Manalapan Kosher Chinese Express Owner Buying Non-Kosher Chicken

[yesitsme]

Who cares

YWN

They want you to stop relying on them because the were ignored

Editor’s Note: YWN reached out multiple times to OK Kosher throughout the day to obtain information regarding this scandal so that restaurant patrons could gain some clarity on the matter. Despite numerous attempts through various means, multiple top OK Kosher officials refused to discuss the matter and would not provide any statement at all (essentially ignoring YWN), leaving our readers in the dark regarding this deeply concerning matter. Stonewalling patrons of a restaurant possibly being served treif in their search for information and guidance is not only disturbing, it also calls into question whether the hashgacha should be relied upon at all.

[Dan]

I won a free lunch at Peking from my 4th grade rebbi after getting tested on mishnayis baal peh. The restaurant was located across the street from Rabbi Dessler's Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

A week after came word that they were serving treif and I felt angry and sick over for a very long time.

?זו תורה וזו שכרה

And it happened in HAC's backyard? Under a vaad that arranged boycotts for restaurants that dared use another hashgocha?

The owner never asked forgiveness from the community, but in time I forgave him. Financial troubles can make people do awful things.

The vaad never said outright that it was treif, but said to kasher dishes, etc. To this day, my mother only uses plasticware on take out food.

[coffeebean]

Basically they believe there was unkosher served for at least 6 months, enough so to require kashering your utensils. What else is needed to know

Imagine someone coming over to your house and telling  you I'm not telling you what I did but you have to kasher all your utensils in the house. Yes, that's technically all I need to know, but I still want to know why I have to kasher them. What could the reason be that they're not telling us?

[Yehuda57]

YWN was ignored by the OK

LOL. Just because your toddler was correct once when you asked him what the parsha of the voch is doesn't mean you should start asking him to pasken your shailos

[wayfe]

Basically they believe there was unkosher served for at least 6 months, enough so to require kashering your utensils. What else is needed to know

They should STATE that in the STATEMENT.

Anything less than stating the following:

There was non-kosher meat served
or
We believe there was non-kosher meat served
or
We suspect that there was non-kosher meat served

is being intentionally vague.

[CountValentine]

IDK. When I want to taste DW's food, if it tastes really good I jokingly say it doesn't taste kosher. Maybe there actually is a correlation between food tasting really good and not being kosher.

You mean like prime rib? 

[EliJelly]

To this day, my mother only uses plasticware on take out food.

Somewhat chilling feeling to eat in plastic utensils because "in case this meat is nveila".

[yuneeq]

They should STATE that in the STATEMENT.

There was non-kosher meat served

They are saving face but this much is clear. When the OK responds within hours and says that you have to kasher utensils this is the only option.

[yelped]

I turn 54 tomorrow. You're actually welcomed to my bd party.

Address? Or I'll have to "POIDH".

[yesitsme]

A mashgiach once told me that a hechsher of a retail food establishment boils down to trusting the owner,
if the owner is not trustworthy a hechsher doesn't do much

[wayfe]

They are saving face but this much is clear. When the OK responds within hours and says that you have to kasher utensils this is the only option.

It's not within hours. Didn't Yudel Shain break the story (after all his previous warnings) on Thursday?

[ExGingi]

A mashgiach once told me that hechsher of a retail food establishment boils down to trusting the owner,
if the owner is not trustworthy a hechsher doesn't do much

FTFY.

If I wouldn't eat in that person's house, I wouldn't eat at their restaurant.

[EliJelly]

Is there anything written from Reb Moshe on which Reb Reuven bases this idea upon?

On טמטום הלב I recall a contradicting opinion from the poskim and Ohr H'Chaim/Sifrei Chasidus. What comes to mind first is קטן אוכל נבילות which is totally permitted according to the Torah yet the poskim write to refrain because it causes טמטום הלב.

[Dan]

FTFY.

If I wouldn't eat in that person's house, I wouldn't eat at their restaurant.

All good and fine, but as seen in CLE and Monsey, frum and seemingly ehriche yidden are fully capable of this as well, with top notch hechsherim behind them.

[yuneeq]

It's not within hours. Didn't Yudel Shain break the story (after all his previous warnings) on Thursday?

The story went viral today, their public response leaves no doubt about whether treif was served. They aren't saying - "we are investigating and keilim might need to be toiveled". It doesn't get clearer.

[yesitsme]

FTFY.

If I wouldn't eat in that person's house, I wouldn't eat at their restaurant.

Which raises the question if you can at all have a non-Jewish owned and operated restaurant with a hechsher

[AsherO]

Somewhat chilling feeling to eat in plastic utensils because "in case this meat is nveila".

It’s more of the trauma of having to Kosher a bunch of dishes just in case they had become unKosher, and ensuring one would never have to face that again. Its not necessarily a concern about any specific takeout establishment, or takeout establishments in general.

[yuneeq]

Which raises the question if you can at all have a non-frum owned and operated restaurant with a hechsher

FTFY
A frum-owned restaurant doesn't necessarily need a mashgiach temidi, but if the owner is untrustworthy you can't eat there if he doesn't.

[AsherO]

Is there anything written from Reb Moshe on which Reb Reuven bases this idea upon?

On טמטום הלב I recall a contradicting opinion from the poskim and Ohr H'Chaim/Sifrei Chasidus. What comes to mind first is קטן אוכל נבילות which is totally permitted according to the Torah yet the poskim write to refrain because it causes טמטום הלב.

I’m not sure if the case you cite is comparable, that one is lechatchila with food that is known to be treif. This is bdieved with food that was presumed to be Kosher.

[wayfe]

The story went viral today, their public response leaves no doubt about whether treif was served. They aren't saying - "we are investigating and keilim might need to be toiveled". It doesn't get clearer.

It left doubt for me. Which is why I am here, dissecting their statement. But thank for clearing that up.

The situation is distressing enough, the least they can do is offer some transparency.