Saigon Grill, the Vietnamese restaurant on 90th and Amsterdam, was shuttered by the health department and will be closed until Tuesday.
An inspector found all sorts of nasty critters creeping around during an inspection on Wednesday and closed the place down after a reinspection.
Saigon Grill has a complicated past: it was once located on 87th and Broadway, and initially got good reviews for the food and service. But the restaurant had to pay millions to workers who were not paid minimum wage (some delivery workers got less than $2 an hour) and were then fired for speaking up about it. New owners were also accused of labor violations in 2011. Some people complain that the prices are now higher. Of course, if the old owners were paying people $2 an hour, it makes sense that they were able to keep prices low.
Here are the details of the health violations, via the health department:
Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
4) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
6) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
I guess no pho for me this weekend. Boo, Saigon Grill!
Re: ” Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.”
1). So THAT’s why, when you call in your takeout order, the person on the phone asks, ‘You want FLIES with that?’
2). Let me guess: “Little House Flies” are, by definition, littler than regular house flies? And beware “Phorid Flies” for, as we all know, ‘The Phorid She Is Horrid!’
3) Re: fruit flies, let us recall Groucho’s classic:
“Time flies like an arrow; Fruit flies like a banana.”
Bummer, you make me sad Saigon Grill! I have a serious addiction to La Sa Ga, summer rolls and shrimp crystal dumplings. It will me take me a while to get over this. When I first moved to the neighborhood I was scolded by neighbors for eating there, it wasn’t PC. I ate there anyway and enjoyed it every time. Why Saigon Grill, why did you let me down?
Hi, Dani et al…
Saigon Grill did always have a sketchy reputation. Food OK, but always, other issues.
I may never eat out again. I once saw a roach crawling on a wall in a resturante and I asked the waiter if it was listed on the menu! It is amazing that more people don’t get sick.
Does not surprise me one bit. I got severe food poisoning from Saigon Grill 10 years ago, reported it to them and to the city….. 10 years later they still can’t clean up their act! We need a decent Vietnamese joint on the UWS.