A longstanding Chinese restaurant that has fed the Upper West Side is temporarily shuttered after health inspectors turned up mice, roaches and food-safety violations. Empire Szechuan Kyoto, at 193 Columbus Avenue between West 68th and 69th streets, was closed by health inspectors, racking up 64 violation points along the way.
The closure was reported by West Side Rag after the New York City Health Department cited violations. The outlet reported that inspectors found a range of food-safety problems.
The violation list didn't stop there. Inspectors also documented evidence of mice or live mice in the restaurant's food or non-food areas, live roaches on site, and filth flies or food, refuse and sewage associated with flies or other nuisance pests, per the same report. The report also described other food-safety violations.
Management Points to Equipment Upgrades
A sign posted at the restaurant said Empire Szechuan Kyoto was closed for scheduled equipment upgrades and a deep cleaning service.
The restaurant remained closed, with no reopening date confirmed. Per the same account, Empire Szechuan Kyoto can reopen only once it corrects the violations and passes a reinspection.
A Second Set of Violations Surfaced in September 2024
This wasn't the first health-code trouble at the Columbus Avenue address. According to I Love the Upper West Side, Empire Szechuan Kyoto received five separate violations on September 18, 2024, including citations tied to food from unapproved or unknown sources, hard-to-clean contact surfaces and pesticide misuse. That report said the violations cut the restaurant's rating by 25 points.
New York City assigns restaurant letter grades based on violation points. A closed restaurant must pass a follow-up inspection before reopening.
Until Empire Szechuan Kyoto clears that bar, the Columbus Avenue storefront, a longtime presence on the block, sits closed, with no reopening date confirmed.
