Two days after it was ordered closed due to several sanitation violations, Golden Chopsticks Buffet, the less-than-one-year-old Chinese restaurant on Palm Coast’s Cypress Edge Drive, was bustling with business again today at lunch, its neon “open” sign burning red.
The business, operated by Jingming Zhang, according to the state Division of Corporations, was ordered temporarily closed following an inspection on Monday (May 19) by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, which inspects restaurants, hotels and motels. The inspection had found five high-priority violations and three lesser violations.
Among the high priority violations: Live, “small flying insects” were observed in buffet areas and in the food and chemical storage room. Raw sewage was found on the ground of the establishment (though what the inspection termed “raw sewage” appeared to be wastewater overflowing a floor drain under a triple sink), and rodent activity was present “as evidenced by rodent droppings found under a preparation table and behind a deep freezer. Rodent droppings were also found under a hand washing station next to the dessert buffet, and 36 droppings were observed in a cabinet under the fruit buffet.
Sanitizing equipment was found to be malfunctioning, and food-contact surfaces were not sanitized, according to the inspection report. “Observed employee washing dishes at triple sink and then placing dishes in plain water and then placing wet dishes on drying rack without sanitizing dishes,” the report states. “Person in charge stated all dishes are suppose to be ran through high temp dish machine before drying.”
Lesser violations included such issues as standing water and the plumbing system in disrepair.
A DBPR inspector conducted a follow-up inspection on Tuesday. The inspection found the number of flying insects sharply diminished but persisting in some areas. An employee sought to kill a few in front of the inspector. But the drainage was working properly and the rodent droppings had been cleaned up, with no additional droppings found. But as of May 20, DBPR was indicating that the restaurant was still “temporarily closed.”
Golden Chopsticks Buffet, a sprawling buffet-style restaurant with several buffet areas–including sushi, hibachi, salads, fried donuts, clams, mussels, french fries and desserts–opened last summer at 225 Cypress Edge Drive, an 11,100 square-ft. Space that was a former Golden Corral.
Golden Chopsticks passed its first inspection last Aug. 8, but a Sept. 24 inspection found 18 violations, eight of them high priority. “Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public,” DBPR reported at the time. A follow-up inspection found just three violations, and by November the restaurant was meeting inspection standards.
jim says
i went to Lowe’s yesterday and as i was leaving i noticed a white van blocking the entrance to GC w/ THREE signs taped to the windows stating “CLOSED NO GAS”. They should be further penalized for lying to the public
Dennis C Rathsam says
BRING BACK THE GOLDEN CORRAL!!!!
Susan Schonfeld says
But was it inspected again before they allowed a reopening?
Jason says
The original restaurant, Golden Coral, had the same violations back in 2021 before permanently closing. That building must have systematic issues and/or a magnet for owners and employees that have no concern for public health.
Veronica says
Sad to see this. Love this place! The food has always been good, and the place has always looked clean. Seems every time we get a Chinese Buffet in this town, they start out great, and then go downhill. I was hopeful this place would be different. Very concerned about the lack of concern they have for cleaning the place up and staying to code based on the repeated offenses. Guess it’s time to look for another place to eat. :-(
t.o. Doug says
If you believe they fixed all of those problems in 2 days, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
Joseph says
Sure won’t ever eat there. They need to expect more restaurants in Palm Coast.
Bill Hanagan, MD says
@ DCR – make palm coast slop troughs great again
Jay Tomm says
I ate there once back in October. The 4 of us that went were sick that night & morning. NEVER AGAIN!
PDE says
I’ve eaten there about 10 times, since it opened last August.
Never gotten sick, and I think the food’s great – lots of sushi choices, good buffet and cooked to order hibachi.
In fact, I just ate there last Tuesday, the day before the shutdown, and I’m glad it’s there.
There used to be another Chinese buffet on Old Kings Road North, but it shut down and was replaced by a Mexican place.
IMO Golden Chopsticks is much better than the other Chinese buffet place.
PeachesMcGee says
Darn, tabby was just coming in season too.
Pig Farmer says
PDE, you are in luck! Next week they will be serving rat turd soup!
Laurel says
pass…
No political affiliation says
I used to do pest control, I wouldn’t eat at any restaurant that closed down like this. Rats piss and shit on EVERYTHING. Finding 36 rat droppings is a a huge amount in a restaurant. I’ve been to houses with rodent infestations that only have a few visible droppings. 36 visible droppings means there’s more that didn’t get found and people ignored it for a while and did nothing. Any real manager who cared about their restaurant would have called pest control on day one and had someone there the same day. Before the department health inspections.
Rodent and roaches can happen at ANY restaurant, it’s very common for them to travel in deliveries and they are attracted from outside as well. I’ve done pest control at other restaurants here in Palm Coast for infestations and I’d absolutely eat at them after it gets corrected….but finding huge amounts of rat droppings, that’s just ignoring problems for a extended periods of time.
I LOVE CHINESE BUFFETS, I’m so sad this is the only one in palm coast now, cause I won’t eat there.
roy dobbins says
LOWER THE PRICE, HAVE SPECIALS DON’T TRY TO MAKE A KILLING TILL YOU ARE ESTABLISHED, TAKE THE RISK OR FOL. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SAVE THE AMERICAN WAY MOVE FWD