DOH ISSUES RED PLACARD TO OLAY’S THAI FOOD EXPRESS IN ʻAIEA

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) issued a red placard and immediately shut down Olay’s Thai Food Express, located at 99-927 Iwaena St. in ʻAiea, due to insufficient refrigeration for food that requires Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS).

The food establishment, operated by Dan Heung, LLC, received the red placard on Sept. 11 and must remain closed until the DOH conducts a follow-up inspection and all cold-holding violations are resolved. This establishment cannot be used for any food that will be served or distributed to the public at the restaurant or at off-site events.

During a routine inspection conducted on Sept. 11, 2025, a DOH inspector noted critical violations including:

• No hand soap available at the handwashing sinks in the kitchen and employee restroom
• No paper towels or hand-drying device available at the handwashing sink in the employee restroom
• Food storage in unapproved packaging (food stored in direct contact with reused cardboard box)
• Utensils and equipment not being properly sanitized after washing and rinsing. No sanitizer available on site.
• Improper cold holding temperatures. (Three of the four refrigeration units on-site, including the walk-in refrigerator, were marked out of temperature)
• Ready-to-Eat, Time/Temperature Control for Safety (RTE, TCS) not marked to indicate the date or day by which the food shall be consumed or discarded.

The DOH is requiring the food establishment to take the following corrective actions before it can reopen:

• Refrigeration units must be able to maintain proper cold-holding temperatures of 41 F or below.

The next follow-up inspection is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

The DOH Food Safety Branch protects and promotes the health of Hawai‘i residents and visitors through education of food industry workers and regulation of food establishments statewide. The branch conducts routine health inspections of food establishments where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed, or sold.

For more information on the department’s placarding program go to http://health.hawaii.gov/san/

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