Inspection conducted Jan 17, 2026 · Data released by DOHMH Feb 27, 2026
CRITICAL VIOLATIONS
Le Sia Cited for Critical Violations - Manhattan
Published March 2, 2026 11:17 AM
651 9 AVENUE, Manhattan, NY 10036 · Chinese
37
Violation Score A: 0-13 · B: 14-27 · C: 28+
Manhattan, NY — Le Sia, a Chinese restaurant located at 651 9th Avenue in Manhattan, received a score of 37 during a health inspection conducted on January 17, 2026, placing the establishment in Grade C territory under New York City's restaurant grading system. Inspectors documented one critical violation and one non-critical violation during the evaluation.
Illustrative image — not a photo of the actual business
The inspection data was released by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on February 27, 2026, approximately six weeks after the inspection took place.
What Inspectors Found
The most significant finding involved the restaurant's hand washing facilities. Inspectors cited Le Sia under violation code 05D, a critical violation, for lacking a proper hand washing facility in or adjacent to the toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service, or ware washing area. The citation further noted that the hand washing facility was not accessible, was obstructed, or was being used for non-hand washing purposes. Inspectors also documented issues with hot and cold running water availability, water pressure, and the presence of soap or acceptable hand-drying devices.
Hand washing is considered one of the most fundamental food safety practices in commercial food service. The absence of accessible and properly equipped hand washing stations represents a critical breakdown in the hygiene chain between food handlers and the meals they prepare and serve.
Inspectors also noted a non-critical violation under code 19-10 for failure to display required signage about plastic straw availability. This violation relates to New York City's local law requiring food service establishments to inform customers that plastic straws are available upon request.
Food Safety Context
The critical hand washing violation documented at Le Sia relates directly to provisions outlined in NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food service establishments in the city. Article 81 requires that all food service establishments maintain adequate hand washing facilities that are accessible, properly supplied, and used exclusively for hand washing purposes.
The FDA Food Code similarly emphasizes that hand washing stations must be conveniently located near food preparation areas, equipped with running water at suitable temperatures, and stocked with soap and single-use towels or air-drying devices. These requirements exist because proper hand hygiene is recognized by public health authorities as one of the most effective measures for preventing the transmission of foodborne illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inadequate hand washing by food service workers is a contributing factor in a significant percentage of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with restaurants.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history is available for Le Sia in the DOHMH public database. This may indicate that the January 17, 2026 inspection was the establishment's first recorded inspection, or that prior records are not currently reflected in the publicly available dataset.
Without historical data, it is not possible to assess whether the violations cited represent a recurring pattern or an isolated finding.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total number of violation points recorded during an inspection. Each violation carries a specific point value, with critical violations generally carrying higher point values than non-critical ones.
The grading scale is as follows:
Grade A: 0 to 13 points
Grade B: 14 to 27 points
Grade C: 28 or more points
Le Sia's score of 37 falls within the Grade C range. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection are typically offered a re-inspection opportunity, during which they can demonstrate that violations have been corrected. The grade posted at the establishment reflects the better score between the initial inspection and any subsequent re-inspection.
It is important to note that inspection scores represent conditions observed on a specific date and time. Conditions at any food service establishment can change between inspections.
Consumers can look up current inspection results and grades for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online at the NYC Open Data portal. The database provides detailed violation histories, scores, and grade information for all inspected establishments in the five boroughs.
CRITICAL Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
CRITICAL No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device. (Code 05D)
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 No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device. (Code 05D)
CRITICAL Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation. (Code 02G)
Non-Critical “Choking first aid” poster not posted. “Alcohol and Pregnancy” warning sign not posted. Resuscitation equipment: exhaled air resuscitation masks (adult & pediatric), latex gloves, sign not posted. (Code 20-04)
CRITICAL No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device. (Code 05D)
Non-Critical Failure to display required signage about plastic straw availability (Code 19-10)
CRITICAL Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. (Code 06D)
Non-Critical Failure to display required signage about plastic straw availability (Code 19-10)
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 display required signage about plastic straw availability (Code 19-10)
Non-Critical Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information (Code 20-08)
CRITICAL Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. (Code 06D)
Non-Critical Failure to display required signage about plastic straw availability (Code 19-10)
CRITICAL Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. (Code 06D)
Non-Critical “Choking first aid” poster not posted. “Alcohol and Pregnancy” warning sign not posted. Resuscitation equipment: exhaled air resuscitation masks (adult & pediatric), latex gloves, sign not posted. (Code 20-04)
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 Failure to display required signage about plastic straw availability (Code 19-10)
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)
Data Source: This report is based on official public inspection data from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), released under the NYC Open Data program.
Editorial Process: Content generated using AI (Claude) to synthesize official inspection data into accessible reporting, then reviewed and verified for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional Review: All content undergoes standards and compliance oversight by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal, through Twin Digital Media's regulatory data auditing protocols.
Regulatory References: NYC Health Code Article 81, FDA Food Code (2022). NYC Restaurant Inspections is an independent public data reporting service. We are not affiliated with the City of New York.
| Last verified: March 13, 2026 | Our methodology
