ORLANDO, FL. House of Pho on S. John Young Pkwy drew 10 high-severity violations during the week of September 30, the highest single-facility count in Orlando inspections that week, with inspectors citing employees who failed to report illness symptoms, shellfish with no identification records, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures.
The restaurant had no written employee health policy and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also found improper handwashing technique and food contact surfaces that had not been properly cleaned or sanitized.
Fourteen other Orlando restaurants collected high-severity violations during the same seven-day stretch. All told, 15 facilities were cited for serious food safety failures across Orange County.
The Violations
YH Seafood Clubhouse on Turkey Lake Rd came in second with 9 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and shellfish with no identification records. A facility serving raw or lightly cooked shellfish without traceability documentation means there is no way to trace the product back to its harvest bed if customers fall ill.
El Palacio Buffet on S. Orange Blossom Trail drew 8 high-severity violations, including two separate chemical storage failures: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also cited the facility for no person in charge present or performing duties, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and improper handwashing technique.
Huong Viet Restaurant on W. Colonial Dr collected 8 high-severity violations, among them food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also found toxic substances improperly stored and food contact surfaces not properly sanitized.
Rawsha Restaurant on Turkey Lake Rd was cited for 8 high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed, food from an unapproved source, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. The specialized process violation is notable: processes like curing, fermenting, or reduced-oxygen packaging require precise controls that, when skipped, create conditions for bacterial growth that standard cooking cannot reverse.
KC Franchising LLC on Turkey Lake received 8 high-severity violations, with no person in charge present, food from an unapproved source, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Inspectors also found no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Cantina Catrina at 8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail drew 8 high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and dual chemical violations mirroring those found at El Palacio Buffet the same week.
Mordisco on International Drive also reached 8 high-severity violations, with employees not reporting illness symptoms, shellfish with no identification records, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Allergen failures at a restaurant on International Drive, a corridor heavily trafficked by tourists, carry particular weight: visitors are less likely to know a restaurant's history and more likely to trust menu descriptions.
Allure Orlando on W. Pine St drew 7 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal at the intermediate level.
Kingdom Sushi on International Dr was cited for 7 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed, inadequate handwashing by food employees, and improper handwashing technique. Both handwashing violations appearing together means inspectors observed workers neither washing often enough nor washing correctly when they did.
Jack and Mary's Restaurant on S. Goldenrod Rd collected 7 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Eddie V's Restaurant on W. Sand Lake Rd drew 7 high-severity violations, among them parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Eddie V's is an upscale chain known for seafood, which makes the parasite destruction and allergen citations especially direct concerns for the menu it actually serves.
Cornerstone Pizza on E. Michigan Street recorded 6 high-severity and 7 intermediate violations, the highest combined intermediate count of any facility this week. Inspectors cited food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated; improper sewage or wastewater disposal; and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Sushi Yummy at 8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail drew 2 high-severity violations, the lowest count among facilities flagged this week, but both were substantive: food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and time as a public health control not properly used. An intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal was also documented.
Thai Thani on W. Sandlake Rd drew no high-severity violations but was cited at the intermediate level for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
What These Violations Mean
The employee illness violations documented this week at House of Pho, El Palacio Buffet, Huong Viet Restaurant, Mordisco, Kingdom Sushi, Eddie V's, and Cornerstone Pizza represent the most direct route from a sick worker to a sick customer. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, can be transmitted by a single infected employee handling ready-to-eat food. A facility without a written health policy has no mechanism to keep that worker out of the kitchen in the first place.
The food-from-unapproved-source violations at YH Seafood Clubhouse, Huong Viet, Rawsha, KC Franchising, Cantina Catrina, Mordisco, and Allure Orlando carry a different but equally serious risk. Food that bypasses USDA or FDA inspection has no verified safety record. If a customer becomes ill and an investigation begins, there is no supply chain to trace, no lot number to recall, and no harvest record to examine.
Parasite destruction failures at Rawsha, Kingdom Sushi, Jack and Mary's, and Eddie V's are particularly direct given the type of food each serves. Parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork are killed by either proper cooking temperatures or documented freezing protocols. When neither is followed, the parasite reaches the plate intact.
The allergen awareness failures at Huong Viet, Mordisco, and Eddie V's are not paperwork problems. Thirty thousand Americans visit emergency rooms each year for allergic reactions to food, and 150 die. A restaurant that cannot demonstrate allergen awareness cannot reliably tell a customer with a peanut or shellfish allergy what is safe to order.
The Longer Record
El Palacio Buffet has the longest inspection history of any facility in this week's report, with 59 prior inspections on record. That volume of inspections reflects years of regulatory contact, and this week's 8 high-severity violations, including a missing person in charge and dual chemical storage failures, suggest the pattern has not resolved.
House of Pho's 10 high-severity violations come against a backdrop of 34 prior inspections. Jack and Mary's Restaurant has 36 prior inspections on record and drew 7 high-severity violations this week, including a parasite destruction failure that is not a novel or obscure requirement. Huong Viet, with 38 prior inspections, was cited for food from an unapproved source alongside seven other high-severity findings.
Sushi Yummy has 39 prior inspections on record, the second-highest count among facilities in this report. Its 2 high-severity violations this week are lower than most, but the sewage disposal citation at the intermediate level is not a minor paperwork gap.
Rawsha Restaurant and Allure Orlando stand out at the other end of the history spectrum. Rawsha has 8 prior inspections on record and was already drawing 8 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction failures and a specialized process violation. Allure Orlando, with only 7 prior inspections, collected 7 high-severity violations including no person in charge and improper sewage disposal. Both facilities are early in their inspection histories and already accumulating serious citations in categories that experienced operators typically resolve quickly.
Rawsha's parasite destruction and specialized process violations, documented in only its eighth inspection on record, remain unresolved in this week's report.
