Manhattan, NY — Famous Sichuan, a Chinese restaurant located at 10 Pell Street in Manhattan's Chinatown, received a score of 38 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 3, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C range, the lowest grade in New York City's restaurant grading system.

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the visit. No non-critical violations were recorded. The inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 5, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The inspection identified a single critical violation involving improper handling of damaged canned goods. Specifically, inspectors cited the restaurant under violation code 09A for swollen, leaking, rusted, or otherwise damaged canned food that had not been segregated from intact product and clearly labeled "DO NOT USE."

Under food safety standards, canned goods that show signs of damage — including swelling, leaking, rust, or dents along seams — must be immediately separated from usable inventory. Damaged cans can indicate compromised seals, which may allow the growth of harmful bacteria, including Clostridium botulinum, the organism responsible for botulism. Restaurants are required to isolate such products, mark them clearly, and arrange for their return to the distributor.

The fact that the damaged canned food was found alongside intact products means there was a risk that compromised items could have been used in food preparation inadvertently.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant inspection program operates under NYC Health Code Article 81, which establishes sanitary standards for food service establishments. The regulation requires restaurants to maintain food supplies in safe condition and to prevent adulterated or potentially unsafe products from entering the food preparation process.

The FDA Food Code similarly addresses the storage and handling of commercially processed food. It requires that food in damaged containers — particularly canned goods with compromised integrity — be separated, marked, and removed from active food storage areas. These requirements exist because the consequences of serving food from a compromised can, while rare, can be severe.

A single critical violation resulting in a score of 38 indicates that the violation carried significant point weight under the DOHMH scoring system. Critical violations are those that are most likely to contribute to foodborne illness and are weighted more heavily in the inspection scoring framework.

Inspection History

Famous Sichuan's inspection record over the past several years shows considerable variability in scores:

  • March 3, 2026: Score 38 (Grade C range)
  • November 10, 2025: Score 4 (Grade Z — typically indicates a re-inspection or adjudication outcome)
  • November 6, 2025: Score 69, closed by DOHMH
  • June 10, 2025: Score 26 (Grade B range)
  • January 25, 2024: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • December 13, 2023: Score 59

The record shows that the restaurant was closed by DOHMH in November 2025 after receiving a score of 69, then received a follow-up score of 4 shortly after on November 10, 2025. The restaurant had previously earned a Grade A score of 12 in January 2024. The current score of 38 represents a decline from that benchmark.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on inspection scores. Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations:

  • Grade A: 0–13 points
  • Grade B: 14–27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

A score of 38 falls within the Grade C range. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection have the option to request a re-inspection or to contest the grade through an administrative tribunal hearing at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). The grade posted at the restaurant may reflect either the initial or re-inspection result, depending on the establishment's decision.

Consumers can look up inspection results for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH website or the NYC Open Data portal. These records are public information and are updated as new inspections are completed. The data for this inspection was made available on March 5, 2026, two days after the inspection took place.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Famous Sichuan including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.