After concluding a three-hour inspection, Los Angeles County health officer Siu-Man Chiu sat down at a table in a closed-off banquet room to tally the letter grade for a Chinese dim sum eatery in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley.

She noted the uncovered glass left in the food preparation area. No paper towels by the hand sink. A moldy refrigerator. Dead bugs in a plastic container used to hold pig's blood. The restaurant's current grade was a B, but as Chiu began tabulating violations, she knew it was in jeopardy. "Right away, it's borderline," she said. "What killed them was the red beans. That's six points."

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At that moment, the doors swung open. A manager told Chiu that the restaurant was so jammed with lunch-hour customers that he needed the space. Before Chiu could finish, servers with steam carts began to unload glistening spareribs and braised chicken feet onto tables filled with noisy patrons.

"Some places, you don't feel like you're making a difference," Chiu said. "Some of the violations you see again and again, and they're still making good business. Even with a C, Chinese people don't care."