CHINA BUFFET
East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, Florida, 33612
Hillsborough County County
Overall Food Safety Rating
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5)
Based on 2 health inspection reports
All Inspection Reports
Inspection on 2/21/2025
High Priority
10
Intermediate
4
Basic
16
Total
31
Disposition: Follow-up Inspection Required
Inspection Details:
- 25-24-5:Basic - Aluminum foil/plastic wrap/parchment paper/deli tissues not handled in a sanitary manner. In prep area, employee dropped part of plastic wrap holder on floor and picked up and put back in box with plastic wrap.
- 12B-07-4:Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Multiple employee drinks throughout kitchen on prep tables and food preparation areas. Manager started to get rid of employee cups. **Corrective Action Taken**
- 14-11-5:Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Reach in freezer in sushi station lid held together with duct tape.
- 36-17-5:Basic - Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. Floor tile by dish areas broken. Floor tiles in front of walk-in freezer in disrepair.
- 36-73-4:Basic - Floor, walls and/or ceilings soiled/has accumulation of debris. Multiple spots on floor including under cook line soiled.
- 08B-38-4:Basic - Food stored on floor. In walk-in freezer multiple boxes of food. **Repeat Violation**
- 14-69-4:Basic - Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. In reach in freezers in kitchen ice build up present.
- 10-02-4:Basic - In-use utensil not stored on a clean portion of food preparation or cooking equipment. In kitchen, it up raw chicken in big metal bowl stored on trash can before placing in walk-in cooler. Also, scoops for flours/rices stored on dirty dry storage shelves.
- 10-06-5:Basic - In-use utensil not stored with handle above the top of time/temperature control for safety food and rim of the container. On buffet, tong handle in cut lettuce. Manager removed handle from product. **Corrected On-Site**
- 10-07-4:Basic - In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. At buffet line rice scooper stored in container with standing water temped at 74F. Manager discarded water. **Corrected On-Site**
- 23-03-4:Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Multiple gaskets through kitchen soiled. Hood filters above cook line have a build up of grease. In server station both drink machines, around soda nozzles of a build up of mold-like substance. Multiple shelves through out kitchen soiled. **Repeat Violation**
- 33-16-4:Basic - Open dumpster lid. Employee closed dumpster lid. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
- 35B-03-4:Basic - Outer openings not protected with self-closing doors. In kitchen area, both back doors not self closing. **Repeat Violation**
- 21-44-1:Basic - Sanitizer bucket stored with food, equipment, utensils, linens, single-service, or single-use articles. At sushi station sanitizer bucket stored on floor. Employee moved. **Corrected On-Site**
- 08B-17-4:Basic - Unwashed fruits/vegetables stored with ready-to-eat food. In walk-in cooler, unwashed tomatoes over ready to eat sauces. Employee started to move around. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation**
- 14-06-4:Basic - Wood food-contact surface not properly sealed. Wood plank used as self under dish machine not sealed.
- 03D-01-5:High Priority - Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours. Large deep pans on speed rack in kitchen Cooked chicken not to 70 degrees in first 2 hours. 109F after 1 hour, 80F after 2.5 hours.
- 01B-36-5:High Priority - Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours and from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within six hours. See stop sale. Large deep pans on speed rack in kitchen Cooked chicken not to 70 degrees in first 2 hours. 109F after 1 hour, 80F after 2.5 hours.
- 01B-01-4:High Priority - Dented/rusted cans present. See stop sale. 3 cans of soy sauce dented.
- 08B-02-4:High Priority - Displayed food not properly protected from contamination. Multiple sauces in pans not covered by sneeze guard at buffet. Manager move pans to be covered by sneeze guard. On buffet, pan of bacon bits not covered. Manager moved. On Buffet, plastic container of scallions not covered. Manager moved. **Corrected On-Site**
- 12A-29-4:High Priority - Employee touched soiled surface and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. In prep area, employee dropped part of plastic wrap holder on floor and picked up and put back in box with plastic wrap. Employee continued to handled clean equipment/ utensils without washing hands. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
- 08A-05-6:High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. In reach in cooler on cook line, tub of raw chicken over bottled chickens and cooked chicken. Employee moved tub of raw chicken to bottom shelf with the then raw chicken. On hibachi station reach in cooler, pan of raw shrimp over top of cut melon. Manager moved shrimp to bottom shelf. On sushi station reach in cooler raw fish eggs over top of cooked shrimp. Employee moved fish eggs to bottom shelf. **Corrected On-Site**
- 08A-17-6:High Priority - Raw animal foods not properly separated from one another based upon minimum required cooking temperature when stored in a freezer - not all products commercially packaged. In walk-in freezer, open raw chicken stored above open raw beef on speed rack. Employee switched trays around to correct it. **Corrected On-Site**
- 03A-02-5:High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In kitchen on prep table raw chicken (50F - Cold Holding). Chicken sat on prep table in big metal bowl for at least 1 hour, with no preparation being done to it. Employee put back into walk in cooler. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
- 41-10-4:High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. On dry storage shelf in kitchen soap stored next to food products.
- 41-27-4:High Priority - Wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeds the maximum concentration allowed. Sanitizer bucket at sushi station chlorine 200 ppm. Employee discarded sanitizer and remade. **Corrective Action Taken**
- 11-27-4:Intermediate - Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment. Operator was unable to locate. Emailed establishment copy of Clean-Up of Vomiting and Diarrheal Events **Corrective Action Taken**
- 03D-15-4:Intermediate - Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. Noodles in large covered plastic tub in wall in cooler. noodles (65F - Cooling @ 30 mins, 57F @ 2 hour)
- 03F-10-5:Intermediate - No written procedures available for use of time as a public health control to hold time/temperature control for safety food. Establishment not tracking time according to written plans. Manager changed written plan. **Corrected On-Site**
- 08B-07-4:Intermediate - Serving utensil not provided for each food item at self-service salad bar/buffet. Multiple items missing tongs at buffet. Manager got new tongs for each item. **Corrected On-Site**
- 45-02-4:Portable fire extinguisher gauge in red zone. For reporting purposes only. In server station under counter, fire extinguisher gauge in red zone.
Food safety inspection conducted on 2/21/2025 revealed 31 total violations (10 high priority, 4 intermediate, 16 basic).
Inspection on 8/20/2024
High Priority
6
Intermediate
3
Basic
11
Total
20
Disposition: Follow-up Inspection Required
Inspection Details:
- 14-01-5:Basic - Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. In stored flour container by back door, to go bowl used as scooper. Manager removed. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
- 36-36-4:Basic - Ceiling tile missing. Above walk in cooler and walk in freezer in kitchen, three ceiling tiles missing.
- 12B-12-5:Basic - Employee drinking from an unenclosed beverage container in a food preparation/clean dishware area and the container does not have a dispensing mechanism to prevent hand contact with lip contact area of drink container. Above flip top cooler on make line, employee drink with no lid. Manager moved. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
- 14-11-5:Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Door of walk in cooler is damaged with metal around frame bent, showing sharp edges. White chest reach in freezer broken, door hanging at an angle. **Repeat Violation**
- 08B-36-4:Basic - Food stored in a location that is exposed to splash/dust. Next to hand wash station in kitchen by standing reach in cooler, crunchy salad and soup topping exposed to splash. Manager moved toppings away from splash area.
- 08B-38-4:Basic - Food stored on floor. On ground in kitchen next to fryers, case of cooking oil. Manager removed from ground. **Corrected On-Site**
- 23-03-4:Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Hood filters have build up of grease. **Repeat Violation**
- 33-16-4:Basic - Open dumpster lid. Dumpster lid open. Employee closed lid. **Corrected On-Site**
- 35B-03-4:Basic - Outer openings not protected with self-closing doors. Back door not self closing, held open with string that is tied to outside wall.
- 08B-17-4:Basic - Unwashed fruits/vegetables stored with ready-to-eat food. In walk in cooler, washed and portioned vegetables stored under unwashed produce. Manager moved to correct storage levels. **Corrected On-Site**
- 29-11-4:Basic - Water leaking from pipe and/or faucet/handle. At hand wash station in kitchen adjacent to walk in cooler, faucet leaking when turned off.
- 35A-02-6:High Priority - Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Observed two flying insects in kitchen area.
- 08A-05-6:High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. In walk in cooler, raw chicken stored over ready to eat Krab sticks. Manager moved to correct storage levels. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
- 12A-02-4:High Priority - Server handled soiled dishes or utensils and then picked up plated food, served food, or prepared a beverage without washing hands. When entering the kitchen, observed employee drop tongs, then immediately proceeded to put tongs back on food without washing hands or washing utensils. Manager coached employee on proper hand washing. Food the tongs touched was voluntarily discarded.
- 01B-13-4:High Priority - Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. When entering the kitchen, observed employee drop tongs, then immediately proceeded to put tongs back on food without washing hands or washing utensils. Manager coached employee on proper hand washing. Food the tongs touched was voluntarily discarded. Observed fly land on tray of crab Rangoon that was being prepped in kitchen. Operator voluntarily discarded tray of crab Rangoon.
- 03A-02-5:High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. At standing reach in cooler in kitchen, salad mix (47F - Cold Holding). Manager stated door was open and closed constantly during lunch rush.
- 03F-02-5:High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking. Sushi rice is kept on time but has no time marking. Manager added time marking.
- 02C-03-5:Intermediate - Commercially processed ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food opened and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked after opening. Milk in walk in cooler opened two days prior, per manager was not dated. Manager added date. **Corrected On-Site**
- 31A-11-4:Intermediate - Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Hand wash station in kitchen by standing reach in cooler, dirty dish and dirty rag in sink. Manager removed both. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
- 31B-02-4:Intermediate - No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. At hand wash station on server station, no paper towels. Manager supplied. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
Food safety inspection conducted on 8/20/2024 revealed 20 total violations (6 high priority, 3 intermediate, 11 basic).