Nakhon Kitchen's Holland Village outlet suspended for 2 weeks

Thai restaurant chain Nakhon Kitchen's Holland Village outlet has been suspended for two weeks by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

According to a notice on the NEA's website, the outlet accumulated 12 demerit points over the last 12 months and was fined a total of $800 for two offences: failing to keep the premises free of rodent infestation and failing to register an assistant.

A licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period can have his licence suspended for either two or four weeks or cancelled, depending on their past record. All food handlers working in the suspended premises would also be required to attend and pass a basic food hygiene course again before they can resume work.

The restaurant manager of Nakhon Kitchen's Holland Village outlet, known only as Mr Law, told Channel NewsAsia that rodents had been coming in from the car park area behind the restaurant.

He added that there are "a lot of rodents behind this stretch of Holland Village" at night, and that the outlet will be building a barrier to block them and other insects from entering the kitchen.

Nakhon Kitchen, famed for its affordable Thai dishes, has seven outlets across Singapore. Business is as usual at the other six outlets.

huizhen@sph.com.sg