Making The Grade

“Different cuisines encounter different problems. Many Asian restaurants cook enormous batches of rice, which sit around too long for the department’s liking. LGC recommends they cook rice in smaller batches, to better regulate its temperature. Elizabeth Meltz, Mario Batali’s food safety overseer, told the New York Times that she has dealt with inspectors who seemed unfamiliar with kimchi, which is literally spoiled cabbage but safe to eat. Raw fish is an issue in Japanese restaurants, as is glove wearing, or the lack thereof. Many chefs refuse to wear them, though they are required to, because the latex taste gets into the fish and it’s hard to do fine knife work in gloves.”
 — This piece on how different communities have different issues with the city’s restaurant grading system is worth a read.