WEST PALM BEACH, FL. Katsumori Asian Fusion on Old Okeechobee Road drew seven high-severity violations during the week of July 27, the most of any facility inspected in West Palm Beach that week, including citations for food from unapproved sources, toxic chemicals improperly stored near food, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
That single restaurant accounted for more high-severity violations than 11 of the 15 facilities cited this week. Inspectors also found no person in charge present or performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and inadequate handwashing.
The Violations
Three other restaurants tied Katsumori's neighbors at six high-severity violations each. East Wok WPB on Belvedere Road was cited for no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for inadequate toilet facilities.
China Taste on Okeechobee Boulevard drew six high-severity violations of its own, including no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish traceability records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Proper Grit on North Narcissus Avenue also accumulated six high-severity citations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature.
Catch Seafood and Sushi on 25th Street drew five high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, and inadequate shellfish traceability records. Inspectors also cited improperly cleaned multi-use utensils.
Taqueria Jalisco on Forest Hill Boulevard was cited for four high-severity violations alongside three intermediate citations. The high-severity findings included no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also noted improperly cleaned multi-use utensils, single-use items being reused, and inadequate toilet facilities.
Crazy Buffet on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard drew four high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Urban Roast on Datura Street was cited for no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition or adulterated, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Inspectors also noted improperly cleaned multi-use utensils.
China Wok 168 Inc. on Okeechobee Boulevard drew four high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Dontee's Restaurant on Belvedere Road was cited for no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate shell stock identification, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Felice on South Rosemary Avenue drew four high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
BurgerFi on South Rosemary Avenue was cited for food not cooked to required minimum temperature, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also noted improperly cleaned multi-use utensils and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
Dutch Pot Jamaican Restaurant on Haverhill Road drew three high-severity violations: no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and inadequate shell stock identification. Inspectors also cited improperly cleaned multi-use utensils.
Hook Fish and Chicken on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard was cited for improper handwashing technique, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Inspectors also noted inadequate ventilation and lighting.
Lynora's Pizza on South Dixie Highway drew a single high-severity citation for inadequate handwashing by food employees.
What These Violations Mean
The most frequently cited violation this week, appearing at nine of the 15 facilities, was either inadequate handwashing or improper handwashing technique. At China Taste, inspectors found both: not only were employees washing their hands improperly, but the handwashing facilities themselves were inadequate, meaning proper hygiene was structurally impossible regardless of employee intent. Improper handwashing is the single most significant factor in spreading foodborne illness, because hands transfer pathogens directly to food, surfaces, and utensils throughout a shift.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Katsumori Asian Fusion, East Wok WPB, and Proper Grit, carries a specific danger that goes beyond the food itself. When a restaurant sources food outside the regulated supply chain, there is no paper trail to follow if a customer gets sick. Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli contamination in uninspected product can spread to dozens of customers before anyone connects the illness to a meal.
The failure to report illness symptoms, cited at ten facilities this week including Katsumori, East Wok, China Taste, Proper Grit, Catch Seafood and Sushi, Crazy Buffet, Dontee's, Felice, Dutch Pot, and Hook Fish and Chicken, is the violation most directly linked to multi-victim outbreaks. Norovirus spreads through just 18 viral particles, and a single sick food worker can contaminate an entire service line before symptoms become obvious. Without a written employee health policy, which was also missing at East Wok, Catch Seafood, Taqueria Jalisco, Urban Roast, and BurgerFi, there is no mechanism to enforce exclusion.
Toxic chemicals improperly stored near food, cited at Katsumori Asian Fusion, BurgerFi, and Hook Fish and Chicken, represents a different category of risk. Unlike biological contamination, chemical poisoning from cleaning agents or pesticides can produce acute symptoms within minutes of consumption, with no incubation period and no warning.
The Longer Record
The facility with the most inspections on record this week was Crazy Buffet, with 45 prior visits documented in state records. Despite that history, inspectors still found four high-severity violations during this inspection, including failures around illness reporting and shellfish traceability that are not new categories for a buffet-style operation with this volume of regulatory contact.
Taqueria Jalisco on Forest Hill Boulevard has 32 prior inspections on record, as does Hook Fish and Chicken. China Wok 168 Inc. has 34. That these facilities continue to accumulate high-severity citations across handwashing technique and consumer advisories, after dozens of inspections, indicates the problems are not being corrected between visits.
East Wok WPB has 28 prior inspections, China Taste has 29, and Dontee's Restaurant has 27. All three were cited this week for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, a violation that inspectors can observe directly and that restaurants have ample opportunity to address before a follow-up visit.
Urban Roast on Datura Street stands apart. With only two prior inspections on record, it is among the newest facilities in this week's data, and it already drew four high-severity violations including food in poor condition and food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Katsumori Asian Fusion, with 25 prior inspections and seven high-severity violations this week, including food from unapproved sources and toxic chemicals improperly stored near food, has not resolved its most serious categories across more than two dozen state contacts.
The Longer Pattern
Shellfish traceability failures appeared at ten facilities this week: China Taste, Proper Grit, Catch Seafood and Sushi, Taqueria Jalisco, Crazy Buffet, China Wok 168 Inc., Dontee's Restaurant, Felice, Dutch Pot Jamaican Restaurant, and Hook Fish and Chicken. Without proper shell stock identification tags, there is no way to trace a raw oyster, clam, or mussel back to its harvest site if a customer becomes ill with Vibrio or norovirus.
BurgerFi on South Rosemary Avenue was the only facility this week cited for no allergen awareness demonstrated. That citation, combined with food not cooked to required minimum temperature and toxic chemicals improperly stored, gives BurgerFi three distinct categories of high-severity risk in a single inspection, across a location that has 27 prior inspections on record.
Urban Roast's citation for food in poor condition or adulterated remains unresolved in the public record. State inspection reports do not specify which food item was flagged, or whether it was removed from service.
