Several restaurants in Easton popular among Lafayette students were found to have violated food safety regulations during inspections this past month. On Cattell Street, Hana Sushi & Teppanyaki had 11 violations and the new College Hill Café had four.
Restaurants undergo food safety inspections by the City of Easton Bureau of Health at least once per year. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s website, “any inspection is a ‘snapshot’ of the day and time of the inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment.”
Among the food safety violations from Hana were a lack of “adequate knowledge of food safety” from the “Person in Charge,” observed food storage containers on the floor, lack of a log of the pH of sushi rice and “chicken … observed thawing in standing water in the prep sink, which is not an approved thawing method,” according to the website.
Just the year before, Hana only received two violations.
Eddie, the manager of Hana who did not provide his last name, said that food containers have since been stored off the floor in the freezer, that the sushi log pH log has been corrected and that chicken has been thawed in a different container since the inspection.
“I like [Hana]. I never had a problem with it,” Avani Sukhtankar ‘26, who has visited Hana several times, said, noting that the restaurant always looked “pretty sanitary.”
Alessa Pescatore ’26 said that Hana’s health code violations made her wary of going there.
“It did make me really nervous,” Pescatore said. “I mean, I feel like it would make anyone nervous.”
Ethan Coffin ‘25 used to visit Hana a couple of times a month but is “no longer a patron of Hana” because of the health code violations.
“I am not currently committing to never eating there again, but I would have to hear that things have changed before I go back to the restaurant,” Coffin wrote in an email.
The food safety violations observed at College Hill Café were food being stored above proper temperatures in refrigerators, lack of a “written consumer advisory” for eating raw or uncooked foods and “the food manager’s certification … not posted for public viewing,” according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s website.
Teressa, the manager of the restaurant who did not provide her last name, confirmed that all the refrigerators were working properly and that the proper advisories and certificates had been made visible on the menu and in the front of the café, respectively.
Kathryn Wright ‘25 has been to College Hill Café several times since its opening, and “[loves] that place” and will “go just as often [to the café] as before” after being informed of the violations.
“I’ll still keep going, as long as there’s not rats,” Wright added.
Annelise Przybylak ’26 contributed reporting.
Correction 9/22/23: A previous version of this article misspelled the surname of Avani Sukhtankar ’26 as “Sukhtanar.”
Correction 9/22/23: A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of Kathryn Wright ’25 as “Kathyrn.”
Nancy C • Sep 27, 2023 at 1:36 pm
Their doors weren’t shuttered. All the violations listed were easy fixes. I will keep on eating here as the owner, staff and food are outstanding. Don’t let this article deter you from eating at this establishment!
CD • Sep 23, 2023 at 1:54 pm
This article emerges amid a period when Lafayette’s dining services are themselves subject to significant scrutiny. Therefore, I recognise that the content may be perceived as a targeted critique of local businesses. Nevertheless, it is irrefutable that, according to official records from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, certain regulations have been breached.
However, I wish to offer my perspective as a long-term customer. I have seldom encountered a team as passionate about their craft as the remarkable individuals at Hana’s Sushi. There is unquestionably a deep level of care and commitment towards their customers, coupled with a concerted effort to provide food that is both fresh and hygienic. Having had the opportunity to visit their back kitchen and, as someone who has worked in multiple restaurants, I can assert with a high degree of confidence that it ranks among the tidiest kitchens I have ever seen.
As your article rightly pointed out, health inspections serve as a mere “snapshot of the day” for any given establishment. Some of the alleged violations are not particularly indicative of the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. It was a bad snapshot that doesn’t mean anything in the long run.
The owner and staffs at Hana’s Sushi are committed to delivering their best daily. For many people on campus, Hana’s Sushi serves not merely as an establishment but as a sanctuary, offering an alternative to the flaws present in Lafayette’s own dining services.
As I, along with numerous other patrons of Hana’s Sushi, can attest, the 11 alleged violations appear to be the result of either profound misunderstandings or communication breakdowns.
With regard to College Hill Cafe, I would advocate for affording them some time for improvement. It’s worth noting that no restaurant can boast a flawless record. From what I have observed, they are performing admirably. Both establishments extend beyond the mere scope of business; they are integral components of the Easton community.
While you may not place significant emphasis on our collective social space and memories, I can assure you that we, as customers, offer a more nuanced appraisal than a mere “snapshot of the day” might suggest.
Hongyi Ding • Sep 22, 2023 at 5:01 pm
Nonsense. The manager told you guys that the fish are stored on the cold shelf properly all the time, and the certificates were just being reprinted at that moment. They have to be renewed once every year, or it may break. Please provide photos and evidence in your news. I can see them properly stored and you just tell lies. Lafayette cannot get its plate cleaned properly, I usually found a layer of oil in the beginning of the school year. Now they still have some food debris left over that stinks on the plate. They leave those vegetables and fruit all day long. How come you feel comfortable with those bacterias? Students are being poisoned right in our college. If you don’t have any true news to report, please report none. If you feel embarrassed for our college’s food safety problems, please don’t hide it but attack other independent restaurants. If you have no idea about what our college has done, shame on you to call yourself newspaper editors. I have been going to Hana for food 7 days a week, and I am going to. Do not post fake news to dirty the name of Lafayette College. Thank you.
Hongyi Ding • Sep 22, 2023 at 4:30 pm
Nonsense. The manager told you guys that the fish are stored on the cold shelf properly all the time, and you say that they are stored on the floor. Please provide photos and evidence. I can see them properly stored and you just tell lies. Lafayette cannot get its plate cleaned properly, I usually found a layer of oil in the beginning of the school year. Now they still have some food debris left over that stinks on the plate. They leave those vegetables and fruit all day long. How come you feel comfortable with those bacterias? If you don’t have any true news to report, please report none. I have been going to Hana for food 7 days a week, and I am going to. Do not post fake news to dirty the name of Lafayette College. Thank you.