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Inspections by Violation

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IsTheKitchenClean displays publicly available food inspection data from the Chicago Department of Public Health. Trending rankings and summaries are automated interpretations of that data and are not official health department assessments. Inspection findings reflect conditions at a specific point in time and may not represent current conditions at a restaurant.

Ema

Restaurant

74 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

River North

Jun 30, 2026 — Canvass inspection

Fail

A routine, unannounced visit by a city health inspector.

Coolers storing meat and seafood were 10-19°F too warm, forcing discard of ~100 lbs of food.

Standout Inspection

We flagged this inspection for serious public health concerns.

Key Findings

  • Walk-in cooler and two prep coolers holding beef, salmon, and shrimp were maintaining temperatures between 48.6°F and 60.1°F, well above the required 41°F maximum. About 100 pounds of product worth ~$1,000 had to be discarded.
  • Dish machine's final rinse temperature was stuck at 130°F instead of the required 180-192°F range, preventing proper sanitization of food-contact surfaces.
  • No soap was available at a handwashing sink near the cook line, creating a hygiene hazard.
  • Ice machine had black slime buildup inside, contaminating ice used for food cooling.

Key findings are derived directly from the inspector's notes from the Chicago Department of Public Health. See the full violation notes below.

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Violation code #16 — FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES: CLEANED & SANITIZED
Inspector's Notes:

OBSERVED HIGH TEMPERATURE DISH MACHINE IN REAR DISH AREA MAINTAINING AN IMPROPER MAXIMUM FINAL RINSE TEMPERATURE OF 130F. MACHINE TAGGED AND HELD FOR INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE AND MAINTAIN MACHINE SO THAT IT IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING A FINAL RINSE BETWEEN 180-192F. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-025. CITATION ISSUED.

Violation code #33 — PROPER COOLING METHODS USED; ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Inspector's Notes:

OBSERVED 3 COOLERS, 1 WALK-IN COOLER AND 2 PREP COOLERS ON COOK LINE, ALL CONTAINING TCS ITEMS SUCH AS BEEF AND SALMON, MAINTAINING THE FOLLOWING IMRPOPER AMBIENT TEMPERATURES: WALK-IN COOLER AT 52.1F, PREP COOLER AT 60.1F, AND PREP COOLER AT 56.1F. ALL 3 COOLERS TAGGED AND HELD FOR INSPECTION. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.

Inspection History

Ema has had 7 inspections in the last 5 years with a 86% pass rate. Last inspection was on Jul 7, 2026.

Jul 7, 2026Conditional

Canvass Re-Inspection — A follow-up to confirm violations from a routine visit were fixed.

2 violations
Standout inspection
Jun 30, 2026FailVIEWING NOW

Canvass — A routine, unannounced visit by a city health inspector.

6 violations
Jun 25, 2025Conditional

Canvass — A routine, unannounced visit by a city health inspector.

6 violations