A longtime dim sum staple in Honolulu's Chinatown Cultural Plaza is shuttered after state health inspectors found a roach infestation, moldy food, and unsafe holding temperatures during a routine check. Legend Seafood Restaurant, located at 100 N. Beretania St., Ste. 108, was hit with a red placard and ordered closed on Oct. 1 by the Hawaii Department of Health Food Safety Branch.
The closure, reported by KITV, came after inspectors discovered a list of critical violations at the Cantonese and dim sum establishment: a roach infestation, moldy food product sitting in the walk-in fridge, food not properly separated and protected from contamination, inadequate cold holding temperatures, and improper date marking on prepared items. According to the Hawaii Department of Health, the restaurant is legally operated by Ming Dynasty Fish & Shrimp Co., Inc., the corporate entity on record for health compliance at the address.
Under state rules, Legend Seafood must stay closed until every violation is resolved. The restaurant has to show that food is in good condition and unadulterated, that items are separated and protected from contamination, that cold holding temperatures sit at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and that prepared food carries proper date marking showing when it must be sold, consumed, or discarded. It also has to demonstrate it is free of roaches before health officials will sign off.
A Fast-Tracked Reinspection
The Department of Health scheduled a mandatory follow-up inspection for just one day after the red placard went up, with the reinspection set for Oct. 2. Hawaii's health code requires businesses closed under a red placard to correct all critical issues before that follow-up visit can clear them, meaning Legend Seafood's fate hinges on what inspectors find when they return.
Red placards are reserved for the state's most severe findings. A red tag signifies an imminent health hazard or permit suspension requiring an immediate shutdown and public notice, according to Food Safety News, which covered the rollout of Hawaii's color-coded placard system when it launched in July 2014 under Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 11, Chapter 50, the state's Food Safety Code. The framework uses color-coded placards to communicate a restaurant's food-safety status.
Part of a Broader Enforcement Push
Legend Seafood's closure is not an isolated case. In February, DOH issued a red placard and immediate closure notice to U-Choice In on Kaheka Street after inspectors discovered raw kitchen sewage backing up during operations, according to the Hawaii State Department of Health.
Hoodline has previously reported on this kind of enforcement action: a Kailua-Kona restaurant, Jade Palace 2, was red-tagged again over roaches in February.
At Chinatown Cultural Plaza
Legend Seafood is located inside Chinatown Cultural Plaza.
Whether Legend Seafood reopens with a green pass card will depend on what Friday's follow-up inspection turns up, and whether the roaches, mold, and temperature problems cited by the Food Safety Branch have been fully resolved.
