Queens, NY — Umi, a seafood restaurant located at 220-18 Hillside Avenue in Queens, received a Grade C following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on March 17, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 30, placing the restaurant in the C grade range. The data was released by DOHMH on March 20, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors cited one critical violation during the March visit. Under Code 02B, hot temperature-controlled for safety (TCS) food was found not held at or above 140°F.

Hot TCS foods — including cooked seafood, soups, and prepared dishes — must be maintained at or above 140°F when held for service. Temperatures below this threshold create conditions under which harmful bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus can multiply rapidly, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes temperature requirements for the holding and serving of potentially hazardous foods. These standards align with the FDA Food Code, which identifies improper hot-holding temperatures as one of the most common contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks in food service environments.

The 140°F minimum for hot-held food is not a guideline — it is a regulatory threshold. When food drops below that temperature and is held there for extended periods, it enters what food safety authorities call the "danger zone" (40°F–140°F), a range in which bacterial growth accelerates. For a seafood restaurant, where the proteins involved are particularly susceptible to rapid bacterial development, maintaining proper hot-holding temperatures is considered a foundational food safety practice.

DOHMH inspectors are trained to probe hot-held foods with calibrated thermometers. A Code 02B citation indicates that at least one food item measured below the required temperature at the time of inspection.

Inspection History

Umi's recent inspection record shows a pattern of elevated scores over the past several years:

  • March 17, 2026: Score 30 (Grade C)
  • July 9, 2025: Score 25 (Grade Z — score pending grade)
  • May 12, 2025: Score 52 (no grade assigned)
  • August 7, 2023: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • July 27, 2023: Score 39

The restaurant received a Grade A as recently as August 2023, but subsequent inspections have recorded significantly higher scores. The May 2025 inspection produced a score of 52 — among the higher recorded scores in recent years — before a partial improvement to 25 in July 2025. The current score of 30 represents the restaurant's second consecutive visit resulting in a score above the Grade B threshold.

Grades shown are those issued at the time of inspection. A "Grade Z" designation is used by DOHMH when a restaurant's score falls into the B or C range and the operator requests a re-inspection before a grade is posted publicly. The restaurant's grade card must be displayed in a location visible to the public.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total point score accumulated during an inspection. Points are weighted by violation type, with critical violations carrying more points than general violations:

  • Grade A: Score of 0–13 points (fewest violations)
  • Grade B: Score of 14–27 points
  • Grade C: Score of 28 or more points

A score of 30 places Umi two points above the Grade C threshold. Restaurants that receive a B or C score on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection before a grade is officially issued and posted. If a grade card is not yet displayed, a "Grade Pending" placard is required in its place.

Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results portal. Consumers can search by restaurant name, address, or cuisine type to view full violation histories, scores, and grade assignments.

More About This Restaurant

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