Business & Tech

Easton Mayor Lends His Support to Sogo

Sogo, an Asian fusion restaurant in Easton, had 17 violations in April health inspection, but has since improved.

It's been a hectic few weeks for , an Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Easton.

Late last month, an inspection found 17 different violations at the Northampton Street eatery. That was the most of any food service business in Northampton County, said the Express-Times, which reported the violations last Sunday.

Earlier this week, a follow-up inspection found that most of the violations -- which included food being stored at improper temperatures, improper food handling, and surfaces that needed cleaning -- had been remedied.

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On Friday, Easton Mayor Sal Panto held a quasi-news conference at Sogo, which essentially amounted to the mayor ordering lunch for himself, his wife and his staff in order to show "that we are not afraid to eat here."

Sogo owner Linda Duong worries that other people might be, since the news of the inspection broke. 

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"Mother's Day night, [we had] only three tables," she said.

Duong said the inspection found sushi being stored at the wrong temperature because the refrigerator in question had just been turned on. Addressing another violation -- raw chicken that was stored above raw vegetables -- she said that her kitchen staff washes and peels all vegetables during preparation.

Panto said Sogo is known across the Lehigh Valley for its sushi. Duong had come to him for help earlier this week, but he told her there was nothing he could do, and that the inspectors were only doing their jobs.

"Hopefully, they can continue to do what they're doing right now," the mayor said of Sogo. "In the food service industry, the most important thing you have is your reputation for cleanliness."

You can find inspection reports for Sogo and any other place in Easton that serves food at the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.


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