Congratulations, Chin Chin!

...according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDHMH), you are the least health code-compliant restaurant in all of Manhattan. NYCDHMH performs inspections on NYC restaurants, awarding points for an array of health code violations; the fewer points you earn, the more compliant your restaurant. If you earn 28 points, they will come back and inspect you for compliance. If, like Chin Chin, you earn 136 points, they shut your sorry ass down.

A summary of Chin Chin's violations:

1.) "Choking first aid" poster not posted."Alcohol and Pregnancy" Warning sign not posted. "Wash hands" sign not posted at hand wash facility. Resuscitation equipment: exhaled air resuscitation masks(adult & pediatric), latex gloves, sign not posted. Inspection report sign not posted.

2.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.

3.) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

4.) Milk or milk product undated, improperly dated or expired.

5.) Garbage receptacles not provided or inadequate. Garbage storage area not properly constructed or maintained; grinder or compactor dirty.

6.) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to vermin exist.

7.) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

8.) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

9.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

10.) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

11.) Other live animal present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

12.) Evidence of roaches or live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

13.) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.

14.) Food item spoiled, adulterated, contaminated or cross-contaminated.

15.) Cold food held above 41°F (smoked fish above 38°F) except during necessary preparation.

16.) Hot food not held at or above 140°F.

Whoa there, Chef de Cuisine Chin Hing Kuen, sounds like it's time to tighten!

A couple other establishments that you might want to avoide include:

1. Saldi Pizza at 93-12 Liberty Avenue, Queens, with 130 points.
2. Cafe 21 at 668 6th Avenue, Manhattan, with 128 points.
3. Caffe Torino, 139 West 10th Street, Manhattan, with 122 points.

And in case you were wondering, a few of our favorite TUR haunts made it out alive (if barely):

Corner Bistro, 19 points

Koronet Pizza, 10 points

Grand Sichuan (St. Mark's), 10 points

San Loco (2nd Ave), 18 poins

Lion's Head Tavern, 26 points

Not so lucky was the Baggot Inn, with a revolting 44 points.

Bluegrass tonight, anyone?

Corner Bistro, a haven of tightness except for this

Ah, the anticipation of the Bistro Burger.  You try not to think too much about it from the time you place your order to the time you see your waiter come back with your eight ounces of heaven.  Then your mouth starts to water as the moment has arrived... only to find a latex glove in the burger?  Unacceptable.  The situation is only made worse by the fact that you now have to wait for a replacement while thinking about how weird and disgusting this is (presumably a bare hand that was previously sweating profusely inside the glove has touched your burger) but also that it is seemingly impossible to misplace a latex glove.  Why was it taken off?  Why was it so easily forgotten?  How did they manage to turn what should be a symbol of cleanliness into this?  Why do I have so much time to think about this before the next burger arrives?  When can we go back?