What happens in Tennessee: Restaurant passes health inspection despite animal carcasses

A Chinese restaurant will remain open and even passed its health inspection, despite four critical health code violations and animal carcasses hanging behind the establishment. The Shelby County health department issued Rice Bowl Chinese Restaurant, 2705 Getwell Rd., a passing score of 70 — one point shy of failure — two days after a carcassescomplaint by The Action News 5 Investigators initiated an inspection of the property Monday. We requested the inspection after a viewer’s tip led us to find a score of animal carcasses hanging like laundry behind the restaurant. Wednesday, Elizabeth Hart, the health department’s public information officer, released the restaurant’s inspection report. It cited Rice Bowl with four critical health code violations: “dead carcasses at rear of restaurant” “pots & pans…reused, not sanitized” “mop sink stopped up with waste water” “employee washing hands (in dishwashing sink)” But those critical violations, in addition to nine non-critical violations, amounted to a 30-point deduction: a 70. Not enough points to issue the restaurant a failing score. “(The carcasses violation) is part of a follow-up inspection that will come in the next ten days,” said Hart. The Rice Bowl’s owner, identified in the report as Mi Land Lam, told The Action News 5 Investigators Monday the carcasses were duck. She said she was drying them for her own consumption. “Oh, no! For me! No customers of mine. Only for me!” she exclaimed.

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