Adam said to me the other day, "Oleg told me something, but you don't want to know." And of course, since I have not evolved from the playground mentality, I wanted to know right then and there what was he on about.
"Remember last Spring when Guu was closed?".....yes, it was closed for a time and all coming back to me: Adam, Jeorgy and I were at Guu and Jeorgy asked the waiter why was the restaurant closed for a week? The waiter said something like the fridge broke down and needed to be repaired. Apparently not.
Re-inspection subsequent to Closure Order. Rodent excrement still present on dishes and food contact surfaces. General sanitation still unsatisfactory. Plumbing repairs have not been completed. Rodent-proofing is still outstanding. Closure Order remains in effect.
After my initial shock (Adam and I had eaten there just days ago) I considering my background. My Mom stores her eggs throughout the year outside of the fridge, my family will leave cooked food out to be eaten all day; all year round, my Dad told me once that the best Taiwanese Beef Noodle houses keep the same broth for years and just add water, etc.
I've lived in Shanghai where the local butcher cuts his meat on the side of a dusty main street and I'm still alive, so it's not the end of the world. Adam and I then got into a discussion about what can best be described as "food snobbery". Speaking for myself: Yes, Gastown is old--Rats are probably everywhere and probably in my building.
I'm ok with eating at someone's house who may have a pest problem and I plan on going to more 2nd and 3rd world countries; however, I think that restaurants have an obligation to keep a professional level of clean. After all, what are you paying for when you eat at a restaurant? When I go out for a meal, I am expecting that I am paying for someone who has gone to culinary school in whatever respective style to cook for me in a licensed establishment. I am not ok with patronizing restaurants that have neglected to maintain a minimal standard of clean.
Do You Want to Know Who Else is Dishing-out Dirt?
Irish Heather, La Casita, Six Acres, Jules and Incendio all have Rodent problems. Blarney Stone, Sitar and Jade Dynasty (in Chinatown) have both Rodent and Cockroach problems.
Restaurants that up to par include: Steamworks, Pourhouse, Cork & Fin and L'Abbatoir
