SOMA Restaurant Fails with Rodents & Dangerous Food Temps

Health inspectors discovered a disturbing scene at Gai Chicken Rice on Market Street in SOMA during a routine inspection that revealed rodents throughout the facility and dangerously stored food requiring immediate condemnation. The restaurant at 1001 Market Street failed this inspection with 10 total violations, including two major infractions that posed immediate health risks to customers.

Rodent Infestation Throughout Facility

The most alarming discovery involved extensive evidence of rodent activity in multiple locations throughout the restaurant. Inspectors found rodent droppings under the point-of-sale system on bottom shelves, a dead mouse caught in a monitoring trap, and additional droppings scattered in the back storage area and near an abandoned prep cooler outside the kitchen. The widespread nature of the infestation suggested ongoing problems that customers dining at this SOMA location would have been exposed to. Inspector Usman Javaid ordered immediate removal of all droppings, sealing of entry points, and thorough cleaning and sanitization of affected areas with low-concentration chlorine solution. The restaurant was required to provide pest control services and submit service reports directly to the inspector's email.

Dangerous Food Storage Temperatures

Equally concerning were severe temperature violations that put customers at risk of foodborne illness. Inspectors discovered three pans of cooked chicken stored at dangerous temperatures between 45-48°F, along with cooked ground meat reaching 68°F in a malfunctioning prep cooler. The ambient temperature of the cooler was only 46°F, well above safe refrigeration standards. The operator voluntarily condemned the chicken and ground meat, which had been prepared since 9 AM that morning. Additional violations included garlic sauce left at room temperature reaching 74°F for an unknown duration, and four containers of soup cooling at room temperature between 117-120°F for over 1.5 hours.

Equipment and Compliance Issues

The inspection revealed additional problems with food preparation methods and equipment. Inspectors found chicken being cooked using sous vide methods at only 155°F without required California Department of Public Health approval for low-temperature cooking processes. The operator was ordered to increase cooking temperatures to 165°F immediately. Other violations included the use of prohibited latex gloves, wet wiping cloths left outside sanitizer buckets, broken plumbing causing floor drainage issues, and improper cooling methods for cooked foods. The restaurant near Civic Center BART was using expanding foam instead of professional building materials to seal entry points.

Previous Inspection History

This failure represents a concerning pattern for the restaurant. Following this failed inspection, the establishment was reinspected on November 3, 2025, which resulted in a closure order from the health department. The reinspection found additional violations that required immediate corrective action. The violations at this SOMA establishment highlight serious food safety concerns that could have exposed customers to salmonella, hantavirus from rodent droppings, and other foodborne pathogens from temperature-abused foods. The restaurant must address all violations and pass reinspection before resuming normal operations.