Live Cockroaches Found Crawling at SF Sushi Restaurant

San Francisco health inspectors discovered live cockroaches and mouse droppings on the food serving conveyor belt at IZUMI KAITEN SUSHI, forcing the popular sushi restaurant into conditional pass status during this week's restaurant inspections. The shocking discovery of pest contamination directly where customers' food travels raised serious health concerns at the establishment known for its rotating sushi service.

The inspection report revealed not only the presence of cockroaches on the conveyor belt system but also mouse droppings found in multiple areas throughout the kitchen. Inspectors ordered the immediate elimination of all rodents and cockroaches from the facility, requiring intensive cleaning and sanitization of all affected surfaces with chlorine solution. The restaurant must now submit pest control reports twice monthly to health officials.

Restaurant Closures and Reopenings

While no restaurants were forced to close this week, five establishments successfully reopened after addressing previous violations. OLD PIER HOTPOT BUFFET and LAM HOA THUAN RESTAURANT both received clearance to resume operations after meeting health standards. SUSHI ZEN, which had previously dealt with rodent issues, eliminated all evidence of pest activity and passed inspection, though inspectors noted the facility needs to provide proof of additional pest control service immediately.

SUZU SF also reopened despite finding live cockroaches and nymphs under the oven during their inspection. The restaurant was required to eliminate the pests, seal gaps with silicone caulking, and increase pest control visits to twice monthly. MAHALO! rounded out the week's reopenings, successfully addressing its previous violations.

Most Serious Violations

Beyond the cockroach infestation at Izumi Kaiten Sushi, inspectors uncovered alarming violations at multiple establishments. TWIN PEAKS PIZZA AND PASTA failed to provide hot water at the required 120°F temperature to facility sinks, a critical violation for proper sanitation. The restaurant also had expired food handler cards and an operator handling food without proper certification.

LAZY SUSAN presented multiple concerning issues including old mouse droppings found underneath wire racks and in storage areas. The restaurant also lacked cold water at the front hand sink and stored rice scoops in room temperature water, creating potential bacterial growth conditions. Inspectors required immediate cleaning and sanitization of all affected surfaces.

PARK GYM operated without a valid food manager safety certificate, marking a repeat violation. The facility also lacked paper towels at the kitchen handwash sink and had no sanitizer bucket available for cleaning food contact surfaces. These basic sanitation failures put customers at risk of foodborne illness.

EMPERO TASTE shocked inspectors when an employee attempted to wash their hands while wearing gloves at the handwash station. The inspector had to stop the employee and provide step-by-step instruction on proper handwashing procedures. The restaurant also stored raw protein above lettuce in the walk-in refrigerator, creating serious cross-contamination risks.

Temperature and Food Safety Failures

Temperature control violations posed significant health risks at several establishments this week. TILAK INDIAN CUISINE had to discard a container of cooked chicken curry that measured 46°F in the walk-in cooler. The employee stated it had been cooked the previous day at 2:30 pm, well beyond the safe holding time for potentially hazardous foods. The restaurant also showed heavy accumulation of food debris throughout walk-in shelving.

QUALITEA had mixing spoons stored inside the hand sink, while staff had only prepared sanitization solution after operating for 30 minutes. Proper sanitation solutions must be prepared before any food operation begins, with all food contact surfaces sanitized prior to food preparation.

BALBOA TERIYAKI operated without sanitizer buckets available and lacked consumer advisory warnings on their menu regarding raw or undercooked foods. The facility had no valid food safety manager certification on site during inspection.

Pest Control Issues Continue

Rodent activity remained a persistent problem across multiple establishments. NEW SAN WANG RESTAURANT received conditional pass status after inspectors found expired food manager safety certificates. TAQUERIA MANA INC showed improvement with newly placed sticky traps containing fewer dead and live cockroaches than previous inspections, though gaps around the kitchen door frame and loose wall panels still provide entry points for pests.

HEALTHY SPIRITS CORTLAND had old rodent droppings discovered on the floor in the back corner of the dry storage area and at the storage entrance. While cleaning was initiated during inspection, the presence of droppings indicates ongoing pest control challenges.

MOBY DICK BAR required immediate cleaning after rodent droppings were found in the dry storage room. The facility also had no sanitizer in the dish machine's final rinse cycle and organic growth visible in the ice machine panel. Staff addressed these violations during the inspection.

Equipment and Facility Maintenance

Critical equipment failures compromised food safety at multiple locations. STARBUCKS COFFEE had a dishwashing machine that wouldn't warm up during inspection and lacked test strips to monitor high-temperature dishwashing. The ice machine discharge pipe also lacked the required one-inch air gap to the floor drain, creating potential contamination risks.

WILLYS FOOD and DAY DARMET CATERING INC both received conditional passes for violations including improper food storage and inadequate pest control measures. HAMILTON SENIOR CENTER also failed to meet standards, receiving conditional status.

BARNEY'S GOURMET HAMBURGER had prohibited insecticide spray (Raid) stored on the bottom shelf with bottled beverages in the back storage room. The restaurant also showed significant grease accumulation underneath deep fryers and had a missing baffle in the ventilation hood.

Market and Grocery Store Violations

HIEP THANH MARKET and HARVEST URBAN MARKET both received conditional passes during inspections. BUS STOP GROCERY lacked manufacturer's information on prepackaged ice bags and had holes and gaps throughout the facility that could harbor vermin.

D&K GROCERY stored bags of herbs directly on the sales area floor, violating the requirement to keep all items at least six inches above ground level. EMPEROR PALACE RESTAURANT had numerous uncovered food containers in multiple refrigerators, increasing contamination risks.

HARD KNOX CAFE couldn't provide their food safety manager certificate for review and left wiping cloths on counters instead of storing them in sanitizer solution between uses.

Results by District

Pacific Heights led the city in conditional passes this week with 5 out of 7 inspected restaurants failing to meet standards. The affluent neighborhood's poor showing raises questions about enforcement and compliance in areas typically associated with high-end dining.

SOMA performed better with only 2 conditional passes among 7 inspections, while Castro had just 1 conditional pass out of 5 inspections. Tenderloin and Visitacion Valley each saw mixed results, with Tenderloin recording 1 conditional pass among 4 inspections and Visitacion Valley splitting evenly with 2 conditional passes and 2 regular passes.

Weekly Overview

This week's inspections covered 53 restaurants across San Francisco, with 20 receiving conditional passes - a failure rate of nearly 38%. While no establishments were forced to close, the high number of conditional passes and the severity of violations, particularly the pest infestations at sushi restaurants where food is served directly to customers, highlight ongoing challenges in maintaining food safety standards.

The discovery of live cockroaches on a sushi conveyor belt represents one of the most egregious violations in recent memory, as it directly exposes customers to contamination at the point of service. Combined with mouse droppings in the same area, the violation at Izumi Kaiten Sushi exemplifies the critical importance of rigorous pest control in food service establishments.

Five restaurants successfully reopened after addressing previous violations, demonstrating that compliance is achievable when establishments commit to proper procedures. However, the persistence of basic violations like missing food handler cards, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper food storage temperatures suggests many operators still lack fundamental food safety knowledge.

The prevalence of pest-related violations across multiple establishments indicates systemic challenges with San Francisco's aging restaurant infrastructure. Gaps in walls, missing floor tiles, and deteriorating seals provide entry points for rodents and insects that pose serious health risks to diners.

As the city heads into the busy holiday dining season, these inspection results serve as a stark reminder for both restaurant operators and customers about the importance of food safety vigilance. Restaurants must prioritize pest control, temperature monitoring, and basic sanitation practices, while diners should remain aware that even popular establishments can harbor serious health code violations.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health continues conducting regular inspections to protect public health. Restaurants receiving conditional passes must correct violations and schedule reinspections to maintain operating permits. Those failing to address violations face potential closure and fines.

*Staff Reporter at SF Restaurant Inspections*