ORLANDO, FL. Ming Garden on E. Colonial Drive drew 12 high-severity violations during a single inspection this week, the highest total among 15 Orlando-area restaurants cited for serious food safety failures between October 12 and October 18, 2026.
Inspectors at Ming Garden documented that employees had no written health policy, that workers were not reporting illness symptoms, that handwashing was both inadequate and performed with improper technique, and that food was arriving from unapproved or unknown sources. They also found that shellfish lacked proper identification records and that parasite destruction procedures for fish were not being followed.
That last finding carries particular weight. Parasite destruction requires fish to be frozen to specific temperatures for specific durations before it can be served raw or undercooked. At Ming Garden, with 34 prior inspections on record, those procedures were not being followed.
What Inspectors Found Across Orlando
Isan Zaap Thai Cafe on Garden Park Boulevard followed Ming Garden with 10 high-severity violations. The inspector found no person in charge present or performing duties, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper handwashing technique, all in the same kitchen.
The absence of a responsible manager and the absence of handwashing infrastructure at the same facility is a compounding problem. Without functioning sinks in the right locations, even a motivated employee cannot wash their hands properly.
Capybara Ramen and Sushi on International Drive drew nine high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish identification records, and parasite destruction procedures not followed. For a restaurant serving raw fish, those three violations together describe a kitchen where the origin of the seafood is unknown and the steps to make it safe for raw consumption are not being taken.
Applebee's on International Drive also drew nine high-severity violations, among them food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, food from unapproved sources, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. A national chain with 32 prior inspections on record.
Olive Garden at 8984 International Drive was cited for eight high-severity violations, including two separate chemical-related findings: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also found food from unapproved sources and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
Denny's at 9880 International Drive drew eight high-severity violations as well, including a finding that food had been contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards. That is a direct adulteration citation, not a procedural one. The same inspection also documented food from unapproved sources, parasite destruction failures, and two separate toxic substance violations.
Michi Ramen on E. Colonial Drive was cited for eight high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and food from unapproved sources. Michi Ramen has only two prior inspections on record.
Pho Bar Vietnamese Kitchen on E. Colonial Drive also drew eight high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, inadequate handwashing facilities, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Pho Bar has five prior inspections on record.
Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant on N. Alafaya Trail was cited for eight high-severity violations, including no allergen awareness demonstrated. Allergen failures are among the most acutely dangerous citations an inspector can issue, with reactions capable of causing anaphylaxis. The same inspection found shellfish without proper identification records and food from unapproved sources.
La Estacion de la Arepa on S. Orange Blossom Trail drew eight high-severity violations, including no person in charge present, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and food from unapproved sources. La Estacion has only two prior inspections on record.
Sus Hi Eatstation on Gardens Park Boulevard, which shares a building with Isan Zaap Thai Cafe, was cited for seven high-severity violations, including food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, no allergen awareness, and food from unapproved sources.
East Garden on W. Colonial Drive drew seven high-severity violations, including time as a public health control not properly used and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Inspectors also cited multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, a finding that points to bacterial biofilm buildup on surfaces used repeatedly throughout a shift.
Authentic Gyros and Grill on W. Colonial Drive was cited for five high-severity violations, including improper sewage or wastewater disposal. Sewage violations are among the fastest routes to fecal contamination of a food preparation environment.
A Gourmet Chinese Cuisine on E. Colonial Drive drew three high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled and improper sewage or wastewater disposal. Zen Dumpling on N. Alafaya Trail drew two high-severity violations, the lowest count among facilities flagged this week.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity finding this week, appearing at Ming Garden, Isan Zaap Thai Cafe, Capybara Ramen, Michi Ramen, Pho Bar, La Estacion de la Arepa, and Sus Hi Eatstation, was the combination of no written employee health policy and employees not reporting illness symptoms. These two violations describe the same underlying failure: a kitchen where a worker can come in sick, handle food, and no one will stop them. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants, spreads almost exclusively through infected food workers who do not report symptoms.
The parasite destruction citations at Ming Garden, Capybara Ramen, Denny's, Applebee's, and Authentic Gyros and Grill describe a different but equally direct hazard. Fish served raw or undercooked, including sushi and sashimi, must be frozen to kill parasites such as Anisakis before it reaches a plate. When that step is skipped, the parasite survives into the finished dish.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources appeared at nine of the fifteen facilities flagged this week, including Cooper's Hawk, East Garden, Olive Garden, and La Estacion de la Arepa. The core problem is traceability. When a restaurant cannot document where its food came from, there is no way to trace the source if customers become ill. It also means the food bypassed the federal inspection systems designed to catch Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli before those products reach a kitchen.
The direct food adulteration finding at Denny's on International Drive stands apart from procedural violations. Inspectors documented food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards at that location, meaning something had already entered the food supply inside that kitchen.
The Longer Record
Two facilities on this week's list have extensive inspection histories that make their current citations harder to explain as first-time oversights. A Gourmet Chinese Cuisine has 42 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility flagged this week, and was still cited for improper sewage disposal and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Authentic Gyros and Grill has 41 prior inspections and was cited for sewage violations as well, alongside parasite destruction failures and required procedures for specialized processes not followed.
Zen Dumpling on N. Alafaya Trail has 40 prior inspections on record and drew only two high-severity violations this week, the lightest citation load among all fifteen facilities. That history suggests a facility that has learned from prior inspections. The contrast with its neighbor Cooper's Hawk, which has 33 prior inspections and drew eight high-severity violations, is notable.
Three facilities on this week's list are operating with minimal inspection histories. Michi Ramen and La Estacion de la Arepa each have only two prior inspections on record, and both drew eight high-severity violations this week. Pho Bar Vietnamese Kitchen has five prior inspections and also drew eight. For those three, this week's findings are not part of a long pattern. They are the beginning of one.
Sus Hi Eatstation, with 32 prior inspections, was cited for food in poor condition or adulterated, a violation that does not appear frequently in routine inspections. That citation, combined with no allergen awareness and food from unapproved sources, describes a kitchen where the safety of what is being served is uncertain on multiple levels. Sus Hi Eatstation and Isan Zaap Thai Cafe operate out of the same address on Gardens Park Boulevard, and both drew high-severity citations during the same inspection week.
