DOH Orders Kailua‑Kona Jade Palace 2 Closed Over Critical Food Violations

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health Food Safety Branch issued a red “closed” placard on Feb. 19, 2026, ordering Jade Palace 2 at 75‑5595 Palani Road in the Lanihau Center Kona to close immediately. The establishment, operated by Minh Tuan Tran, "received a red placard on Feb. 19 and must remain closed until the DOH conducts a follow‑up inspection and all critical violations are resolved," the department said in its release.

Local reporting and DOH excerpts list the most alarming findings. The Hawaii Tribune‑Herald reported that "an inspector saw live roaches in food, on food‑contact surfaces and underneath equipment. A container of flour was found infested with roaches, and cooked wontons were seen cooling on the floor. Contaminated food was ordered to be discarded immediately." Those observations were cited in coverage of the Feb. 19 placarding action.

A DOH update included additional specific violations tied to recent inspections, including employee hygiene lapses, improper storage and sanitation failures. The update said an employee returned from a smoke break without washing hands; raw chicken and raw beef were stored above cooked broccoli; ready‑to‑eat items in a refrigerator lacked use‑by dates; the dishwasher had no sanitizer; hand‑washing sinks were being used to clean pans; and grease, dust and grime were present throughout the kitchen. That same update described required corrections: discard unsafe food, hire pest control, disinfect the kitchen and retrain staff.

This is not the first time Jade Palace 2 has been placarded. KITV and local outlets reported a prior red placard issued on May 21, 2025, followed by a green "pass" placard on May 22, 2025, after a follow‑up inspection. The May 2025 sequence similarly cited an active cockroach infestation and unsanitary conditions, with inspectors allowing reopening only after corrections were made and a reinspection found no imminent health hazard.

DOH’s Food Safety Branch instructs food establishments and the public to consult the Food Safety Branch inspections pages for placarding updates and said follow‑up inspection is required before reopening. For accessibility and language requests or other DOH program questions, the release provides the Non‑Discrimination Coordinator phone at (808) 586‑4400 and the obfuscated email strings printed in the release: (/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0662696e28686968626f7565746f6b6f6867726f69684662696e286e6771676f6f28616970) and (/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2b6bdbafcbcbdbcb6bba1b1a0bbbfbbbcb3a6bbbdbc92b6bdbafcbab3a5b3bbbbfcb5bda4).

DOH’s Feb. 19 release clearly states the restaurant must remain closed pending a follow‑up inspection. A separate update attributed to the Department said Jade Palace Two was later allowed to reopen after passing a follow‑up inspection and receiving a green "pass" placard on a Friday, but the update excerpt does not specify a calendar date tying that reinspection to the Feb. 19 action. Until DOH posts the Feb. 19 inspection and any reinspection reports on its FSB Inspections Site, the red placard requirement and the detailed corrective actions remain the official order for the establishment.