Manhattan, NY — Ye's Apothecary, a Chinese restaurant located at 119 Orchard Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side, received a score of 23 following a health inspection conducted March 24, 2026, according to records released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 26, 2026. The score places the restaurant at the upper end of the Grade B range, four points below the threshold for a Grade C.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented two violations during the March visit — one critical and one non-critical.

The critical violation, cited under Code 06C, identified food, supplies, or equipment not adequately protected from potential sources of contamination. Specifically, condiments were not stored in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor, a practice that can expose food to cross-contamination from repeated customer handling.

The non-critical violation, cited under Code 20-04, noted the absence of required posted materials: a "Choking First Aid" poster, an "Alcohol and Pregnancy" warning sign, and signage indicating the availability of resuscitation equipment including exhaled air resuscitation masks for adults and pediatric patients, as well as latex gloves.

Food Safety Context

The critical violation identified falls under provisions of NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food protection standards for establishments operating within the five boroughs. The FDA Food Code similarly requires that food and food-contact surfaces be protected from contamination at all points — including storage, preparation, display, and service.

Condiment handling is a documented area of regulatory focus because shared or improperly stored condiments can serve as a vector for cross-contamination if not managed with single-use packaging or direct-dispense systems. A single critical violation carries significant point weight in DOHMH's scoring system, and in this case contributed substantially to the 23-point total.

The posting requirements cited in the non-critical violation are mandated under New York State law and DOHMH regulations, and are designed to ensure staff and patrons have access to emergency safety information.

Inspection History

Ye's Apothecary has one prior inspection in the available DOHMH record:

  • September 24, 2024: Score 16 (Grade N — issued during a re-inspection cycle)

The Grade N designation is assigned when a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial inspection and undergoes a follow-up inspection; the "N" grade is posted during the adjudication period. The September 2024 score of 16 was at the lower end of the B range. The March 2026 score of 23 represents an increase of seven points, moving the restaurant closer to the Grade C boundary.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades based on inspection scores under NYC Health Code Article 81:

  • Grade A: 0–13 points
  • Grade B: 14–27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Scores in the mid-to-upper B range, such as the 23 recorded here, reflect a meaningful number or severity of violations while remaining below the Grade C cutoff.

Consumers can look up current and historical inspection records for any NYC restaurant through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov. Inspection data for Ye's Apothecary reflects conditions observed on March 24, 2026.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Ye's Apothecary including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.