health inspection grade · Turtle Bay-East Midtown · Manhattan
🪳cooked
gradeGrade C ⏳
inspection score39 pts
critical violations6
last inspectedJanuary 6, 2026
address212 East 52 Street, Manhattan 10022
cuisineJapanese
phone2123553272
⏳ posted grade stands, but there's a newer inspection the city hasn't ruled on yet.
Is Raku It's Japanese clean?
Raku It's Japanese is currently Grade C ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on January 6, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 6 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳. There is a newer inspection the city has not ruled on yet, so the posted grade still stands for now.
What did inspectors find at Raku It's Japanese?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on January 6, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
🧫equipment / surface issue
Thawing procedure improper.
🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pests
Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
🧽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.
🪳roaches are dining toocritical
Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
🌡️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.
🗑️garbage situation out of pocket
Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
🛠️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.
🍲hot food sitting too coolcritical
Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
🐭they've got roommates (mice)critical
Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
🍴utensils stored sketchycritical
Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
When was Raku It's Japanese last inspected?
Raku It's Japanese has 4 inspections on record going back to October 16, 2023, averaging 27 points.
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.
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 January 6, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.