Wok City on Amsterdam between 66th and 67th Street racked up 89 points worth of health violations and was closed by the Health Department this week.
Lincoln Square is a bit of a wasteland for low-priced Chinese food (Shun Lee is awesome but expensive, and there are varied opinions on Ollie’s). Wok City is generally considered “eh” or better. Here’s what Yelpers say.
And here are the violations:
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) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
4) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
5) Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.
6) Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
7) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
8 ) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
9) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
10) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
I’ll have the #6/#7 Combo (above) please! And I’d like to start with a #8 appetizer.
No MSG!
Brown rice, of course.
And extra duck sauce.
Oh no, I love Wok City! It’s the only place on the UWS that serves Crab Rangoon. Damn.
When I heard about this I thought for sure there would be mouse poops or dentritus from when roaches shed their sunburned skin. But, no, just a bunch of temperature and cross-contamination possibilities that I’m sure exist at just about any fast food Chinese place that uses a wok. They had an “A” in the window. You’d think everything they’ve been cited for is easily and inexpensively fixed, so I’d be surprised if Wok City doesn’t reopen quickly. Put on a clean apron, cover your hair, keep cold things colder and hot things hotter, stick some Saran Wrap on containers. This place isn’t easy on the eyes (or ears if you phone in your order – which I suggest), but it sure is better-tasting than any of the other Chinese options in the area, all of which have had their share of violations of the sanitary variety in the past.
NEWS FLASH: It has re-opened. Incredible what a thermometer and some Clorox can do.