7 Ways to Spot a Clean Restaurant

Last year we’ve heard of an Asian restaurant in central London shut down due to extraordinary filth. In case you’re wondering how bad it was, health inspectors found mice inside food bags and cockroaches on the kitchen floors of Malaysia Kopi Tiam. It must have been terrible news for those who ate in this diner, and it won’t be a surprise if any of them made a trip to the nearest doctor. 

None of us want to eat or even set foot on a mice-infested diner, whether it’s indoor or outdoor catering London. So to help youknow if you’re in good hands, here are seven ways to tell if the restaurant is clean or not:

Check out the bathroom. This is the most basic principle in Restaurant Cleanliness 101: if the bathroom is filthy and lacks basic hand-washing necessities,chances are the owners or managers don’t think much of basic hygiene. Check if the bathroom has soap, hand air dryer or paper towels, and hot water. Also observe if the floor and wall tiles are clean.

Check out the kitchen.Kitchen staff should be wearing hair nets, caps, and gloves at all times inside the kitchen. 

Peek at the back door. Sometimes back doors are left open and you can sneak a little peek to the condition inside. Trash bins and dumpsters should be neat and covered, and if they’re not, odds are the kitchen and other hidden areas of the place look like that too.

Observe waiters and food runners. These people are the ones who handle and deliver your food, so their hygiene should be top priority. Check if they have clean clothes, well-kempt hair, neat and trimmed finger nails, and if they are in perfect shape (no sneezing or coughing). Any restaurant in Ealing that prioritizes cleanliness will keep its front men presentable at all times. 

Scrutinise the menu and silverware. It’s basic to check if the cutleries don’t smell of soap or food or have remains of food, grime, and grease. Also check if the menus are not smeared with grease or caked in food.

Watch how staffshandle silverware. If workers grab cutleries by the part you put inside your mouth that should tell you that they are not properly trained on basic food serving sanitation. It’s also better if the silverware is wrapped so there will be no cross-contamination. 

Make a food temperature check. It goes without saying that fresh meals are served hot, except of course if you ordered a medium-rare steak. If your meal is not hot, and if the menu does not specifically say that food is to be served in room temperature, it may mean that the time interval between when the plate was made and served is too long. 

Whether it’s Western or Indian catering Ealing, make sure to size up the place first before taking your first bite. As the saying goes, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.