ORLANDO, FL. Zap Thai on Conway Road drew 10 high-severity violations during the week of September 1, the highest single-facility count among 15 Orlando restaurants cited for serious health code failures in seven days, with inspectors documenting food cooked to insufficient temperatures, food contact surfaces left unsanitized, no adequate handwashing infrastructure, and employees who had not reported illness symptoms.
What Inspectors Found
Zap Thai's inspection also flagged inadequate shell stock identification records, meaning shellfish on hand could not be traced to a certified source, and improper use of time as a public health control, a system that allows food to sit in the temperature danger zone only if strict tracking procedures are followed. Neither condition was being met.
Cucina Pizza and Bar at 54 W Church Street accumulated 9 high-severity and 5 intermediate violations. Inspectors cited no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food in poor condition or mislabeled, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked menu items. No person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection.
Fu Hua Chinese Restaurant on South Goldenrod Road also drew 9 high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals stored improperly near food and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. Inspectors additionally cited no employee health policy and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Slap Hand Ripped Noodles on Carrier Drive was cited for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures, a requirement for restaurants serving raw or undercooked fish. Inspectors also found inadequate shell stock identification records, food cooked below minimum required temperatures, and no consumer advisory for customers ordering undercooked items.
Knights Curry Express on University Boulevard drew a citation for food from an unapproved or unknown source, meaning at least some ingredients on hand bypassed federal safety inspection. Inspectors also documented failure to follow parasite destruction procedures and food cooked below required minimum temperatures, alongside inadequate handwashing by food employees.
Taco Kat at 11 South Court Avenue was cited for food from an unapproved source, inadequate handwashing facilities, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and no consumer advisory was posted.
Saigon Noodle and Bistro on South Goldenrod Road drew 8 high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source, no allergen awareness, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The facility had no written employee health policy.
Birria 1983 at 54 W Church Street was cited for both toxic chemicals improperly stored and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, two separate chemical safety violations at the same location. Inspectors also found food from an unapproved source and inadequate shell stock identification records.
El Rinconcito Restaurant and Bar on Butler National Drive drew 7 high-severity violations including food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shell stock records, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned.
Lotus Garden on Dr. Phillips Boulevard was cited for food from an unapproved source, improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. No employee health policy was in place and no consumer advisory was posted.
Arcade Time Entertainment on International Drive, an entertainment venue with food service, drew 7 high-severity violations including failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and toxic substances improperly identified or used. Multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned.
Kres Restaurant at 17 W Church Street was cited for food from an unapproved source, no allergen awareness, toxic substances improperly stored, and improper use of time as a public health control. Multi-use utensils were also not properly cleaned.
Charley's Philly Steaks on South Kirkman Road drew 6 high-severity violations including food in poor condition or mislabeled, food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to required temperatures, and toxic substances improperly identified or used.
Castle Irish Pub and Restaurant on Edgewater Drive was cited for 6 high-severity violations with no intermediate violations, including food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and two separate chemical safety citations. No person in charge was present.
Susuru on Palm Parkway drew 7 high-severity violations and zero intermediate violations, including no employee health policy, food not cooked to required temperatures, improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread violation across this week's 15 facilities was improper handwashing, whether inadequate facilities, inadequate technique, or both. Zap Thai, Taco Kat, and Birria 1983 all lacked adequate handwashing infrastructure. When the sink, soap, or drying materials are missing, the handwashing requirement becomes physically impossible to meet. Hands carry pathogens directly from raw protein, surfaces, and illness to ready-to-eat food.
The "no employee health policy" citation at Cucina Pizza and Bar, Fu Hua, Saigon Noodle and Bistro, Lotus Garden, and Susuru is not a paperwork technicality. Without a written policy, food workers have no formal instruction to stay home when sick. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads person-to-person through food handled by infected workers. A single ill employee without clear reporting obligations can expose dozens of customers in a single shift.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Knights Curry Express, Taco Kat, Saigon Noodle and Bistro, Birria 1983, El Rinconcito, Lotus Garden, Kres Restaurant, Castle Irish Pub, and Charley's Philly Steaks, means those ingredients entered the kitchen without passing through a USDA or FDA-inspected supply chain. If a customer gets sick from that food, there is no lot number, no distributor record, and no way to trace the source or issue a recall.
The parasite destruction citations at Slap Hand Ripped Noodles, Knights Curry Express, and Arcade Time Entertainment point to a specific protocol gap in kitchens serving raw or lightly cooked fish. Parasites including Anisakis, found in raw salmon and other species, survive unless fish is frozen to specific temperatures for a defined period before service. Without documentation that this step occurred, there is no way to confirm the fish on the plate is safe.
The Longer Record
Slap Hand Ripped Noodles has 43 prior inspections on record, the highest count among this week's facilities, and still drew 9 high-severity violations including parasite destruction failures and inadequate shell stock records. A facility with 43 inspections behind it has been visited by state inspectors more times than most restaurants see in a decade. The violations documented this week are not new territory.
Fu Hua Chinese Restaurant has 32 prior inspections on record and was cited this week for 9 high-severity violations spanning chemical storage, allergen awareness, employee illness reporting, and food contact surface sanitation. Saigon Noodle and Bistro has 35 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity violations this week, including food from an unapproved source and no allergen awareness. Both facilities have been inspected more than three dozen times.
El Rinconcito Restaurant and Bar carries 31 prior inspections and was cited this week for food in poor condition, shellfish traceability failures, and chemical storage violations. Zap Thai has 30 prior inspections and led the week with 10 high-severity citations.
At the other end of the history spectrum, Birria 1983 has only 10 prior inspections on record and already drew 8 high-severity violations this week, including two separate chemical safety citations and food from an unapproved source. Taco Kat has 11 prior inspections and drew 9 high-severity violations, including unapproved food sourcing and inadequate handwashing facilities. Both are among the newest facilities in this week's data, and neither is starting from a clean record.
Cucina Pizza and Bar and Birria 1983 share the same address, 54 W Church Street, with Cucina at Suite 151 and Birria 1983 at Suite 141. Both drew 8 or more high-severity violations in the same inspection week, and neither had a consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked menu items.
