The Health Department is accusing a Waimalu restaurant of removing a restaurant inspection placard.

In a news release, the department said the Ichiben Restaurant, owned by the 3 W Restaurant Group LLC, intentionally removed a yellow “Conditional Pass” placard that was issued for food safety violations last month.

The Health Department said the Kaahumanu Street restaurant is being fined $8,000 for removing the placard. The company can appeal the fine.

A manager had no comment when called Friday morning.

The Health Department said five food code violations were found during a routine inspection on Dec. 26.

Ichiben was cited for having an inaccessible hand wash sink, improper mechanical and manual sanitizing of dishes, improper food temperature violations, and cross-contamination of in-use utensils by employees handling raw poultry. 

On Dec. 29, the inspector who posted the yellow card at the entrance to the restaurant noticed it was no longer there, the Health Department said. But it was replaced when the inspector arrived to do a follow-up inspection on Dec. 30.

Ichiben corrected the violations and has a green placard posted at its entrance.

The restaurant placarding system began on Oahu in June 2014 and nearly 1,600 restaurants have received a green pass placard and nearly 600 have received a yellow conditional pass placard.

Ichiben is the second restaurant cited for removing an inspection placard.