The Hawaii Department of Health on Thursday issued Straits Hawaii at Ward Village a red placard due to several violations, shutting it down until the infractions are addressed.
The placard was issued to Straits Hawaii LLC, owner of Straits Restaurant & Lounge at 1060 Auahi St., after inspectors found multiple violations during a routine inspection related to hand-washing practices, food-storage temperatures, and the sanitation of equipment, according to the Health Department.
According to the inspection report, multiple food safety violations were observed, including that nobody on site was in charge to ensure safe food operations; workers were unable to properly wash their hands due to the condition of hand washing sinks; and employees were not knowledgeable about proper hand hygiene.
The workers were observed not washing their hands before putting on gloves, using cloth rags to dry hands, and touching contaminated cucumbers to be used for a salad, the report said.
Other violations include food stored in refrigerators at unsafe temperatures, and pans of cooked and ready-to-eat foods stored in the walk-in refrigerator with dates exceeding the seven days allowed, according to the department. Additionally, hot water was not available for the proper cleaning of food equipment, the report said.
Straits Restaurant & Lounge at Ward Village in Kakaako offers Singaporean cuisine and a variety of dishes with the flavors of Southeast Asia. Besides brunch, lunch and dinner service, Straits offers a happy hour and late night service at its bar and lounge.
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