{"id":6114,"date":"2014-10-03T04:57:17","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T04:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/?p=6114"},"modified":"2014-10-03T05:03:18","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T05:03:18","slug":"data-reveals-buffet-indian-aroma-as-ottawas-dirtiest-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/data-reveals-buffet-indian-aroma-as-ottawas-dirtiest-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"Data reveals Buffet Indian Aroma as Ottawa’s “dirtiest” restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A Centretown restaurant serving Indian buffet committed more\u00a0public health and food safety violations \u2014 including storing food in ways that could result in contamination \u2014 between 2009 and 2014 than any other restaurant in Ottawa.<\/p>\n<p>Buffet Indian Aroma, located at 164 Laurier Ave. West, failed 38 inspections in almost five years, according to an analysis of data published by the City of Ottawa.<\/p>\n<p>This is nine-and-a-half times higher than the average number of failed inspections by other restaurants in the capital during the same time period.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6119\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6119\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/BIA_01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6119 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/BIA_01-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Buffet Indian Aroma, located at 164 Laurier Ave. West, failed 38 public health and food safety inspections in almost five years, according to an analysis of data published by the City of Ottawa.\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/BIA_01-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/BIA_01-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6119\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffet Indian Aroma, located at 164 Laurier Ave. West, failed 38 public health and food safety inspections in almost five years, according to an analysis of data published by the City of Ottawa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In many cases, the restaurant committed multiple violations \u2014which a public health inspector labels as critical or non-critical \u2014 during a failed inspection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCritical\u201d violations have to do with improper storage and preparation of food, such as failing to store raw and cooked foods separately. A \u201cnon-critical\u201d infraction means the restaurant does not meet sanitation, design and maintenance regulations, such as failing to refill the liquid soap dispenser in the bathroom. These regulations are based on minimum standards outlined in Ontario\u2019s Health Protection and Promotion Act.<\/p>\n<p>In 2013 alone, Buffet Indian Aroma committed 24 violations over seven failed inspections, according to an online food safety <a href=\"http:\/\/app01.ottawa.ca\/inspections\/details.html?fs_fdid=EEB9E893-FCB4-4EFD-8A2C-F2C21C5D3AAA&lang=en&type=food\" target=\"_blank\">inspection report<\/a>.\u00a0One-quarter of those violations were deemed \u201ccritical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none;\" src=\"\/\/e.infogr.am\/2013-inspection-data-for-buffet-indian-aroma\" width=\"550\" height=\"874\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid #acacac; padding-top: 3px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"\/\/infogr.am\/2013-inspection-data-for-buffet-indian-aroma\" target=\"_blank\">2013 inspection data for Buffet Indian Aroma<\/a> | <a style=\"color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"\/\/infogr.am\" target=\"_blank\">Create Infographics<\/a><\/div>\n<p>A restaurant is fined for every violation, according to Kathy Downey, program manager at Ottawa Public Health. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontariocourts.ca\/ocj\/how-do-i\/set-fines\/changes-to-the-consolidated-set-fine-schedules\/schedule-40-2001-11-27\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fines <\/a>range from $50 for failing to maintain the proper temperature in the freezer room to $375 for failing to have a hand-washing sink in the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p>But Jamie Rilett, vice-president of Ontario at Restaurants Canada, said fines might not be the most effective punishment, as larger restaurants or chain restaurants might not blink at the cost.<\/p>\n<p>To discourage non-compliance, Rilett says his organization \u2014 a non-profit association that represents restaurants across Canada through research, food safety training and government lobbying \u2014 first supports education and then closure until the problem is fixed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t believe that there should be any corners cut in the service of food to the public,\u201d Rilett said.<\/p>\n<p>For Ottawa Public Health, Downey said education is the priority. She said education about public health regulations occurs at every inspection and food handlers are given the opportunity to correct certain issues during an inspection. Inspectors also encourage restaurant staff to enrol in the city\u2019s food handler training courses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe more knowledge an operator and a food handler have on food safety, then the higher the chance of compliance,\u201d Downey said.<\/p>\n<p>Follow-up inspections generally occur in the days or weeks following a routine examination. Downey said it takes repetition of the same critical violations to warrant legal action or closure.<\/p>\n<p>The public can help flag such repeated non-compliance. Downey said 12 inspections at Buffet Indian Aroma between 2009 and 2014 were generated from public complaints \u201crelated to sanitation, pest control or food borne illness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Indian restaurant also faced financial problems<br \/>\n<\/strong>Buffet Indian Aroma\u2019s most recent inspection was June 11, 2014, but the restaurant\u2019s doors closed before an inspector could pay another visit. Incidentally, its closure didn\u2019t have to do with food safety.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6121\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6121\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/NoticeOfDistress.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6121 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/NoticeOfDistress-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Buffet Indian Aroma is now closed. The owner, Dewan Chowdhury, owes $183,867.81 in rent to his landlord, who seized the restaurant's assets on Aug. 16th, 2014.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/NoticeOfDistress-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/NoticeOfDistress-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6121\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Buffet Indian Aroma is now closed. The owner, Dewan Chowdhury, owes $183,867.81 in rent to his landlord, who seized the restaurant’s assets on Aug. 16th, 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to a notice of distress taped to the restaurant\u2019s window, the restaurant\u2019s former owner, Dewan Chowdhury, owes $183,867.81 in rent payments to landlord Domenic Cambareri. The notice, issued Aug. 16, 2014, reads that Cambareri seized the restaurant\u2019s inventory and equipment as repayment.<\/p>\n<p>In order to regain his assets, Chowdhury needed to have paid his debt in full by Aug. 22, 2014.<\/p>\n<p>Cambareri\u2019s lawyer, Greg Farnand, said in an email that Chowdhury recently opened a new restaurant called Palki Cuisine of India at 1060 Ogilvie Rd. However, requests to reach Chowdhury at this new location were refused.<\/p>\n<p>Other top offending restaurants in Ottawa include Feleena\u2019s, located in the Glebe, and Lowertown Italian restaurant Stella Osteria. They failed their health inspections 30 and 28 times, respectively, between 2009 and 2014.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none;\" src=\"\/\/e.infogr.am\/the-capitals-ickiest-eateries-the-top-5-ottawa-restaurants-with-the-highest-number-of-failed-inspections-2009-2014\" width=\"550\" height=\"1058\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid #acacac; padding-top: 3px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"\/\/infogr.am\/the-capitals-ickiest-eateries-the-top-5-ottawa-restaurants-with-the-highest-number-of-failed-inspections-2009-2014\" target=\"_blank\">The capital’s ickiest eateries: The Top 5 Ottawa restaurants with the highest number of failed inspections (2009-2014)<\/a> | <a style=\"color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"\/\/infogr.am\" target=\"_blank\">Create Infographics<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Centretown restaurant serving Indian buffet committed more\u00a0public health and food safety violations \u2014 including storing food in ways that could result in contamination \u2014 between 2009 and 2014 than any other restaurant in Ottawa. Buffet Indian Aroma, located at 164 Laurier Ave. West, failed 38 inspections in almost five years, according to an analysis … <a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/data-reveals-buffet-indian-aroma-as-ottawas-dirtiest-restaurant\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Data reveals Buffet Indian Aroma as Ottawa’s “dirtiest” restaurant<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-database-assignment-one"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6114"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6130,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6114\/revisions\/6130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}