Vancouver Mall eatery gets poor health score

A restaurant in the Vancouver Mall food court received a score of 135 — zero is a perfect score — on its most recent inspection by health officials.

Despite the high score during the Oct. 4 inspection, health officials did not shut down the Express Japan restaurant because employees immediately corrected the violations during the visit, said Don Strick, Clark County Public Health spokesman.

Inspectors deduct points for violations based on the level of risk they pose to public health. Restaurants that receive 35 or more high-risk points during an inspection are subject to an unannounced follow-up inspection within 30 days. If an establishment receives 60 or more high-risk points or a total of 100 points during one inspection, health officials can close the restaurant.

During the Oct. 4 inspection, Express Japan received 135 high-risk points for inadequate handwashing, improper cooling procedures, improper hot holding temperatures, improper cooking times and temperatures, food stored at room temperature — each a 25-point violation — and improper storage of raw animal foods and improper use or lack of thermometers, which are each five-point violations.

Health officials performed a follow-up inspection Thursday and recorded only one violation: improper hot holding temperatures. Inspectors provided additional education to the employees and will perform another inspection within 30 days, Strick said.

“The person in charge at the restaurant has been very cooperative and motivated to ensure their food is safe to eat,” Strick said.

The restaurant undergoes routine inspections three times each year. During the last inspection on Aug. 25, the restaurant received a score of 10. Prior to this month’s inspection, the highest the restaurant scored was 42 in August 2014.

Clark County Public Health publishes all restaurant inspection scores, with the types of violations recorded during the visit, at www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/restaurant-inspection. The Columbian publishes recent inspection scores every Friday in the Weekend section.