, also on Universal Boulevard, drew the same count, 8 high-severity violations, with inspectors noting food in poor condition or adulterated, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature. The facility also lacked shell stock identification records despite apparently serving shellfish.
Sushi Lolas on Corrine Drive was cited for 8 high-severity violations including no employee health policy, an employee failing to report illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Inspectors also documented that Sushi Lolas showed no allergen awareness, a distinct and serious citation given the raw fish on its menu.
Across the Rest of the List
China Wok on East Colonial Drive drew 7 high-severity violations including employees not reporting illness symptoms, no employee health policy, inadequate shell stock records, and no allergen awareness. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for improperly cleaned multi-use utensils, a finding that indicates bacterial biofilm buildup on surfaces that contact food repeatedly throughout a service shift.
Mariscos Los Pulpos Restaurant on West Oak Ridge Road was cited for 7 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, food from unapproved sources, and improperly stored toxic substances. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a finding that carries direct risk of fecal contamination throughout the facility.
Bulgogi House III on West Oak Ridge Road drew 7 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing, and food from unapproved sources. Like Mariscos Los Pulpos, inspectors noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
House of Pho Orlando on South John Young Parkway was cited for 7 high-severity violations including improper handwashing technique, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and two separate chemical storage violations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified or used. Both chemical citations appeared in the same inspection.
Polite Pig on East Buena Vista Drive drew 7 high-severity violations including no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, and parasite destruction procedures not followed. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for required procedures for specialized processes not being followed, a violation that applies specifically to operations like smoking, curing, or reduced-oxygen packaging.
Hungry Crab on South Apopka Vineland Road was cited for 6 high-severity violations including no person in charge, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification records, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Inspectors also noted multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and inadequate ventilation.
Kobe Japanese Steak House on International Drive drew 6 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed and two separate chemical violations alongside improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. Inspectors also cited inadequate ventilation and improper use of wiping cloths, which are among the most common cross-contamination vehicles in any kitchen.
Pocha 93 on West Colonial Drive was cited for 6 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, two chemical storage violations, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Kitty O'Sheas Irish Pub on Palm Parkway rounded out the list with 6 high-severity violations, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time controls not properly used, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
What These Violations Mean
The food-from-unapproved-sources citation appeared at six facilities this week: Tabla Orlando, Ocean Buffet, A Aki Sushi and Steakhouse, @ The Diner, Mariscos Los Pulpos, and Bulgogi House III. When food enters a kitchen from an uninspected or unverified supplier, it bypasses the federal safety checks that screen for Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli. More critically, if a customer becomes ill, investigators cannot trace the product back to its origin to determine how many others were exposed.
The shell stock identification failure is closely related. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are consumed raw or barely cooked, meaning they carry the full microbial load of the water they were harvested from. Inspectors cited inadequate shell stock records at seven facilities this week: Ocean Buffet, Tabla Orlando, China Tea, @ The Diner, China Wok, Mariscos Los Pulpos, Bulgogi House III, and Hungry Crab. Without harvest tags and dealer records, a norovirus or Vibrio outbreak linked to shellfish at any of these restaurants becomes nearly impossible to investigate.
The illness-reporting failures at A Aki Sushi, Sushi Lolas, China Wok, Bulgogi House III, Polite Pig, and Kitty O'Sheas represent a distinct and direct transmission risk. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness in the United States, spreads from a single infected food worker to dozens of customers within one service period. An employee health policy is the mechanism that keeps symptomatic workers out of the kitchen. Without one, or without workers trained to use it, that mechanism does not exist.
The parasite destruction failures at China Tea, @ The Diner, Polite Pig, and Kobe Japanese Steak House are particularly concerning at restaurants serving raw or undercooked fish. Parasites including Anisakis survive in fish that has not been frozen to required temperatures for required time periods. The citation means inspectors found no documented evidence those protocols were followed.
The Longer Record
A Aki Sushi and Steakhouse has 45 prior inspections on record, the highest count among all 15 facilities cited this week. This week's findings, 8 high-severity violations including unapproved food sources, an unreported sick employee, and improperly stored chemicals, did not arrive at a restaurant with a thin history. They arrived at one of the most-inspected restaurants in this dataset.
Mariscos Los Pulpos follows with 44 prior inspections on record, and this week's citation list included sewage disposal problems alongside unapproved food sourcing and no person in charge. Bulgogi House III, with 34 prior inspections, drew the same sewage disposal citation in addition to three separate illness-related failures.
Tabla Orlando has 32 prior inspections and drew the highest single-week violation count in this roundup. House of Pho Orlando, with 33 prior inspections, was cited for two chemical violations in the same visit. Neither facility is new to inspectors.
The newest entries on this list tell a different story. Ocean Buffet has only 3 prior inspections on record and already drew 8 high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities and food from unapproved sources. Hungry Crab, with 12 prior inspections, drew 6 high-severity violations. Pocha 93, at 16 inspections, drew 6. These are not facilities with long records of marginal compliance. They are facilities accumulating serious citations early in their inspection histories.
Polite Pig, the Disney Springs-area barbecue restaurant on East Buena Vista Drive, drew the specialized-process violation alongside parasite destruction and illness-reporting failures. The restaurant has 22 prior inspections on record. Whether that citation reflects a new lapse or a recurring gap in its smoking and curing protocols is not resolved in this week's records.