New dim sum restaurant Jing Fong on 78th and Amsterdam got an unwelcome visit from city inspectors this week.
A health inspector shut the restaurant down on Thursday night, although the list of violations was not yet available on the health department website as of Friday afternoon. Update: we’ve posted it below.
Jing Fong, a spinoff from a well-known Chinatown restaurant, just opened in July.
1) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
2) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
4) 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.
Thanks to our tipster, who wished to remain anonymous.
LOL – Never ate there, never like the guy who was running it and the place is doomed! No will be successful in the place.
It’s upsetting that these restaurants have no regard for the public the serve. Just sloppy management if it happens once it will happen again maybe not as soon as they get their rating back but soon after. This is not a game to play with peoples health.
Just ate there Wednesday night … still breathing. (Come to think of it, that sticky rice was unusually crunchy.)
They are STILL using a “soft opening” menu, even though they’ve been open for 9 months now. I ate there once, the food was good though. But with so many new restaurants to compete against, they need to get their act together.
Ate there when it first opened. Way overpriced. They shouldn’t mess with the public’s health. All these places care about it their profit. I’ve had food poisoning once. Not fun. Get your act together Jing Fong or be GONE.
I’m more upset that this place is still only open during dinner. That’s not dim-sum. I had big hopes for this place to be authentic dim sum as an alternative to Red Farm but it looks like we still have to make the trip down to Chinatown.
Posted on the NYC Department of Health website:
Violation points: 40
Sanitary Violations
1) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
2) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
4) 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.
Ate there last week at the back bar where they cook…at the time I had definitely noticed not everyone was wearing gloves, for example the dude making the dumplings. What a shame- the food is really excellent. Hopefully they can get it together and reopen.
If you read how even the best restaurants are avoiding these closures and low ranking, check what Mario Batali does the second an unexpected inspector arrives. That’s how a lot of restaurant manage their health/cleanliness ranking.
Of course in a lot of cases closure means something is off with the restaurant, but in other cases it means absolutely nothing. And vice versa.
I bet it’s nigh near impossible to make dumplings wearing gloves… That’s a health violation I certainly wouldn’t be dissuaded by. (I also never mind when fabulous sushi restaurants have a “B” grade for the itamae not wearing gloves or for having fish served above the mandatory temperature (fish has no taste if it’s this cold). Frankly, I’d much rather have someone’s clean hands touching my food than whatever nasty plastic toxins are in those disposable plastic gloves.
This
That’s a bummer. Really like the food there. Never gotten sick nor has anyone else I’ve eaten there with. It is pricey but it works for me when I don’t have time to go downtown.
This place is not worth it. I love the downtown original and rather go down there than pay 3x’s for half.
Food was very very good. Too bad they could not get a better manager. I don’t mind paying a bit more for convenience. I hope they pull it together. It’s not like they don’t have experience. The Chinatown restaurant is huge. This one is tiny.
I’m very happy that the health department is cracking down on all these restaurants I only wish they would crack down on these street food vendors !!!!
How come these food vendors on the street don’t wear sanitary gloves? I would never buy from them and not that I would if they were wearing gloves 🧤
This is a great restaurant, one of the best purveyors of delectable food in the city, and it is heartbreaking to be informed of its difficulties with the Department of Health. We pray matters are promptly resolved in favor of an utterly necessary restaurant. Jonnie & Gordon