Brooklyn, NY — Wan Da, a Chinese restaurant located at 5323 8th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood, received a score of 26 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) health inspection conducted on March 21, 2026. The score falls within the Grade B range but sits near the upper boundary, one point below the threshold at which a restaurant would receive a Grade C. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 25, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the visit. The citation, recorded under Code 02G, pertained to temperature control for safety (TCS) foods held above required cold storage temperatures. Specifically, cold TCS food items were found held above 41°F, a standard that applies to a broad range of perishable foods including meat, dairy, and prepared items. No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection cycle.

Temperature control violations are among the most common critical findings in NYC restaurant inspections. Maintaining cold foods at or below 41°F is fundamental to preventing the growth of harmful pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli, which can multiply rapidly when food is held in the temperature "danger zone" between 41°F and 140°F.

Food Safety Context

The requirements cited in this inspection are grounded in NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food preparation and handling standards for all permitted food service establishments in the five boroughs. Article 81 standards align with the FDA Food Code, the federal framework from which most state and local food safety regulations are derived.

Critical violations — those most directly linked to the risk of foodborne illness — carry higher point values in DOHMH's scoring system. A single critical violation can significantly affect a restaurant's total score. In this case, the one critical violation documented at Wan Da contributed substantially to the restaurant's score of 26.

Inspection History

Wan Da's prior inspection record includes one previous scoring event on file with DOHMH:

  • August 14, 2025: Score 32 (Grade N)

The August 2025 inspection resulted in a score of 32, which placed the restaurant in Grade C territory (28 points or higher). A Grade N designation is typically issued when an initial inspection score is above 13 and a re-inspection has not yet occurred or has not produced a scoreable grade. The improvement from 32 to 26 between the two recorded inspections represents a meaningful reduction in score, though the restaurant remains in the upper portion of the Grade B band.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades to restaurants based on their inspection scores:

  • A: 0–13 points (lowest number of violations)
  • B: 14–27 points
  • C: 28 or more points

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. A score of 26 means the restaurant is within Grade B but is two points from the top of the range. Grade letters are required to be posted in a visible location at the restaurant entrance.

Consumers can view full inspection records, including violation details and historical scores, through the NYC Restaurant Inspection Results database at the DOHMH website. Records are updated regularly as new inspections are completed and reviewed.

More About This Restaurant

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