Two local restaurants, including a popular vegan spot, were shuttered by health inspectors this week.
Blossom Du Jour, the vegan “fast food” restaurant at 449 Amsterdam Avenue between 81st and 82nd, was forced to close its doors. Along with the telltale yellow sticker from the Health Department, the restaurant added a note that the problem wasn’t the food, it was the bathroom.
Here is the info from the DOH:
Violation points: 74
Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item that has been cooked and refrigerated is being held for service without first being reheated to 1 65º F or above within 2 hours.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
4) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5) Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
6) Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
8) Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
9) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
1) Hot food item that has been cooked and refrigerated is being held for service without first being reheated to 1 65º F or above within 2 hours.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
4) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5) Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
6) Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
8) Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
9) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
In addition, New Asia Chinese restaurant at 666 Amsterdam Avenue (92nd-93rd) was closed down on Monday for various violations, which we’ve posted below. It had reopened as of Thursday night.
Violation points: 52
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) Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
6) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
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) Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
6) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
Thanks to Zoe and Eric for the tips and photos.
YUK, big time yuk!!!!!!!
Ugh. Glad I don’t frequent or order from either, especially New Asia. Sometimes the violations are minor and easily fixed, has happened to friend who owned restaurant/bar. Sometimes they’re more serious. New Asia looks like the latter.
I got food poisoning from Blossom Du Jour a few months ago. I spoke to the manager, and while he was apologetic he basically blew me off–, I guess their health code practices need some scrutiny.
When you reported your illness to the Health Department, what was their response?
It’s funny that the inspection results for Blossom du Jour are not posted on the Health Department’s website, https://a816-restaurantinspection.nyc.gov/RestaurantInspection/SearchResults.do — indeed, it’s even funnier that the Health Department has not posted results from *any* inspection of the restaurant after its ungraded initial-cycle inspection in May of last year. Has the Health Department not looked at the place in 14 months?
That said, it’s hard to imagine the Health Department shutting a restaurant down because of “bathroom issues”, as the store says on its window sign. The Buildings Department perhaps, but it would be difficult to rack up enough Health Department points to shutter an establishment isolated to a messy bathroom.
But, of course, we can’t know since the Health Department hasn’t published its results.
Caveat emptor.
Mice seem to be popping up everywhere recently. Mighty Pie outpost in Union Square was closed last week because of them as well.
I eat at Blossom du Jour at least once a week (have you tried their milkshakes, OMG heavenly!) and the food is delicious. Until we have facts, let’s not make assumptions about the circumstances of this closure.
Wow Blossom Du Jour is a bunch of terrible liars. Their health violations are among the worst I have seen. They are now posted. 74 VIOLATION POINTS!!!! Bathroom is the least of their worries.
Violation points: 74
Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item that has been cooked and refrigerated is being held for service without first being reheated to 1 65º F or above within 2 hours.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
4) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5) Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
6) Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
8) Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
9) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
“Vomit du Jour”. Funny 🙂
new asia has never had an A rating ,always b,c or grade pending…. mostly c or pending…how they stay in business i’ll never know…must sell a lot of chicken wings
The ratings have been watered down over the years… Pretty much meaningless these days.
Those ratings mean nearly nothing far as one is concerned.
Have given up counting how many times have passed a place closed and pepped into their windows to see mice running around. Yes, one did file reports with DOH, all got back for one’s efforts was a note saying they’ve “informed owner….”
it sure tells what kind of people they are. I wouldn’t ever eat there even if they fix the problem. Thank you health department.