Health Department Closes Popular Old Pasadena Restaurant

Pasadena Public Health Department inspectors closed down the popular Tibet Nepal House, a restaurant at 36 E. Holly Street in Old Pasadena, after they found live cockroaches and dead nymphs in various areas of the facility in an inspection Monday, November 14.

They also found a defective ware wash machine that had no sanitizer in the final rinse, and a “heavily scored and stained” cutting board at the preparation refrigerator.

Both findings are considered major violations of the California sanitary code.

The inspectors found five more violations that are listed as minor; the nature of the code violations merited a score of 53 for the facility, way below the 85 that is needed to pass an inspection.

During the inspection, Public Health staff advised the restaurant’s owners to treat the entire facility to “eliminate all cockroach activity, using approved pest control methods.”

They also observed potentially hazardous food, in this case chicken legs, that are being held at the wrong temperature required for buffet table items, and one employee with an expired food handler card.

They also found no one among the employees holding a food manager certificate. California codes required a food facility handling non-prepackaged potentially hazardous food to have at least one employee with a valid food manager certificate.

The restaurant will have to pass the next inspection in order to be allowed to reopen. A suspension hearing was reportedly set for  the next day, Tuesday, to give the owner an opportunity to show why the facility’s permit should not be suspended, but as of today the City’s website shows the establishment has not reopened.