March 2, Staff Report
A trendy Vietnamese restaurant in Long Island City has been temporarily shut down by the Health Department for unsanitary conditions.
Bia, a Vietnamese restaurant at 23-10 Jackson Avenue that opened nearly two years ago, was closed yesterday by the Health Department for racking up 49 violation points during an inspection.
According to the Health Department website, the restaurant was closed for a combination of critical and non-critical violations.
The violations listed as critical including improper food storage with hot food items not being held at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit and cold food items being held above 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and evidence of mice in the facility.
The report also notes violations including the facility not being vermin proof, and the illegal use of pesticides, including storing or using prohibited chemicals and having open bait stations.
The Health Department gives out letter grades to restaurants based on a points system. Any restaurant that receives between zero and 13 points receives an A grade, any receiving between 14 and 27 points gets a B grade, and any with 28 or more points gets a C grade. Each point value is assigned based on the size and scale of the violation.
If any violations are especially bad, the restaurant can be shut down until it gets its score back under 28 violation points, at which point it can be inspected again and reopen.
