Manhattan, NY — Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant, located at 209 8th Avenue in Chelsea, received a score of 24 points during a health inspection conducted on March 10, 2026, placing it in the Grade B range. The score falls near the upper boundary of the B category, just three points below the 28-point threshold that would trigger a Grade C designation.
The inspection data was released by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 13, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors identified one critical violation during the inspection related to personal cleanliness standards. The citation, recorded under violation code 06A, documented inadequate personal hygiene practices among food handlers. Specifically, the inspection noted issues including soiled outer garments with possible contaminants, failure to wear effective hair restraints in required areas, jewelry worn on hands or arms, and fingernail polish or insufficiently clean and trimmed fingernails.
No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection cycle.
While a single violation may appear minor in number, the personal cleanliness citation is classified as critical because direct contact between improperly maintained hands, jewelry, or soiled garments and food products creates a pathway for contamination. The 24-point score reflects the severity weighting assigned to this category of violation under the DOHMH scoring system.
Food Safety Context
Personal hygiene requirements for food service workers are established under NYC Health Code Article 81 and align with FDA Food Code guidelines. These regulations require food handlers to wear clean outer garments, use effective hair restraints, remove hand and arm jewelry during food preparation, and maintain clean, trimmed fingernails free of polish.
These standards exist because food handlers are a primary point of contact between preparation environments and the meals served to customers. Contaminants on clothing, hair, or hands can transfer directly to food, creating risk for foodborne illness.
Inspection History
Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant has experienced significant score fluctuations over recent inspection cycles:
- Mar 10, 2026: Score 24 (Grade B)
- Aug 7, 2025: Score 23
- Mar 21, 2025: Score 3 (Grade Z)
- Mar 19, 2025: Score 79, closed by DOHMH
- Aug 14, 2024: Score 32 (Grade C)
- Dec 21, 2023: Score 66
- Feb 23, 2023: Score 13 (Grade A)
- Feb 15, 2023: Score 29
- Sep 1, 2022: Score 0 (Grade A)
- Aug 15, 2022: Score 33
The record shows a pattern of inconsistency. The restaurant achieved a perfect score of 0 in September 2022 and a Grade A score of 13 in February 2023, but was closed by DOHMH in March 2025 after receiving a score of 79. A subsequent re-inspection days later yielded a score of 3. The current score of 24 represents the restaurant's third consecutive inspection in the B range or above since the 2025 closure.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on inspection scores:
- A: 0–13 points (lowest number of violation points)
- B: 14–27 points
- C: 28 or more points
Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Golden Wok's current score of 24 places it in the upper portion of the Grade B range, three points from Grade C territory.
Consumers can verify restaurant inspection results through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database or by checking the grade card posted at the establishment's entrance. Full inspection records, including violation details and historical scores, are available as public data through NYC Open Data.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.