(BIVN) – The Jade Palace 2 in Kona has again been issued a red “closed” placard and immediately forced to shut down by health officials.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health reported on Friday that the food establishment, located at 75-5595 Palani Road and operated by Minh Tuan Tran, received a red placard on February 19 and “must remain closed until the DOH conducts a follow-up inspection and all critical violations are resolved.”

The same restaurant was closed by health officials in May 2025 due to “an active cockroach infestation” and other issues. The eatery was allowed to reopen the next day after passing a follow-up inspection.

During this latest failed inspection, a health inspector observed the following violations:

• An abundant amount of live and dead cockroaches throughout the facility including in food and on food-contact surfaces;
• Food was not stored to prevent contamination;
• Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in the refrigerator were not properly date marked;
• Premises were not maintained free of insects, rodents and other pests;
• Mechanical dishwasher was not dispensing proper concentration of sanitizer;
• Hand-washing sinks were not equipped with soap and used for other purposes; and
• Physical facilities were not maintained and cleaned.

The DOH is requiring the food establishment to take the following corrective actions:

• Discard all contaminated food products;
• Increase professional pest control operator (PCO) services and submit the service report to the DOH;
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect all food and non-food contact surfaces;
• Remove unnecessary equipment and supplies to prevent harborage sites;
• Retrain employees on proper food organization and date marking; and
• Have the mechanical dishwasher repaired.

The DOH says its 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.”