Manhattan, NY — Hibachi Lab, an Asian fusion restaurant located at 118 West 3rd Street in Greenwich Village, received a Grade C rating following a health inspection conducted on December 17, 2025. The establishment accumulated 28 points across 14 critical violations and 20 non-critical violations, according to data released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on February 12, 2026.
The inspection identified multiple instances of food safety protocol failures, with violations documented across food handling, equipment sanitation, and operational certification requirements. The restaurant remains open to the public, with violations cited for correction.
What Inspectors Found
Health inspectors documented repeated failures in basic food protection protocols. The most frequently cited critical violation involved food, supplies, and equipment not being adequately protected from potential contamination sources during storage, preparation, and service. This violation, designated as Code 06C under NYC Health Code Article 81, appeared five separate times in the inspection report. Inspectors noted that condiments were not stored in single-service containers or dispensed directly by staff, creating potential cross-contamination risks.
The establishment also failed to maintain proper supervision standards required under city regulations. Inspectors cited the restaurant five times for Code 04A violations, indicating that no Food Protection Certificate holder was present in a managerial or supervisory capacity during food operations. Under NYC Health Code Article 81, Section 81.15, all food service establishments must have at least one certified food protection certificate holder supervising food handling operations at all times.
Equipment sanitation practices also drew multiple citations. Inspectors found sanitized equipment and utensils, including in-use food dispensing utensils, being improperly used or stored on four separate occasions. This violation poses direct risks of bacterial contamination and cross-contact between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
Non-critical violations included inadequate lighting in food preparation and storage areas, missing or improperly located thermometers in refrigeration units, and failures to post required healthy eating information. The lighting violations, cited five times, involved areas where permanent lighting was not provided or where shatterproof bulbs were not installed to prevent glass contamination of food surfaces.
Food Safety Context
The violations documented at Hibachi Lab represent departures from established food safety standards outlined in both NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code. The Food Protection Certificate requirement exists specifically to ensure that trained personnel oversee critical food handling operations, including temperature control, cross-contamination prevention, and proper sanitation practices.
The repeated food protection violations indicate systemic issues rather than isolated incidents. When food, equipment, and utensils are not properly protected from contamination, pathogens can transfer to ready-to-eat foods, potentially causing foodborne illness. The FDA Food Code emphasizes that contamination prevention is a fundamental principle of safe food service operations.
Equipment and utensil sanitation failures create similar risks. Improperly stored sanitized items can become contaminated before use, defeating the purpose of the sanitation process and introducing bacteria to foods during preparation and service.
Inspection History
This December 2025 inspection represents the first publicly available health inspection record for Hibachi Lab in the NYC DOHMH database. No prior inspection history was available for comparison at the time of data release.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system translates inspection scores into letter grades posted at establishment entrances:
- Grade A: 0-13 points (excellent food safety practices)
- Grade B: 14-27 points (good food safety with some violations)
- Grade C: 28 or more points (significant violations requiring correction)
Each violation carries a point value based on its public health risk. Critical violations, which directly relate to foodborne illness risk factors, carry higher point values than non-critical violations related to facility maintenance and documentation.
Restaurants receiving Grade B or C scores may request a re-inspection to improve their grade after correcting cited violations. The inspection conducted on December 17, 2025, represents a snapshot of conditions on that specific date. Subsequent inspections may show different results based on corrective actions taken by management.
Additional information about NYC restaurant inspections and food safety can be found on the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website at nyc.gov/health/foodsafety.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Hibachi Lab including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.
Violations Documented — Dec 17, 2025
CRITICAL
Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL
Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
CRITICAL
Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
CRITICAL
Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
Non-Critical
Lighting inadequate; permanent lighting not provided in food preparation areas, ware washing areas, and storage rooms. Shatterproof bulb or shield to prevent broken glass from falling into food or onto surfaces, not installed. (Code 10C)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
CRITICAL
Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
Non-Critical
Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. (Code 10F)
Non-Critical
Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated, cold storage or hot holding equipment (Code 10E)
CRITICAL
Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
CRITICAL
Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
Non-Critical
Lighting inadequate; permanent lighting not provided in food preparation areas, ware washing areas, and storage rooms. Shatterproof bulb or shield to prevent broken glass from falling into food or onto surfaces, not installed. (Code 10C)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
CRITICAL
Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
Non-Critical
Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. (Code 10F)
Non-Critical
Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated, cold storage or hot holding equipment (Code 10E)
CRITICAL
Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
CRITICAL
Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
Non-Critical
Lighting inadequate; permanent lighting not provided in food preparation areas, ware washing areas, and storage rooms. Shatterproof bulb or shield to prevent broken glass from falling into food or onto surfaces, not installed. (Code 10C)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
CRITICAL
Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
Non-Critical
Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. (Code 10F)
Non-Critical
Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated, cold storage or hot holding equipment (Code 10E)
CRITICAL
Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
Non-Critical
Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
Non-Critical
Lighting inadequate; permanent lighting not provided in food preparation areas, ware washing areas, and storage rooms. Shatterproof bulb or shield to prevent broken glass from falling into food or onto surfaces, not installed. (Code 10C)
Non-Critical
Lighting inadequate; permanent lighting not provided in food preparation areas, ware washing areas, and storage rooms. Shatterproof bulb or shield to prevent broken glass from falling into food or onto surfaces, not installed. (Code 10C)
Non-Critical
Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated, cold storage or hot holding equipment (Code 10E)
CRITICAL
Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL
Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)