At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
85/ 100 · 15 points taken off
4 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Apr 30, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Simmering Pho Cafe got about the same as most.
Compared with 9,600 Santa Clara County food places. Each place's last routine inspection counts.
What was found out about Simmering Pho Cafe?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- Marked critical: Hot food below 135°F K07How to fixFix it
- Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer K40How to fixFix it
- Food thawed the wrong way K26How to fixFix it
Source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
We review Santa Clara County health data to make this report. We are not the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health.
Visit them directly at deh.santaclaracounty.gov (opens the department's site) · How we review
For Simmering Pho Cafe's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Simmering Pho Cafe. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Simmering Pho Cafe first; we check that you run it.
Your whole team can help. Each person gets one next step, and everyone can see what's done.
This is my place: claim Simmering Pho CafeWe'll help you get every item done. You don't have to do it alone.
We know an inspection can feel heavy, especially when it's busy.
Fix it together
Follow the steps for each item, with the rule beside it.
Next: Hot food below 135°FThe county found: “Observed potentially hazardous food that measured in the temperature danger zone located in the food prep cold hold…”
First step: If food is out of range
Then the next one: Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
Log it
Your team logs the fix on their phones, with the time and who did it.
Show what you did
Saying what you fixed, in your own words, builds trust. Families and regulars respect a kitchen that owns it and fixes it.
Each fix step comes from the rule it names: Food Code 3-304.14, Food Code 3-501.13, Food Code 4-603.16, Food Code 3-305.11.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Hot food below 135°F
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 3 done
If food is out of range
Logged
That's one done. We'll be here for the next.
What people see now
Today, people see the department's words and nothing from you.
What people see after you fix and log it
Example reply
CleanCleaverBusiness reply
Your business replied to this with the public statement:
We fixed this the same day. Now our team logs it on their phones at open and close.
The date of your reply
This is not an official update to the health inspection report. The county's record is unchanged.
Most kitchens get something cited at some point. What people remember is that you fixed it.
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Replies are part of a paid plan. We read each one before it goes up. You can take it down any time. Only the department can change its record.
Do you work there, and someone else owns it? I work there
What people see next
Under each item here, people see what you fixed, in your words.
Left alone, or fixed together
Left alone, the same items can come back at the next inspection. Fixed together, they're done.
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Inspections
From County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health · 3 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 6, 2026
The county visited once in the last 12 months (1 routine).
Every visit
LatestApr 30, 2026Routine inspection85 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 85 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Apr 30, 2026.
4 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Observed potentially hazardous food that measured in the temperature danger zone located in the food prep cold hold unit across from the cookline (brisket, meatballs 52F). [CA] Ensure PHFs are properly cold held at 41F or below OR hot held at 135F or above. Repair, adjust or replace units if necessary. [SA] PIC will discard compromised PHFs by 3pm and repair the unit.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Food Code 3-501.16(A)(1)
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
If food is out of range
- Hot food below 135°F for less than 2 hours: reheat to 165°F.
- Cold food above 41°F for less than 2 hours: chill it right away.
- Unknown time or longer: throw it out.
Which foods need temperature control (TCS)
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Hot and cold holding
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Simmering Pho Cafe? Fix it
Not critical (3)
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
Observed wiping cloth on food prep surface. [CA] Wiping towels shall be stored in sanitizing solution of an approved concentration when not in use (100 ppm - chlorine, 200 ppm - quaternary ammonium).
Food Code 3-304.14
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Keep the bucket strong
- Wet cloths sit in sanitizer between uses: chlorine 50–99 ppm, or quat at label strength.
- Test with the cloths in the bucket when you mix it and every 2 hours.
- Remake it at once if it tests low or has food or dirt in it. Never just add more sanitizer to a dirty bucket.
From Food Code 3-304.14
Keep cloths apart
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Wiping cloths and sanitizer buckets
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Simmering Pho Cafe? Fix it
The department's words
K26 Approved thawing methods used; frozen food
Observed packaged meat thawing in food prep sink. [CA] Frozen potentially hazardous food shall only be thawed in one of the following ways: 1) under refrigeration that maintains the food temperature at 41°F or below, 2) completely submerged under potable running water for a period not to exceed two hours at a water temperature of 70°F or below, and with sufficient water velocity to agitate and flush off loose particles into the sink drain, 3) in a microwave oven if immediately followed by immediate preparation, 4) as part of a cooking process.
Food Code 3-501.13
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
4 safe ways
- 1. In the fridge (best): on the bottom shelf in a pan, at 41°F or below. Plan about 1 day per 4–5 pounds.
- 2. Under cold running water: fully covered by water that is 70°F or colder, in a clean sink. Cook right away.
- 3. In the microwave: then cook right away.
- 4. As part of cooking: cook straight from frozen. Allow about 50% more time and probe to the usual temperature.
From Food Code 3-501.13
Never
2 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Thawing frozen food
The full guide has 2 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Simmering Pho Cafe? Fix it
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
Observed a large pot of broth that had been cooled over night and measured at 43F-44F. [CA] Ensure PHFs are properly cooled from 135F to 70F within 2 hours and from 70F to 41F within 4 hours. Use rapid cooling techniques discussed during inspection.
Food Code 3-501.14
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
If you miss a stage
- Missed stage 1 (not 70°F by 2 hours): reheat to 165°F and start over, or throw it out.
- Missed stage 2 (not 41°F by 6 hours): throw it out.
How to cool fast
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Cooling food in two stages
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Simmering Pho Cafe? Fix it
EarlierJul 16, 2025Routine inspection89 out of 100 (Green placard)
2 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
Observed potentially hazardous food that measured in the temperature danger zone (broth 52F). Per PIC, the broth was cooked at 5am and started the cooling process at 6:30am. [CA] Ensure PHFs are properly cooled from 135F to 70F within 2 hours and from 70F to 41F within 4 hours. [COS] PIC voluntarily discarded the bucket of broth and stated he usually cools the broth in the freezer but didn't have enough room there today.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (1)
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Observed a small amount of brown mold like substance on the inside panel of the ice machine. [CA] Throughly clean and sanitize ice machine on a regular basis.
EarlierDec 19, 2024Routine inspection95 out of 100 (Green placard)
2 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (2)
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Observed buckets of broth stored on the ground. [CA] Ensure food is stored at least 6 inches off of the ground.
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
Observed large buckets of broth cooling. [CA] Reduce the soup into smaller portions for more rapid cooling.
Source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health. This is the department's data, not CleanCleaver's. See the department's full record (opens the department's site)
What you can do
As a customer of Simmering Pho Cafe, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer Read the free guide
- Food thawed the wrong way Read the free guide
- Cooked food not cooled in time Read the free guide
Call Simmering Pho Cafe
Ask for the manager. Simmering Pho Cafe can only fix what it knows about.
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Complain directly to the health department
We are not the health department. You can report to them on their site. Report to County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health (opens the department's site)
When regulars speak up kindly and kitchens fix things, the whole neighborhood eats well. Now you know what the inspector found, and what you can do about it.
Do you work at or run Simmering Pho Cafe?
See the plan to fix each item and show what you did.
Address thisAbout this record
Opens the county's own page for this place.
Most people don't know what a normal result looks like for a place that's open every day. The ranges use each place's last routine inspection in this area. No other county is mixed in.
100 means the inspector found no problems. Santa Clara County takes points off for each problem. Big ones take off more.
The county posts a green, yellow or red placard after each inspection, and gives routine inspections a score. In the county's data, a routine inspection with no violations listed scored 100, and the score drops as violations are found. The county's page does not say which scores or findings give each color: ask the department.
- Inspection type
- Routine inspection
- Result
- 85 out of 100 (Green placard)
- Source
- County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
This is not an official ranking or grade. See the official source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health (opens the department's site) .
Information on this page may be out of date. Check the original source to confirm.