Restaurant Inspections: King's Buffet and Noodles & Company

From Oct. 24 to Nov. 2, quite a few restaurants in the Kingstowne area were inspected. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy to see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Noodles & Company
5900 Kingstowne Towne Ctr
Date of inspection: Oct. 31
No violations were found during the inspection.

Uno Chicago Bar & Grill
5935 Kingstowne Towne Ctr
Date of inspection: Oct. 31
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.

East Moon Asian Bistro
5920 Kingstowne Towne Center
Date of inspection: Oct. 26
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed food employees using improper handwashing procedures. Employee washed hands with glove on.
Critical: Fish offered for service or sale in the ready-to-eat form was not frozen to ensure parasite destruction.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that hand soap was not provided at each handwashing sink.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the handsink at the sushi prep table being used as dumping station and to hold a container of asparagus.
Non-critical: Single-use gloves saved for reuse by food employees.

King’s Buffet
5890 Kingstowne Ctr.
Date of inspection: Oct. 26
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service.
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the 3-vat sink with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Equipment food-contact surfaces/utensils were not observed cleaned after possible contamination.
Non-critical: Surfaces of ice bins, beverage dispensing nozzles, and enclosed components of equipment are not being cleaned as required. Inside ice bin observed with mold.