TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Suspected food poisoning cases are being traced to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室), a vegetarian restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi area, with a total of six people feeling unwell, including one reported death thought to be traced to the restaurant.

Taipei City Government’s Department of Health ordered an immediate suspension of the restaurant’s operations after a preliminary investigation found three major violations. The offenses included cockroach excrement on dishes, unclean kitchen utensils, and the failure of restaurant staff to file health status reports, per CNA.

The deceased individual was a 39-year-old man surnamed Lu (呂) who dined with a colleague at the restaurant located in the Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 on Friday afternoon (March 22). After having vegetarian fried noodles and pandan leaf drinks, he experienced vomiting, abdominal pain, and heart palpitations that night. 

The following evening (March 23), he checked himself into Sanchong’s New Taipei Hospital. His condition did not improve after he was given treatment for symptoms, and he was later transferred to Taipei’s Mackay Memorial Hospital, where he died. 

New Taipei City Prosecutor's Office said it received a hospital report regarding Lu’s death. It said more investigation was needed to confirm the cause of death and that an autopsy report would be required, typically taking five days to complete, available on Friday (March 29) at the earliest.

Taipei City Government’s Department of Health has collected samples from the restaurant, staff, and customers who reported being ill. Results from these tests are expected to be released in two weeks. If the restaurant is found to be the source of food poisoning, a fine of NT$60,000 (US$1,900) to NT$200 million can be imposed.

After the death was reported in the media, Taipei health authorities received more reports of people feeling unwell after eating at the restaurant, including a 40-year-old woman in the intensive care unit of Taipei’s Mackay Memorial Hospital and a 30-year-old man who developed nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms and was diagnosed with acute hepatitis at Tri-Service General Hospital.

Other reported illnesses include a 66-year-old man who suffered from diarrhea, weakness, fatigue, and other symptoms after eating similar vegetarian fried noodles, but his friend who dined with him had no symptoms.

Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁), head of the Food and Drug Administration at the Taipei City Department of Health, said that approximately 40 people ordered the vegetarian fried noodles from March 19–23. Lin also said that two ingredients in this dish, cabbage and beech mushrooms, cannot cause this type of illness and death, as more investigation is being undertaken to find the source of the food poisoning.

A notice was posted outside of the Polam Kopitiam restaurant on Tuesday (March 26), indicating the restaurant was undertaking a two-day disinfection and would not open again until results from health officials are released.