Authorities Close Chinese Restaurant After Disturbing Discovery In ‘Roast Duck’
The popular “roast duck” dish served at a Chinese restaurant in Madrid may not have been what customers thought it was. The disturbing truth came to light after Spanish police conducted a raid that exposed shocking sanitary violations and potential animal cruelty.
The restaurant, Jin Gu, located in the Usera district of Spain’s capital, became the focus of a police investigation following numerous complaints from residents. Officers carried out the raid at the end of March and soon discovered a series of serious health code breaches that led to the immediate closure of the establishment.
According to reports from El Mundo, a well-known Spanish news outlet, officers who entered the premises were met with an unbearable stench. “Everything smelled of rotten seafood; it was almost unbearable,” one Madrid Municipal Police officer said. The foul odor was only the beginning of what they uncovered.
Inside the restaurant, police found unlabeled meat and fish products stored in unsanitary conditions. The kitchen was crawling with cockroaches, and hygiene levels were far below the legal standard. In several freezers, food items lacked any form of identification, expiration date, or traceability. Eight freezers in total contained goods of unknown origin, making it impossible for authorities to determine what was being served to customers.
The most shocking discovery came when officers found plucked pigeons that had allegedly been caught on the streets. According to reports, employees were accused of killing the birds by kicking them to death before preparing them for cooking. The revelation suggested that some of the restaurant’s so-called “roast duck” dishes may have been made using pigeon meat instead.
Beyond the questionable ingredients, the police found numerous safety and regulatory violations throughout the restaurant. Fire extinguishers were not properly positioned and did not meet the minimum legal height requirement. Trash bins blocked emergency exits, creating a major safety hazard for both staff and patrons. In addition, there were no thermometers in the storage areas, which are legally required in Spain to monitor food temperature and ensure safe preservation.
The investigation took a darker turn when officers discovered a hidden space within the restaurant. Behind a shelf in the restroom area, they found a secret room that was not part of the official floor plan. Inside, there were rusted freezers containing more than 300 kilograms of spoiled food. The room also contained rat traps baited with meat, strips of meat hanging from a clothesline to dry, and an exhaust fan thickly coated with grease.
Authorities shut down Jin Gu immediately after the raid. The owner is now under investigation for potential crimes involving public health violations, animal cruelty, and offenses against consumer rights.
Local residents claimed they had long suspected that something was wrong with the establishment. Many said they had reported the restaurant to authorities several times before the raid. “None of us ate there,” one resident told El Mundo. “It smelled bad, and we saw food being brought in on a cart and left at the door in broad daylight.”
Despite these troubling discoveries, the restaurant surprisingly held a 4.2-star rating on Google. Some online reviewers had even commented on the poor quality of the food years earlier. One customer wrote, “The duck I think is a little dry and lots of bones, not that tasty.” At the time, the remark may have seemed like an ordinary complaint, but in hindsight, it paints a much more unsettling picture.
The investigation into Jin Gu continues, with authorities working to determine how long the restaurant may have been operating under such dangerous and deceptive conditions. The case serves as a chilling reminder of the importance of food safety inspections and consumer vigilance when dining out.