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The following verbatim report is provided by the Kansas City Health Department as a summary of inspections following the NBC Action News investigation that uncovered fish substitions at metro restaurants.
The health department sorted the restaurants into three categories indicating where substitutions were identified, corrected, or not confirmed by their independent inspections.
Substitutions either observed or stated during the inspection with corrective action either pending or needed:
Couzinz - Manager stated they ordered red snapper and received snapper filet. They will either change the menu to say snapper filet or assure that the bill of sale states red snapper.
Domo - Distributor was providing a product labeled Izumedia. The name translates from Japanese as red snapper, but is not, in fact, red snapper. It is tilapia.
Fish City - invoices not available at the time of the inspection (manager not on site). Chef stated he was not aware of ever having sold rockfish. During a follow-up meeting with manager, all invoice items matched except "snapper" in place of "red snapper". Manager stated that when they order red snapper, this is what they receive. "Red" has been removed from the posted menu, and will be removed from the printed menu.
Kato - at the time of the inspection, the menu matched invoices. The manager stated that they occasionally put a fish with an altered name in the menu if it is in the same family. The manager will remove "red" from the menu. (I will speak with the inspector supervisor and mention that the invoice they showed you was for Red Seabream, rather than Red Snapper).
KC Sushi - Establishment was selling cuttlefish as squid and red seabream as red snapper (owner stated that the supplier told him cuttlefish was the same thing as squid and that red seabream is a type of red snapper). Minced pollack (fish cake) was being sold as "crab stick (kani)". Capelin roe was being sold as "salmon roe" or "smelt roe". (Capelin is a member of the smelt family, which resembles salmon but they are not the same). The manager had removed "red snapper" from the menu and replaced it with "tilapia (izumidai)" by the time of the inspection.
Red Snapper Pan Asian - Manager stated that what was available for sale was dependent on availability from suppliers; when Red Snapper is available, that is what they get, but at times they get other snapper (Pacific or gulf). They will change the menu to Crispy Snapper Filet and plans to post a sign in the window stating what type of snapper is available that day.
Addressed/Corrected by the time of the inspection:
Bice - Manager stated that the altered name had been a corporate specification; at the time of the inspection, they had changed the menus to represent what was being served.
Michael Smith - Wild strip bass and grouper had been removed from the menu the day of the inspection; the menu regularly changes based on season or on fisherman's catch. The manager stated that the server had forgotten or neglected to mention that a substitution had been made because they were out of grouper at the time, assuring the inspector that this was an isolated incident. The managers are putting staff through specific training to address and eliminate this issue.
Nara - owner stated that when he became aware of the issue, he called the supplier for clarification, then removed snapper and tilapia from the menu and discontinued ordering snapper. Tilapia will still be used in happy hour fish tacos.
Not found at time of inspection:
Drum Room - The manager and executive chef stated that red snapper is not on the menu. At the time of the inspection, the menu stated "corn fried snapper".
Friends - Owner stated that they do not sell red snapper, and it is not on the menu. She stated that if someone requests something not on the menu, the restaurant will recommend something similar.
Source: Kansas City Health Department
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