LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Acid reflux medication added into raw dough to help it rise.
Adding insult to possible injury, the medication had expired in 2015.
Perhaps it stands to reason that no one at Delhi Indian Cuisine would talk about that.
Darcy Spears: "We'd like to speak to whoever is in charge right now and make sure we get your side of the story."
Hostess: "They let me know to tell you that they are not allowed to talk to you. They just don't want to talk to you."
A whole lot was wrong at the restaurant on Maryland and Flamingo when it was shut down Dec. 12 with 47 demerits.
That's when inspectors discovered a product in their kitchen called Eno Fruit Salts.
The person in charge told inspectors they add it to dough as a leavening agent, but it's manufactured in India by Southern Drugs and Pharmaceuticals for GlaxoSmithKline. And the label identifies it as a medicine intended only for treatment of acid reflux.
The Health District quarantined the bottles and the restaurant threw out all dough containing the drug.
Speaking of drugs, there was an open box of nicotine supplements stored with containers of food.
And if drugs in dough isn't enough, they were also lining dough molds with stained cloth towels that were dirty with old food.
The dough roller was filthy too.
And inspectors found a used Band-Aid wrapper inside the dough machine. The used bandage itself had fallen off in the handsink.
Other violations at Delhi Indian Cuisine included stained cutting boards, part of a cut onion on a dirty shelf leaning against a screwdriver and a pan of green bean mixture in the fridge dating back to Nov. 25.
Shelving, doors, handles, covers and panels were all dirty. So were the food processor, blender, can opener and knives that were all in clean storage until inspectors discovered them and wrote up a repeat violation for storing dirty utensils as clean.
Other food violations included homemade yogurt and cooked chicken that had to be thrown out due to unsafe temperatures and multiple pans of uncovered food in the fridge that were subject to potential contamination.
An insect zapper was mounted over containers of food and an employee's keys were on the hot line.
There were also holes in doors, walls and ceilings providing entry points for pests.
Despite all that, Delhi Indian Cuisine was back to a zero-demerit A grade the next day -- Dec. 13.
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Rats, mice and the droppings they leave behind caused imminent health hazard closures at three restaurants in the Eastern Indoor Swap Meet on Eastern and Owens.
On Dec. 20, inspectors discovered the rodent infestation at Sonia's Mexican and Japanese Cuisine, Una Flor en Michoacan and Mariscocos Arreola.
There were rodent droppings on kitchenware and food shelves.
At Una Flor, there was a dead rat in a bucket behind the drink cooler.
And at Mariscocos Arreola, inspectors found a rodent nest in a box with cash register paper rolls.
All three eateries have reopened.
Sonia's was approved to reopen on Dec. 23. The person in charge there told us they worked quickly to clean and fix everything.
Una Flor en Michoacan reopened with an 8-demerit A on Dec. 30. We were unable to reach anyone for comment.
Mariscocos Arreola was last to reopen. It got an 8-demerit A grade on Jan. 3. We left a message with the person in charge at their other location but our call was not returned.
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The most recent batch of inspections has the Dirty Fork on Durango and Twain with the highest demerits.
It got a 31-demerit C grade on Dec. 26.
Violations included raw steak that was nearly three weeks old, had turned brown and was in brown liquid.
There were two containers of expired Turkish sausage.
Many foods in the make table cooler on the cook line were in the temperature danger zone including cut tomatoes, ham lunch meat, lox, pico de gallo, raw shrimp, sausage and vegetables and raw marinated shrimp. All of it had to be thrown out.
They also had to throw away spam, macaroni salad and rice due to unsafe temperatures.
They racked up more demerits for an employee drink on a cutting board, dirty floors and a freezer in severe disrepair.
The owner said he's calling the Health District on Jan. 8 to schedule reinspection.
He says Dirty Fork is all cleaned up and ready and that he fired staff on duty on inspection day and hired new people, but he added that this is the first time he's ever had a C grade. He thinks the inspector was unfair and too harsh and that his restaurant didn't deserve a C.
He also says he learns a lot from Dirty Dining.
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Mr. Soon Tofu on Spring Mountain and Arville was shut down Dec. 20 for failing reinspection from a previous C grade due to an imminent health hazard -- no hot water.
Inspectors also noted a history of non-compliance and lack of active managerial control.
The restaurant reopened later that same day with a zero-demerit A grade.
Our call for comment was not returned.
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Taqueria El Buen Pastor is a multiple Dirty Dining repeat offender at all of its Las Vegas locations.
No restaurant name has appeared on our show more often.
The one on Bonanza and Las Vegas Boulevard was shut down Dec. 12.
There was no hot water, which is an imminent health hazard.
Food was at unsafe temperatures including cooked beef that no one knew how long it had been left out at room temperature.
There was also a pigeon inside the facility next to the grill.
Health inspectors noted back-to-back inspection failures which means the facility must enter the Health District's administrative process.
On Dec. 13, health inspectors discovered them preparing food, even though they were still shut down and had not been reinspected or approved to reopen. Food was out of temperature, surfaces were dirty and there were many repeat violations.
Taqueria El Buen Pastor was back to a zero-demerit A grade on Dec. 16.
Our message requesting comment was not returned.
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Repeat offender Kyara on Jones and Sunset got a 36-demerit C grade on Dec. 17.
A food handler was handling fish for sushi with bare hands.
There was expired cooked octopus (12 days old) and tuna (two weeks old).
The ladle hanging behind the range was resting against a soiled surface.
The dish machine was not dispensing sanitizer and dish racks were dirty and moldy. There was also mold in the ice machine chute.
Clean dishes were stored on dirty shelves. Cooking equipment, walls, ceilings and floors were dirty. There was rust in the ice cream freezer. And the sushi case was held together with tape.
Due to C downgrades on the previous two routine inspections, the Health District required Kyara to complete training office intervention.
They reopened Jan. 3 with a zero-demerit A grade.
Our message for comment was not returned.
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Solo Qui in the Fashion Show Mall got a 36-demerit C grade on Dec. 19.
Violations included cheese that was two weeks expired. The owner says it was delivered that way and the manufacturer was supposed to replace it.
There was also two-week-old minestrone soup, which the owner says someone probably just forgot to throw away.
Pasta and pesto sauce were found to be at unsafe temperatures and there was no person in charge knowledgeable in food safety.
It was back to a zero-demerit A grade on Dec. 26.
But the owner was extremely unhappy with the inspector and thought the inspection process was "ridiculous, focusing on lots of really small things." She said her restaurant is always clean and her kitchen doors are always open to any customer who wants to take a tour.
She was frustrated that her chef was made to throw away fresh pasta and said she disagrees with the health code's rapid cooling parameters. She doesn't believe the inspector's thermometer was properly working and claims it wasn't calibrated and tested before being used during the inspection. She also says the inspector failed to show her badge.
She called the inspection "robbery," adding, "We don't run a piggery, which is what a C grade would indicate." She says everything is made fresh and she's "disgusted" with getting demerits they don't deserve.
She called the health code "crazy" and said "It takes away the joy of running a business."
She believes inspectors have too much power and thinks it should be a requirement that every inspector have experience working in a kitchen before they are allowed to work for the Health District.
Click here to see the health report for Delhi Indian Cuisine.
Click here to see the health report for Taqueria El Buen Pastor.
Click here to see the health report for Taqueria El Buen Pastor's second inspection.
Click here to see the health report for Mariscocos Arreola @ Indoor Swapmeet.
Click here to see the health report for Una Flor En Michoacan @ Indoor Swapmeet.
Click here to see the health report for Sonia's Mexican & Japanese Cuisine @ Indoor Swapmeet.
Click here to see the health report for Mr Soon Tofu.
Click here to see the health report for Kyara.
Click here to see the health report for Solo Qui.
Click here to see the health report for Dirty Fork.
