Cooked?
Van Cafe
- gradeGrade A
- inspection score11 pts
- critical violations1
- last inspectedJuly 17, 2025
- address243 Grand Street, Manhattan 10002
- cuisineChinese
- phone2123341313
Is Van Cafe clean?
Van Cafe is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on July 17, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Van Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 17, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🍽️dishwashing setup offSingle service article not provided. Single service article reused or not protected from contamination when transported, stored, dispensed. Drinking straws not completely enclosed in wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeNon-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.
- 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcriticalCold 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 Van Cafe last inspected?
Van Cafe has 3 inspections on record going back to March 16, 2024, averaging 14 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| July 17, 2025 | Grade A | 11 pts |
| May 20, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 24 pts |
| March 16, 2024 | Grade A | 6 pts |
Van Cafe vs Chinatown
Chinatown runs 74% clean across 671 tracked restaurants — 443 clean, 46 mid, 106 cooked.
Against the 671 spots Cooked tracks in Chinatown, this one comes out cleaner than 62% of them.
Other spots in Chinatown
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.
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 July 17, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.