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The Maui News
Kihei Bale Sandwich & Vietnamese Food was allowed to reopen Tuesday following the discovery of a roach infestation in the kitchen Friday by health officials.
The restaurant at 225 Piikea Ave., Suite 95, shut down Friday after receiving a red placard, the Department of Health Food Safety Branch reported Tuesday. The Health Department received a complaint from a customer who reported finding a roach in crispy noodles purchased at the restaurant. A health inspector found 40 to 50 live roaches in the kitchen, including on disposable pans, food packages, prep chill units and cabinets. A small roach was also observed on vegetables in the prep chill unit.
The restaurant was ordered to provide records of pest control treatments and significantly reduce or eliminate roach presence in the kitchen for the restaurant to be allowed to reopen, the Health Department said. Additionally, areas of the kitchen needed to be cleaned of food debris and grease, which serve as a source of food for roaches.
An inspection of the restaurant Tuesday morning found the restaurant had "significantly reduced roach presence" and "reduced and eliminated food debris and grease in kitchen area in order to eliminate food source for roaches."
Pest control treatment was done on Monday, and three to four roaches were found in the kitchen area behind the grill and one was found in the front service cabinets, but they "seem to have been in the process of dying from pest treatments," the Health Department said.
"Due to significant cleaning and reduction of roaches," the violation "has been reduced to noncritical," the department said.
The restaurant was cleared for reopening Tuesday, receiving its green placard again, and recommended to continue preventative pest control measures, the department said. Another follow-up inspection was scheduled for Nov. 23.
A call to the restaurant by The Maui News on Tuesday afternoon was not picked up. The department said the restaurant, owned by SW Hotu 2 and 7 Comby LLC, indicated it planned to reopen today.
For more information on the department's restaurant placarding program, go to http://health.hawaii.gov/san/. To review inspection reports, go to https://hi.healthinspections.us/hawaii/.