Lucky Creation Vegetarian Rest Fails Inspection Cleanliness

Lucky Creation Vegetarian Rest in Chinatown failed its routine health inspection on October 27, 2025, with inspectors discovering multiple cleanliness violations that posed potential health risks to diners. The vegetarian restaurant at 854 Washington Street near Montgomery Street BART was cited for three separate violations during the 30-minute inspection conducted by Health Inspector Michael Mooney. The most immediate concern involved the restaurant's sanitization protocols. When Inspector Mooney arrived at Lucky Creation Vegetarian Rest, he found no sanitizer bucket set up anywhere in the facility. This critical oversight meant that staff had no proper way to sanitize food contact surfaces between uses, potentially allowing harmful bacteria to spread from cutting boards and utensils to fresh ingredients. The person in charge quickly corrected this violation on site by setting up the required sanitizer station.

Grime Accumulation Threatens Food Safety

Beyond the sanitizer issue, inspectors discovered significant cleaning problems throughout the kitchen. Heavy grime had accumulated around the dishwashing area and underneath the main cook line where food preparation takes place daily. This type of buildup creates ideal conditions for bacterial growth and can attract pests like rodents and insects to the kitchen environment. The inspector noted that the accumulated grease and food debris required immediate attention, ordering staff to clean, degrease, and maintain these critical food preparation areas. Such conditions pose direct contamination risks as particles can become airborne during cooking and land on prepared foods.

Structural Damage Compounds Problems

Adding to the cleanliness concerns, this inspection revealed structural damage to the restaurant's upstairs ceiling and walls. Damaged surfaces can harbor bacteria and make proper cleaning nearly impossible. The inspector mandated repairs to floors, walls, and ceiling to maintain proper food safety standards. Despite these violations, Inspector Mooney noted several positive findings that prevented a more serious outcome. No evidence of vermin was discovered during the inspection, and the dishwashing machine maintained adequate sanitizer levels. All refrigeration units operated at proper temperatures of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below, preventing dangerous bacterial growth in perishable foods. Hot water temperatures exceeded the required 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and all handwashing sinks remained properly supplied and accessible to staff.

Restaurant Improvements Following Previous Issues

The inspection revealed that Lucky Creation Vegetarian Rest had undertaken significant improvements since its last routine inspection. According to inspector notes, the facility had completed cleaning, rodent proofing, and pest elimination efforts. No handwashing or food handling violations were observed, suggesting management had addressed previous concerns about staff hygiene practices. This represents the restaurant's first recorded inspection failure, as no previous inspection records were found in the city database. The violations cited fall under California Retail Food Code sections addressing food contact surface sanitation and nonfood contact surface cleanliness. For customers who dined at Lucky Creation Vegetarian Rest before these corrections, the sanitization issues could have led to cross-contamination between raw and cooked ingredients. The grime buildup in food preparation areas posed additional risks of bacterial contamination. The restaurant remains open following this inspection, with all violations corrected on site or ordered for immediate remediation. Inspector Michael Mooney can be contacted at michael.mooney@sfdph.org for additional information about this inspection.