Queens, NY — Kamala Kitchen, an Indian restaurant located at 260-07 Hillside Avenue in Queens, received a Grade C score of 36 following a health inspection conducted April 2, 2026. The inspection, carried out by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), documented one critical violation related to personal cleanliness among food service workers. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 6, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The single violation cited during the April inspection falls under Code 06A, which addresses personal cleanliness standards for food service workers. Inspectors documented that personal cleanliness was inadequate, with conditions that may include outer garments soiled with possible contaminants, failure to wear effective hair restraints in required food preparation areas, jewelry worn on hands or arms, and fingernails not kept clean and trimmed or fingernail polish worn while handling food.

Code 06A is classified as a critical violation, meaning it represents a condition with direct potential to contribute to foodborne illness. Under the NYC inspection scoring system, critical violations carry heavier point values than general violations, reflecting their elevated public health significance.

The inspection recorded one critical violation and no non-critical violations, resulting in a total score of 36.

Food Safety Context

Personal cleanliness requirements for food service workers are codified under NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food preparation and handling in licensed food service establishments. These standards align with the FDA Food Code, the federal model framework that New York City's regulations are built upon.

The FDA Food Code identifies food handler hygiene — including clean outer garments, hair restraints, and controlled jewelry — as a foundational element of preventing physical and biological contamination. Outer garments can carry pathogens or debris into food preparation zones, while loose jewelry poses both contamination and physical hazard risks. Hair restraints serve to prevent hair from entering food, a recognized source of consumer complaints and potential contamination.

Restaurants are expected to train staff on these requirements and implement management oversight to ensure compliance during all hours of food preparation and service.

Inspection History

Kamala Kitchen's prior inspection record shows variation in compliance over recent years:

  • August 20, 2025: Score 23 (Grade B)
  • April 26, 2023: Score 7 (Grade A)

The April 2023 inspection resulted in a Grade A, the highest available rating under the NYC system, indicating strong compliance at that time. The August 2025 inspection recorded a score of 23, placing the restaurant in Grade B territory. The April 2026 inspection represents a further decline, crossing into Grade C with a score of 36.

This pattern of increasing scores over successive inspections may indicate challenges in maintaining consistent compliance across staff training, operational oversight, or both.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City uses a letter grading system based on point totals assigned during unannounced DOHMH inspections. Points are added for each violation identified, with critical violations carrying more weight than general violations:

  • Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points
  • Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • Grade C: Score of 28 points or more

Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection before a final grade is posted publicly. The posted grade reflects the score at the time of that subsequent inspection or, if no re-inspection is requested, the original score.

Inspection records for all NYC food service establishments are publicly available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database at the NYC Open Data portal. Consumers can search any licensed restaurant by name or address to review current grades, scores, and violation details. DOHMH conducts unannounced inspections at least once per year for most establishments, with higher-risk or lower-scoring restaurants subject to more frequent visits.

More About This Restaurant

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