Popular Chapel St restaurant Little Tim Tam had rodent poo in its kitchen

A popular Chapel St restaurant has spectacularly failed to keep secret its “revolting” food safety breaches, including rodent poo in the kitchen, after it was dobbed in for unsanitary conditions.

Little Tim Tam tried to keep its food safety breaches secret.

A popular Chapel Street restaurant had rodent poo in its kitchen, where a dead cockroach and fly were also found inside a container of flour.

Asian fusion restaurant Little Tim Tam spectacularly failed to keep secret its “revolting” food safety breaches after making and then abandoning a bid to suppress the case from being made public.

The Prahan eatery which serves “Thai and Vietnamese inspired flavours” was dobbed in for “unsanitary conditions” by a member of Victoria Police in April 2022.

A Stonnington Council food safety inspection uncovered raw meat stored outside a fridge and rodent droppings on kitchen shelves.

The restaurant was ordered to clean up its act but failed a second inspection where more rodent poo was found in addition to the dead cockroach and fly.

A live cockroach was also found living in a hole in the wall.

The Prahan eatery which serves “Thai and Vietnamese inspired flavours” was dobbed in for “unsanitary conditions” in 2022.

The company was slapped with an $1875 fine but failed to pay it, resulting in criminal charges.

The case came before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in July where the restaurant owner instructed lawyers to fight for the charges to be kept secret to “prevent a real and substantial risk to the proper administration of justice and to protect the safety of any person”.

However the secrecy bid was abandoned on Friday as the company pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Food Safety Standards Code.

Barrister Bradley Newton said it was a “most regrettable circumstance” for his client, who wouldn’t have been brought before the court if the fine had been paid.

Magistrate Michael Gurvich ordered the company pay $3000, which included costs to Stonnington Council.

Mr Gurvich condemned the food safety breaches, saying consumers deserved better.

“The defendant understands these breaches are unacceptable,” he said.

“They are revolting and occurred on two separate occasions.”

A Stonnington Council food safety inspection uncovered raw meat stored outside a fridge and rodent droppings on kitchen shelves.

The court heard Little Tim Tam eventually rectified its “noncompliance” issues and requested the fine be transferred to a payment plan on the basis of financial hardship.

The restaurant had its deal of troubles prior to the food safety breaches, including infighting between its chef and “front of house man” resulting in one quitting in addition to fines by council for noise and parking breaches involving the owner, who rents above the restaurant.

“It’s incredibly regrettable that the defendant company was not in a position to pay the fine at the time the infringement was issued,” Mr Newton said.

Mr Gurvich agreed, saying it had become an “expensive exercise” for the company, which could have resolved the issue months ago for almost half the cost ordered by the court.

“This is not the most serious end of offending. I do not intend to impose a conviction in these circumstances,’ Mr Gurvich added.

In a statement, Stonnington Council said it “is committed to upholding public health standards on behalf of the community”.

“Community members and visitors dining in Stonnington are encouraged to email [e-mail] with any concerns,” the statement read.