Sam Woo restauraunts...now grade C...?

Question

I used to go to a Sam Woo restauraunt in City of Industry, and I would see people eating behind the counter.

When I expressed to the manager that's not what we do in America, the response was muffled-psuedo english.

People who cannot conform to the health standards established by Ca, or the US federal govt do not deserve to be in business, and that's why with a "C" grade from the Los Angeles Health Board this may be a place to avoid.

Answer 1

I deal in foodborne illnesses here in LA. I don't do the inspections, but i handle other parts of investigations. The entire Sam Woo chain consistently violates health codes and fills my inbox with complaints. They argue that they abide by food preparation practices that are culturally exclusive and should be exempt from a lot of our safety regulations. But last I checked, being filthy wasn't good in any culture.

Sam Woo commits a slew of major violations on a regular basis. Their equipment is always disgusting. They store food near garbage. God help 'em if they bother washing their hand or wearing gloves. And the food on display is usually kept at temperatures that would allow bacterial to flourish.

So yes, avoid ALL Sam Woo restaurants. They're just not up to code, but barely scraping by well enough that we can't technically shut them down on the spot. I can tell you NOBODY I work with willingly eats at Sam Woo.