Moldy soup base, standing water and rodent droppings have once again knocked a familiar North Miami Beach restaurant out of commission. Sichuan Fish Restaurant on NE 163rd Street was ordered closed after a routine state inspection flagged contaminated food, filthy equipment and conditions that inspectors said were unsafe for diners. A stop sale was issued on spoiled items, and damaged, grime-covered equipment was deemed too far gone to sanitize properly. It is the latest in a string of inspection failures tied to this same address over the past few years.
The emergency shutdown followed a Tuesday inspection that documented “food with mold-like growth” in soup base and other high-priority violations, according to the Miami Herald. The Herald reports that the restaurant at 1242 NE 163rd St. previously operated as CY Chinese Restaurant and racked up several closures between 2022 and 2024 before rebranding as Sichuan Fish in April 2024. Inspectors required a follow-up visit before the business would be allowed to fully reopen, the paper notes.
What inspectors found
State inspection summaries describe three containers of Spicy Mala soup base with mold-like growth sitting in the walk-in cooler, along with uncovered fried rice and other food stored directly on the cooler floor. Inspectors also found standing water under the dishwasher and debris both inside and outside the ware-washing machine. Rodent droppings were logged in multiple spots: six in dry storage, four on the kitchen floor, one on top of a box of clean garbage bags at the front counter and one under the dishwasher. A soiled dry wiping cloth was also being used in place of a properly sanitized one, according to Local10.
History and ownership
Public records and prior coverage show this particular storefront has been a regular on state inspectors’ radar. Before the latest rebrand, the space appeared on multiple inspection reports as CY Chinese Restaurant, operated under Y and C Restaurant Inc. with president Xianguang Yang. In April 2024 it resurfaced as Sichuan Fish, this time listing Hanping Yang as president, according to the Miami Herald. The name and ownership shuffle has not prevented repeated sanitation issues from drawing regulators back to the same NE 163rd Street address.
What an emergency closure means
Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants says it issues emergency orders when conditions present an immediate danger to public health. Common triggers include vermin activity, sewage problems or refrigeration that does not keep food cold enough, and a re-inspection is required before a business can reopen, according to the Division of Hotels and Restaurants. The agency’s procedures allow for administrative penalties such as fines or license action if serious violations continue while officials monitor corrective work.
Sichuan Fish did clear an initial follow-up inspection and reopen, but inspectors later documented seven more rodent droppings on a subsequent visit, keeping the restaurant on a short leash as it scrambles to clean up its act, per Local10. For nearby residents and would-be diners, the repeat problems are a pointed reminder that a fresh sign out front does not automatically translate to a fresh start in the kitchen.
