Obao

• gradeGrade C ⏳
• grade postedDecember 1, 2025
• inspection score35 pts
• critical violations3
• last inspectedMay 7, 2026 →
• address222 East 53 Street, Manhattan 10022
• cuisineKorean
• phone2123085588

Is Obao clean?

Obao currently carries Grade C ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on December 1, 2025 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on May 7, 2026 scoring 35 points — but NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has not ruled on that visit, so no new grade has been issued. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder the posted grade reads cooked 🪳; the numbers above come from the newer visit.

What did inspectors find at Obao?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 7, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧼staff skipping handwashingcritical
  Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcritical
  Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• 🧫food contact surfaces dirty
  Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
• 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcritical
  Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation.

When was Obao last inspected?

Obao has 9 inspections on record going back to July 27, 2023, averaging 30 points.

Obao vs Turtle Bay-East Midtown

Turtle Bay-East Midtown runs 84% clean across 620 tracked restaurants — 460 clean, 31 mid, 56 cooked.

Against the 620 spots Cooked tracks in Turtle Bay-East Midtown, this one comes out cleaner than 3% of them.

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See every restaurant inspection in Turtle Bay-East Midtown →

How New York grades restaurants

New York City health inspectors score violations in points, and lower is better: 0–13 points earns an A, 14–27 a B, and 28 or more a C. Every restaurant is inspected at least once a year, and the letter has to be posted in the window. A restaurant that scores 14 or more on the first inspection of a cycle does not get a letter right away — it stays “Grade Pending” until a re-inspection settles it, which is why some spots here show an hourglass instead of a letter. Cooked only ever shows a letter the city actually posted; we never infer one from a score.

Read the New York ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via NYC Open Data. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated May 7, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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