Queens, NY — Aladdin, a Bangladeshi restaurant located at 37-08 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) following an inspection that resulted in a score of 50 points — well above the 28-point threshold for the lowest letter grade. The inspection was conducted on January 7, 2026, with data released publicly by DOHMH on February 6, 2026.
The closure was triggered by a critical food safety violation related to improper cooling of time and temperature control for safety (TCS) foods.
What Inspectors Found
During the January 7 inspection, DOHMH inspectors documented one critical violation at the establishment:
Inspectors cited Aladdin under violation code 02H for failure to cool TCS food using an approved method. Specifically, after cooking or removal from hot holding, TCS food was not cooled so that the internal temperature was reduced from 140°F to 70°F or less within two hours, and from 70°F to 41°F or less within four additional hours.
This two-stage cooling requirement is a foundational food safety protocol. When cooked food lingers in the temperature range between 140°F and 41°F — commonly referred to as the "danger zone" — bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus can multiply rapidly to levels capable of causing foodborne illness. The two-stage time limit is designed to minimize the duration food spends in this critical range.
No non-critical violations were documented during this inspection. The single critical violation, combined with the overall score of 50, resulted in the establishment being closed by DOHMH, with the agency noting that violations requiring immediate action were addressed.
Food Safety Context
The cooling violation cited at Aladdin falls under provisions of NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food service establishments throughout the five boroughs. Article 81 requires that all food service operators maintain TCS foods at safe temperatures and follow approved methods for cooling cooked foods.
The two-stage cooling protocol mirrors guidance from the FDA Food Code, which serves as the model for food safety regulations nationwide. The FDA Food Code specifies that cooked TCS food must be cooled from 140°F to 70°F within two hours and from 70°F to 41°F within a total of six hours. NYC's requirements align with these standards.
Approved cooling methods include placing food in shallow pans, using ice baths, stirring food while in an ice bath, using rapid cooling equipment, or adding ice as an ingredient. Simply placing a large container of hot food in a refrigerator is generally insufficient, as the interior temperature drops too slowly to meet the required time limits.
Improper cooling is consistently ranked among the leading contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified inadequate cooling as a factor in numerous outbreaks linked to food service operations.
Inspection History
Aladdin's recent inspection record shows a pattern of violations and subsequent corrective action:
- January 15, 2026: Score 7 (Grade Z), establishment reopened
- January 9, 2026: Score 72, establishment closed by DOHMH
- January 7, 2026: Score 50, establishment closed by DOHMH
The January 7 closure documented here was followed by another inspection on January 9, during which the restaurant received an even higher score of 72 and was again closed. However, by January 15, Aladdin was inspected again and received a score of 7, well within the range for the highest possible grade. The restaurant was reopened at that time.
This sequence illustrates how the DOHMH enforcement process works in practice. When an establishment is closed, the operator must correct the cited violations and request a re-inspection. If the establishment demonstrates compliance, it is permitted to reopen.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on inspection scores under the following scale:
- A: 0–13 points (lowest number of violation points)
- B: 14–27 points
- C: 28 or more points
A score of 50, as recorded during Aladdin's January 7 inspection, falls in the C range. Restaurants that receive a grade of B or C may contest the result through the city's administrative tribunal process and may request a re-inspection.
It is important to note that inspection scores represent a snapshot of conditions at the time of the visit. A high score on one date does not necessarily reflect ongoing conditions, as demonstrated by Aladdin's subsequent score of 7 on January 15.
Residents can look up the latest inspection results for any NYC restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available on the city's open data portal. Inspection grades are also required to be posted at the entrance of every food service establishment in the city.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Aladdin including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.