NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A state inspector found 21 violations inside Sang’s Chinese and Dim Sum restaurant last week and ordered the place shut until it was cleaned and re-inspected.
Last week was no ordinary inspection, as the inspector was there based on a complaint.
Local 10′s Jeff Weinsier visited the restaurant, located at 1925 NE 163rd St. in North Miami Beach, this week and was met by a woman who appeared to be familiar with him and his Dirty Dining segment.
“Can I ask you some question?” she asked Weinsier.
“You can ask me a question. Yes, ma’am,” Weinsier responded.
“I saw you on (a) TV show -- 90 percent go to Asians’ restaurant(s),” she said.
“So you think I only go after Asians?” Weinsier asked.
“Yes,” she responded.
So let’s explain the process.
Local 10 doesn’t inspect the restaurants or choose which restaurants get inspected.
It does get a list of places ordered shut from the state, and Sang’s restaurant made that list last week.
Violations that led to the temporary closure included roach and rodent activity.
But the woman didn’t want to hear it, nor did she take any responsibility.
“I don’t know why you are against Chinese restaurants,” she said.
“I’m not against Chinese restaurants,” Weinsier responded.
“Ninety-five to 100 percent,” she responded.
“No, no ma’am. I’m not the inspector. The inspector shut you down,” Weinsier said.
Among the 21 violations found at Sang’s were a dead rodent found under the stove, live roaches inside a box under a sink, roaches crawling on the kitchen floor and dead roaches in the dining room and under a dishwasher.
There were also roach droppings under a steam table and food contact surfaces were soiled with a mold-like substance or slime, according to the inspector’s report.
“Would you want to eat in a restaurant with a dead rodent and roaches?” Weinsier asked the woman.
“Did you see any roaches in here?” she asked.
“It is on the inspection, ma’am,” Weinsier responded.
“Really, show me,” she said. “Show me a picture. We never have live roach(es) here. Can you show me the picture?”
“Here is the inspection, it is a public record,” Weinsier said. “It is your responsibility to keep the place clean.”
“No, we don’t have live roach(es) here,” she said. “Why are you against Asian restaurant(s)?”
“No, no, no. Don’t pull that on me. This isn’t my fault,” Weinsier said. “The inspector shut you down. The inspector shut you down -- don’t blame it on me, don’t turn it around.”
Without the Dirty Dining list online and this segment on TV, many consumers would have no idea what goes on in the kitchen of South Florida’s restaurants.
And frankly, it’s as simple as that.
Local 10 has no control over who the state inspects or who they shut down.
Sang’s Chinese has since been allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and re-inspection.