Oh, my God!
What an unpleasant surprise to wake up to.
Folks, a short while ago we learned that Darbar Indian restaurant at 152 E.46 St in New York City had recently been closed by the NYC Health Department after notching up a massive 118 violation points during the department’s inspection on March 10, 2010 .
Yes, 118 violation points were recorded by the NYC Health Department during its inspection of Darbar Indian restaurant on March 10, 2010.
The restaurant was subsequently reopened by the NYC Health Dept on March 12, 2010 after another inspection.
While many Indian restaurants in NYC fail the NYC Health Department inspection, few are closed (temporarily, of course) by the department.
Closing of an NYC Indian restaurant by the NYC Health Dept is still a rare event.
Darbar restaurant in Midtown East Manhattan has subsequently been reopened (on March 12, 2010) but we can’t help but wonder why the restaurant was shut down by the NYC Health Department.
A glance at the NYC Health Department web site is not clear on the specifics and lists only the following sanitary violations:
Sanitary Violations Recorded at Darbar in March 10, 2010 Inspection
1.) Other General Violation
2.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
3.) Sufficient refrigeration or hot holding equipment not provided to meet proper time and temperature requirements for PHFs.
Kinda vague, isn’t it when Darbar got slapped with 118 violation points?
Tell you what, we’ll call Darbar later today and if they’re willing to share the details on why the NYC Health Dept closed the restaurant last month (subsequently reopened), we’ll update this post.
In a follow-on inspection of Darbar conducted by the NYC Health Dept on March 12, 2010 the establishment was re-opened by DOHMH but the following sanitary violations were recorded:
Sanitary Violations Recorded at Darbar in March 12, 2010 Inspection
1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
3.) Toilet facility not maintained and provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle and self-closing door.
By the way, we visited Darbar a few years back and did not relish the food there.
Here’s an excerpt from our review of Darbar NYC:
Darbar Indian restaurant is like a trashy Bollywood movie – you know the ones with a poor beginning, a lousy middle and a stupid ending.
Located on East 46th St in Midtown East in Manhattan, Darbar restaurant serves some of the most tasteless Indian curries we’ve had the misfortune to eat in the Big Apple.
An eggregious insult to Indian cuisine, Darbar’s food defies the most robust appetite.
…..Service is an afterthought at Darbar. Our Nepali waiter Gyan plonked a plate of Plain Naan on our table that an elderly diner rejected because it had too much butter. As we looked in shock, another waiter whisked by and snatched it off our table with a “you ordered Garlic Naan, right?”
Our meal ended as it began – on a bitter note – with our first sip of the Darbar Masala Tea, the vilest concoction that ever touched our lips.
Darbar is an Indian restaurant that fails at the most elementary tasks – making potable Masala Tea, edible Dal Fry and palatable Mutter Paneer. Just what is this restaurant capable of? The sad answer, not much.
Related Stories:
Darbar NYC Review – Lousy, Bland Food; Average Service
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