Roach Infestation Closes 'Top' Main Line Chinese Restaurant

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Roaches-Yangming-322201112.html

Roach Infestation Closes 'Top' Main Line Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant cleans up days after infestation is discovered following complaint
By Dan Stamm
Updated 28 minutes ago

Roaches crawling on equipment and onto patrons' plates caused the closure of a Main Line eatery, once named the top Chinese restaurant in the country.

Radnor Township health and building officials closed Yangming, at County Line and Conestoga roads in Bryn Mawr, on Tuesday. The closure came after the restaurant called police over a customer dispute stemming from a teenage girl twice being served a roach, said police.

A teenager had found a roach in her noodles and complained on Friday, said Radnor Police. When the waiter brought a new set of noodles, it also contained a roach -- discovered while the girl ate the dish -- causing the parents to demand that the manager give them a gift certificate. The dispute escalated after the family found the compensation to be insufficient, said police.

When officers arrived around 4 p.m., "there were roaches that were in plain sight" in the kitchen, said Radnor police Lt. Andy Block.

Local health officials then shut down the restaurant until it was disinfected, said Block.

"We had a situation where the kitchen was unsanitary due to some infestation of insects," said township health officer Larry Taltoan. "I did see some insects in the food facility and in some places there shouldn't be any."

The restaurant said the closure lasted only an hour -- health inspectors claimed the closure lasted a few hours -- and that they cleaned up the insects before reopening for the weekend.

On Tuesday, inspectors closed down Yangming -- a health citation placed in the front window listed "Gross Facility & Equipment Sanitation" and "Insect/Rodent Infestation" as reasons for the closure.

A handmade sign placed below the bright orange violation stated, "Closed on Tue. 8/18/15 for Renovation."

The restaurant updated its out-of-date HVAC and exhaust systems and also made improvements to meet fire regulations, said the restaurant. They also removed and cleaned equipment.

The eatery, popular among Main Liners and area college students has a history of praise. In 2011, Yangming beat out about 45,000 other eateries to top Chinese Restaurant News’ “Best Chinese Restaurant” list.

Yangming planned to reopen for business on Wednesday but it could take longer. Taltoan said the restaurant must first pass a detailed inspection to make sure its in compliance with the state health code before it could serve food again.

Police didn't expect to file any criminal charges.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Yangming-Roaches-Citations-323271301.html

Officials on Main Line Cite Yangming, Once Named Best Chinese Restaurant in Country, for Roach Infestation
By Dan Stamm
Updated at 7:13 PM EDT on Friday, Aug 28, 2015

Police said that a popular Main Line Chinese restaurant, once named the nation's best, closed after an infestation of roaches has made improvements and could open as early as next week.

But, that didn't stop Radnor Township from citing Yangming for a trio of charges including failure to control insects or rodents, improper food storage and keeping food in unsanitary conditions, said Radnor Township Police Superintendent Bill Colarulo.

Radnor Township health officials closed Yangming indefinitely on Aug. 18 and posted a health citation in the front window that listed "Gross Facility & Equipment Sanitation" and "Insect/Rodent Infestation" as reasons for the closure.

The next day, police could be seen pulling roaches from the restaurant, which was originally closed down briefly on Aug. 14 after a teenage customer twice found a roach in her food.

When officers arrived, "there were roaches that were in plain sight" in the kitchen, said Radnor Police Lt. Andy Block.

"What we found today was deplorable, so imagine what it looked like five days ago when it's still deplorable -- we're pulling out roaches and expired food," said Radnor Police Chief William Colarulo last Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the restaurant told NBC10 that they were still working to get the restaurant reopen. The restaurant said they already made tens of thousands of dollars of repairs to their out-of-date HVAC and exhaust systems, to the electrical and plumbing systems, to remove and clean equipment and also made improvements to meet fire regulations.

Colarulo said Friday that the restaurant has made improvements to its nearly 100-year-old building and that a more thorough inspection revealed the building violations weren't as serious as first thought.

He said Yangming could reopen next week.

Earlier this week, Yangming apologized for the infestation and said it hoped to regain the trust of its patrons.

The eatery, popular among Main Liners and area college students, has a history of praise. In 2011, Yangming beat out about 45,000 other eateries to top Chinese Restaurant News’ “Best Chinese Restaurant” list.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...ealth-Board-Inspection-Changes-329233111.html

Yangming Closure Prompts Local Board of Health to Mull Restaurant Inspection Changes
By Alison Burdo | Philadelphia Business Journal
Published 4 hours ago

Cockroaches on a customer's plate led health officials in a Main Line township to shut down the popular Chinese restaurant, Yangming. A month later, the eatery remains closed and Radnor's Board of Health is calling for changes to the restaurant inspection process.

Township officials said staffing is a challenge as its location in Delaware County, which differs from Montgomery and Chester counties that have county health departments while Delco does not, according to MainLineMediaNews.com.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Yangming-Roaches-Reopening-Bryn-Mawr-334526151.html

Main Line's Yangming, Once Named Best Chinese Restaurant in Country, Reopens, Looks to Regain Patrons After Roach Infestation
By Dan Stamm
Published 2 hours ago

Two months after a roach infestation closed a popular Main Line Chinese restaurant, the restaurant will reopen its doors as it looks to gain back the public's trust in a renovated environment.

Yangming will show off its renovated space Tuesday morning ahead of serving lunch and dinner again starting Wednesday.

Radnor Township health officials closed Yangming indefinitely in August and posted a health citation in the front window that listed "Gross Facility & Equipment Sanitation" and "Insect/Rodent Infestation" as reasons for the closure.

The next day, police could be seen pulling roaches from the restaurant, which was originally closed down briefly on Aug. 14 after a teenage customer twice found a roach in her food.

When officers arrived, "there were roaches that were in plain sight" in the kitchen, said Radnor Police Lt. Andy Block.

The eatery, popular among Main Liners and area college students, has a history of praise. In 2011, Yangming beat out about 45,000 other eateries to top Chinese Restaurant News’ “Best Chinese Restaurant” list.

Since the closure, Yangming has undergone extensive renovations including updating and cleaning kitchen equipment, food storage areas and refrigerators, said a news release from the eatery. Diners will also see new flooring, furniture and interior fixtures. the restaurant said it also updated its exterior and landscaping.

It's a far cry from the unsanitary conditions that caused the closure.

"What we found today was deplorable, so imagine what it looked like five days ago when it's still deplorable -- we're pulling out roaches and expired food," said Radnor Police Chief William Colarulo said after the closure.

The restaurant said they already made tens of thousands of dollars of repairs to their out-of-date HVAC and exhaust systems, to the electrical and plumbing systems, to remove and clean equipment and also made improvements to meet fire regulations.

No criminal charges were filed in the case and Yangming apologized for the conditions.

The eatery has passed health inspections and will again open for lunch and dinner starting Wednesday.