http://www.timescolonist.com/health/eatery+labelled+moderate+hazard/1851708/story.htmlTop eatery labelled a 'moderate hazard'
Whistler's Araxi Restaurant featured on Hell's Kitchen television show
Whistler's Araxi Restaurant -- named Canada's best by international super-chef Gordon Ramsay and currently profiled on his Hell's Kitchen TV show -- was labelled a "moderate hazard" by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority based on numerous health violations during its last routine inspection.
The problems, found last summer, were cleaned up, and did not reappear in subsequent inspections.
Health inspection records for June 11, 2008, show the high-end restaurant had a total of 14 health violations, six of them labelled critical.
The critical violations included failure to adequately protect food from contamination, inadequate cooling and refrigerated storage of potentially hazardous food, and improper cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and utensils.
Other violations included disrepair of refrigerator door edge seals: buildup of frost and ice in the walk-in freezer; storage of food on the floor of the cooler, dry store, and freezer; and the need for additional cleaning.
Araxi was given a moderate hazard rating at the time, which was reduced to low after no violations were observed during followup inspections on July 31 and Aug. 20.
Araxi executive chef James Walt said in response that the public health inspection was "extremely thorough" and uncovered more violations than normal. He noted the restaurant had just opened after a 31/2 -week closure for renovations, which included installation of several pieces of new equipment.
Walt said he "learned a lot" from the inspection and that all deficiencies were quickly remedied. He doubted Ramsay knew about the inspection results, but noted the chef did tour the restaurant and was impressed.
In a recent appearance with CBC-TV's George Stroumboulopoulos, Ramsay described Araxi as the best restaurant in Canada.
On his unscripted reality TV show, Hell's Kitchen, 16 chefs vie for a coveted position in a restaurant vetted by Ramsay. Araxi is that restaurant in the current season, the first time the show has gone outside the U.S. and an obvious tie-in to the forthcoming 2010 Olympic Games.
On another Ramsay TV show, Kitchen Nightmares, he is prone to meltdowns and bouts of profanity, and places an emphasis on maintaining cleanliness.
Cindy Watson, team leader for health protection in the Sea to Sky region, said Araxi's list of infractions was a reflection in part of the size of the restaurant and complexity of the menu, and that there was never any thought of shutting the facility down.
"What we like to see is no critical hazards, obviously," Watson said. "It's a risk thing. It doesn't mean for sure someone is going to get sick. It just means the risk of food-borne illness is higher."
