A California diner has filed a lawsuit against a popular sushi restaurant, alleging severe food poisoning due to unsanitary conditions. On April 18, 2025, Alexander Xue filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, against Sushi Concepts Stanford LLC and IDG Holdco, LLC. The complaint accuses the defendants of multiple violations related to food safety and negligence.
According to the complaint, Xue dined at Sushi Roku located at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto on March 1, 2025. After consuming various dishes including grilled lamb chop and mixed sushi plates, Xue fell violently ill. An emergency report was promptly filed with the County of Santa Clara’s Department of Environmental Health (DEH), leading to an unscheduled inspection that revealed "disgusting and unsanitary conditions" at the restaurant. Inspector Aleli Crutchfield noted major violations such as lack of soap at hand sinks and improper storage temperatures for raw fish—conditions that pose significant health risks. Xue's legal action claims these hazardous conditions were known by the defendants but ignored, resulting in his illness.
The lawsuit details several causes of action including strict liability for manufacturing and design defects, failure to warn consumers about potential risks, negligence in maintaining food safety standards, and breaches of implied warranties regarding merchantability and fitness for consumption. The plaintiff argues that the defendants' actions—or lack thereof—constituted a "knowing disregard" for public safety laws designed to prevent such health hazards. As evidence of repeated negligence, Xue points out previous health code violations documented by DEH inspectors months before his visit.
Xue is seeking general damages for his suffering as well as punitive damages aimed at punishing the defendants and deterring similar conduct in the future. The lawsuit demands accountability from both Sushi Concepts Stanford LLC and IDG Holdco for their roles in operating Sushi Roku under unsafe conditions.
Representing himself pro se, Alexander Xue seeks justice through this court filing numbered 25CV463889. No attorneys are listed on either side yet; however, Judge M. Suare is reviewing the case documentation.