Manhattan, NY — Shin Takumi, a Japanese restaurant located at 44 Greenwich Avenue in Manhattan, received a score of 104 during a health inspection conducted on March 2, 2026, according to data released by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 4, 2026. The score places the restaurant in Grade C territory, the lowest passing designation in New York City's restaurant grading system.
Inspectors documented two critical violations during the inspection, both involving fundamental food safety and sanitation concerns.
What Inspectors Found
The most significant violation involved the restaurant's sewage disposal system. Inspectors cited Shin Takumi under violation code 05A, noting that the sewage disposal system was "not provided, improper, inadequate or unapproved." A functioning sewage system is a foundational requirement for any food service establishment, as failures in waste disposal can introduce harmful pathogens into food preparation and service areas.
The second critical violation, cited under code 06C, involved food, supplies, or equipment not being protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, or service. The citation also noted that condiments were not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor, which creates additional contamination risks from cross-contact between customers.
No non-critical violations were documented during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Both violations cited at Shin Takumi relate to requirements established under NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food service establishment operations in New York City. The FDA Food Code, which serves as the model framework for local food safety regulations, classifies sewage disposal failures and improper food protection as critical violations because of their direct connection to foodborne illness risk.
Sewage system violations are among the most serious findings a restaurant can receive. Improper sewage disposal can result in the introduction of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and norovirus into food preparation environments. The FDA Food Code emphasizes that adequate plumbing and waste disposal are prerequisite conditions for safe food service operations.
Food contamination prevention — the subject of the second violation — is a core principle of the FDA Food Code's hazard control framework. Proper protection of food during all stages of handling, from storage through service, is essential to preventing both biological and physical contamination.
The restaurant's score of 104 points is notably high. In the NYC grading system, each violation carries a specific point value, with critical violations weighted more heavily. A score of 104 indicates that the violations documented were assessed as carrying substantial food safety risk.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history is available for Shin Takumi in the DOHMH public database. This may indicate that the March 2, 2026 inspection was the restaurant's initial inspection, or that prior records are not yet reflected in the publicly available dataset.
The DOHMH notes that inspection data is typically released within a few days of the inspection date. The data for this inspection was made available on March 4, 2026, two days after the inspection was conducted.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on inspection scores:
- A: 0–13 points
- B: 14–27 points
- C: 28 or more points
Shin Takumi's score of 104 falls well within the Grade C range. Restaurants that receive a Grade C on an initial inspection are entitled to a re-inspection, during which they have the opportunity to correct violations and potentially receive a lower score and higher grade.
Restaurants that disagree with their inspection results may request a hearing before the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). The grade posted at the restaurant reflects the most recent adjudicated result.
Consumers can look up inspection results for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH's publicly available restaurant inspection database. The database is updated regularly and includes current grades, violation details, and inspection histories for all permitted food service establishments in the city.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Shin Takumi including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.