Taste ToGo Banh Mi restaurant at the Great Wall Mall in Kent reopened March 6 after a three-day closure by Public Health - Seattle and King County. COURTESY PHOTO, Taste ToGo Banh Mi

Taste ToGo Banh Mi restaurant at the Great Wall Mall in Kent reopened March 6 after a three-day closure by Public Health - Seattle and King County. COURTESY PHOTO, Taste ToGo Banh Mi

Taste ToGo Banh Mi restaurant reopens after Public Health closure

Three-day closure after seven people became ill after purchasing food Feb. 26 at business

Taste ToGo Banh Mi restaurant in Kent is back open after a three-day closure by Public Health – Seattle and King County due to an active foodborne illness outbreak investigation.

Public Health closed the restaurant at 11:40 a.m. March 3 after seven people from one party reported becoming ill after purchasing food Feb. 26 from Taste ToGo Banh Mi, 18230 E. Valley Highway in the Great Wall Mall. The restaurant serves authentic Vietnamese meals, beverages and desserts.

The food was eaten on Feb. 27 and all members of the meal party developed one or more symptoms consistent with norovirus-like illness, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and chills.

Public Health reported it identified one ill employee who reported symptoms consistent with norovirus who worked on Feb. 26 and 27.

The illnesses were reported on March 2. Environmental Health Investigators visited the restaurant on March 3. Investigators identified inadequate access to hand washing facilities, according to Public Health. The restaurant closed the same day to complete a thorough cleaning and disinfection.

Environmental Health Investigators revisited the facility on Monday, March 6 to ensure proper compliance with food handling practices. The restaurant reopened that day after reinspection and approval by Environmental Health.

Investigators reviewed with restaurant management the requirement that ill staff are not allowed to work until they are symptom-free for at least 48 hours and provided education about preventing the spread of norovirus — including proper handwashing and preventing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.

On its Facebook page, Taste ToGO Banh Mi has a post about the excellent food safety rating it received from Public Health – Seattle and King County in July 2022.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Business

t
Rite Aid expands Des Moines distribution center despite store closures

Company closing distribution center in Oregon; shifting operations to Washington

Anne Smith of Retro Emporium in Kent with an alien invader from "Mars Attacks!". Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Ack ack ack! Retro Emporium attacks with four Best of Kent awards

Since opening in 2019, Retro Emporium in Kent has been a favorite… Continue reading

Reber Ranch has been open in Kent since 1984. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Reber Ranch gets the blue ribbon

A pet store, feed store, grooming salon and veterinary office all rolled… Continue reading

Photo courtesy of Big Chicken:
The first Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken to open in Washington state is at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, with the new Renton location being the second.
Shaq’s Big Chicken partners with Kent’s Blue Origin for space postcards

Big Chicken postcards will be placed aboard an upcoming Blue Origin space mission

Courtesy Image, Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau issues warning about Kent construction company

DJE Concrete & Construction receives F rating from agency after failing to complete jobs

t
AWB manufacturing week tour makes stops in Kent, Auburn

Tour highlights Motors and Controls; Boeing Additive Manufacturing plant

Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
June Paik (left) and her employees at Master Hair Care can work with clients for hours to find the perfect wig or hair piece.
Master Hair Care offers quality wigs, warm service for cancer patients

Located in Federal Way, this woman-owned small business is one of the most recommended in the area for people experiencing hair loss.

t
FAA closes Kent-based Blue Origin flight mishap investigation

Agency requires company to implement 21 corrective actions before next launch

t
Simpson Strong-Tie opens new Kent distribution center

Company makes structural connectors for construction industry; facility on former Boeing property

t
Kent salon owner bounces back from shop’s building fire

Wilder and Free Beauty Company sustains damage in Sept. 2 fire; seeks temporary location

t
Seattle Children’s to close downtown Kent thrift store

Kent Bargain Boutique opened 28 years ago

Dante is from the Netherlands and currently lives at Serenity Equine. He is a therapy horse who works with veterans from the Odyssey Project for Wounded Warriors. (Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing)
King County horse rescue organization falls on hard times

The Serenity Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation in Maple Valley is one of the top local horse rescues, but it’s struggling amid the aftermath of the pandemic and the increasing cost of hay. The rescue will hold a fundraising benefit Sept. 9.