By AMISHA PADNANI
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: September 11, 2007)
NANUET - A Chinese restaurant has been cited with two violations after the Rockland County Health Department learned that a worker reportedly crushed garlic with his feet.
According to John Stoughton, senior public health sanitarian, the department recently received a complaint and a photograph showing an employee of the Great China Buffet stomping on garlic with his shoes on.
"We would not consider a person's shoe a proper instrument to use in food preparation," he said. "As they say, a photograph is worth a thousand words."
The photograph was taken by Dan Barreto, who works at the AT&T store adjacent to the restaurant. It showed a worker behind the restaurant with a metal container filled with what appeared to be garlic. The worker had one foot inside the container and the other on the ground. He appeared to be wearing sneakers or boots.
Barreto said he was shocked when he saw what was happening.
"There he was jumping around with his sneakers smashing garlic," Barreto said, adding that the man was using both feet. "I was like, 'Wow, this is crazy.' It's something you would have to see to believe."
He said he took the photograph to warn others about the way food was being prepared there.
"It's just not right," he said. "They're not making wine so there's no reason they should be doing that."
Through broken English, Jiang Shu, the owner, said what the worker was doing was wrong and that he has since been fired.
"He's gone," he said. "He's not here."
The department received the complaint on Aug. 30 and an inspector was sent to the restaurant the following day, Stoughton said.
During the inspection, Shu explained through a translator that the worker was new, Stoughton said. He said the garlic was thrown out and was not served to the customers.
Shu also demonstrated to an inspector the usual way garlic is crushed - by placing it in a plastic bag and using a utensil to pound it, Stoughton said.
The restaurant was issued two violations for improper food preparation, Stoughton said.
According to public records, the restaurant received violations in the past for workers preparing food with their bare hands.
The restaurant has not recently received any fines. However in 2001, The Journal News reported that the restaurant was fined $1,700 for unsanitary conditions.
Stoughton said the owner was issued a warning for the first offense and could receive up to $1,000 in fines per violation for a second offense.
Records indicate the department has received complaints from diners in the past reporting rat droppings, bug sightings and uncleanliness.
In one report, dated May 26, 2005, George Aklu, an inspector, said a worker "tried to restrain me by hugging and tugging on me while I tried to get into kitchen."
Nanuet Chinese restaurant cited for worker who reportedly used feet to prepare food 
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