Department of Health closes Kailua-Kona restaurant with multiple food safety violations

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health immediately shut down Jade Palace 2, located at 75-5595 Palani Road in Kailua-Kona, due to multiple critical food safety violations.

The food establishment, operated by Minh Tuan Tran, received the red “closed” placard on Feb. 19 and must remain closed until the Department of Health conducts a follow-up inspection and all critical violations are resolved.

During a routine inspection, the Department of Health inspector observed the following violations:

• An abundant amount of live and dead cockroaches throughout the facility, including in food and on food-contact surfaces.
• Food was not stored to prevent contamination.
• Ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator were not properly date marked.
• Premises were not maintained free of insects, rodents, and other pests.
• Mechanical dishwasher was not dispensing the proper concentration of sanitizer.
• Hand-washing sinks were not equipped with soap and were used for other purposes.
• Physical facilities were not maintained and cleaned.

The Department of Health is requiring the food establishment to take the following corrective actions:

• Discard all contaminated food products.
• Increase professional pest control operator services and submit the service report to the Department of Health.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect all food and non-food contact surfaces.
• Remove unnecessary equipment and supplies to prevent harborage sites.
• Retrain employees on proper food organization and date marking.
• Have the mechanical dishwasher repaired.

The Department of Health Food Safety Branch protects and promotes the health of Hawaiʻi residents and visitors through education of food industry workers and regulation of food establishments statewide.

The branch conducts routine health inspections of food establishments where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed, or sold.

For more information on the department’s placarding program, visit the Food Safety Branch website. For updates on food establishment inspections, visit the Food Safety Branch Inspections Site.