ORLANDO, FL. Slap Hand Ripped Noodles on Carrier Drive racked up nine high-severity violations during the week of August 28, including a failure to cook food to required minimum temperatures and a complete absence of parasite destruction procedures for fish, placing it among the most serious findings in Orange County during a week that saw 15 facilities cited for high-priority violations.
The Carrier Drive restaurant also had no person in charge present or performing duties, employees not reporting illness symptoms, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors additionally found inadequate shell stock identification records and improper use of time as a public health control.
SoDough Square on Corporate Boulevard matched that nine-violation count. Inspectors there found employees not washing their hands adequately and using improper technique when they did wash, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food contact surfaces not properly sanitized. The facility also had no person in charge, no employee health policy, and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
The Week's Worst Findings
Four restaurants tied at nine high-severity violations each. Amura Japanese Gourmet on West Sand Lake Road drew citations for no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, no consumer advisory for raw foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Taco Kat on South Court Avenue completed the four-way tie. Among its nine high-severity violations were food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate handwashing facilities, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures. Inspectors also found toxic chemicals improperly stored, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
Sushi99 Sushi and Grill on North Avalon Park Boulevard followed with eight high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw foods.
Chi Kin on North Mills Avenue drew seven high-severity violations and one that stood apart from the week's other findings: improper sewage or wastewater disposal. The facility also had food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
El Rinconcito Restaurant and Bar on Butler National Drive also recorded seven high-severity violations, including food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shell stock records, food from an unapproved source, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Church's Chicken on West Colonial Drive drew seven high-severity violations including no allergen awareness demonstrated, improper sewage or wastewater disposal, no employee health policy, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Allergen failures at a fast-food chain, where customers often rely on staff knowledge to navigate food sensitivities, drew particular scrutiny in the inspection record.
Charley's Philly Steaks on South Kirkman Road was cited for seven high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source, food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shell stock records, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored.
Kres Restaurant on West Church Street drew seven high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source, improper handwashing technique, no allergen awareness demonstrated, improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored.
Castle Irish Pub and Restaurant on Edgewater Drive recorded seven high-severity violations, including two separate chemical storage citations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored. Inspectors also found no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and improper handwashing technique.
Sally's Diner on East Colonial Drive was cited for six high-severity violations and five intermediate violations, the highest intermediate count of any facility this week. The high-severity findings included no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, improper handwashing technique, and improper use of time as a public health control.
Shakai on East Pine Street drew one high-severity violation for toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, along with an intermediate citation for inadequate ventilation and lighting. Hibachi Express on Hoffner Avenue recorded one high-severity violation for improperly sanitized food contact surfaces and one intermediate for inadequate ventilation.
WingHouse Bar and Grill on South Kirkman Road recorded zero high-severity violations, the only facility in this week's roundup to do so, drawing a single intermediate citation for improperly reused single-use items.
The week opened with an emergency closure. Loading Zone at 24 East Washington Street was shut down on August 28 after inspectors documented rodent activity at the downtown Orlando address.
What These Violations Mean
The most alarming pattern this week is the cluster of employee illness reporting failures across Slap Hand Ripped Noodles, SoDough Square, Amura Japanese Gourmet, Taco Kat, Charley's Philly Steaks, Kres Restaurant, Castle Irish Pub, and Sally's Diner. When food workers don't report symptoms, they remain on the line while sick. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads directly from an infected food handler to a customer through contaminated food. A single sick employee at a busy service can expose dozens of diners.
The food from unapproved source violations at Taco Kat, Sushi99, Chi Kin, El Rinconcito, Charley's Philly Steaks, Castle Irish Pub, and Kres Restaurant carry a different kind of risk. When food bypasses USDA or FDA inspection channels, there is no paper trail if someone gets sick. Tracing a Listeria or Salmonella outbreak back to a contaminated ingredient requires that ingredient to have documented sourcing. Without it, public health investigators lose the ability to identify and remove the source from circulation.
Parasite destruction failures at Slap Hand Ripped Noodles, SoDough Square, Chi Kin, Church's Chicken, and Sally's Diner are especially significant because several of these are sushi or Asian cuisine establishments where raw or lightly cooked fish appears on the menu. Parasites including Anisakis, a roundworm found in marine fish, are killed by freezing to specific temperatures for specific durations. Skipping that step and serving the fish raw means the parasite reaches the customer intact.
The dual sewage violations at Chi Kin and Church's Chicken represent the most acute contamination risk in this week's data. Improper wastewater disposal can introduce fecal bacteria into a facility's environment, contaminating surfaces, equipment, and food that workers then handle.
The Longer Record
Slap Hand Ripped Noodles has 43 prior inspections on record, the highest count of any facility cited this week. Nine high-severity violations after 43 inspections is not a new operation finding its footing. It is a facility with a long institutional relationship with state inspectors that still sent food to customers without confirmed cooking temperatures and without a responsible manager on site.
Sushi99, Amura Japanese Gourmet, and El Rinconcito each have 31 prior inspections. All three drew seven or more high-severity violations this week. Church's Chicken on West Colonial has 34 prior inspections and Sally's Diner has 34 as well. Both facilities recorded violations this week in categories, including employee illness reporting and food contact surface sanitation, that are among the most foundational requirements in any food service operation.
SoDough Square is the newest operation in this week's roundup with 15 prior inspections on record. Nine high-severity violations that early in a facility's inspection history, including failures in handwashing, cooking temperatures, and management oversight, suggest systemic problems that were present from early in the operation's life.
Taco Kat, with only 11 prior inspections, recorded nine high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source and inadequate handwashing facilities. That last citation is not a technique failure. It means the physical infrastructure for hand hygiene was absent.
