One of Hertfordshire's highest-rated Chinese restaurants has been hit with a 1/5 food hygiene score.
Inspectors visited Mexica Chinese Buffet in Rickmansworth on April 22, with the verdict published on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website earlier this week.
The business has been told that "major improvement" is needed in the management of food safety category.
This is the second lowest score that inspectors can hand out and refers to the "system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat and evidence that staff know about food safety".
In the other two categories - management of food safety and the cleanliness and condition of the building - the Station Road buffet was found to be 'generally satisfactory'.
Mexica Chinese Buffet was contacted for comment.
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It currently boasts a Tripadvisor score of 4.1 from 124 reviews, making it Rickmansworth's 13th most popular restaurant, as well as in the top 10 Chinese venues in Hertfordshire.
One reviewer described it as a "great little buffet restaurant", noting that the atmosphere is "always great".
Others praised the "very good value for money" and "excellent" staff.
Mexica Chinese Buffet also received a glowing review from the Observer's former Watford FC correspondent Andrew French when he paid a visit in May 2025.
He wrote: "All the things you’d expect are there: aromatic crispy duck with pancakes, satay chicken skewers, even prawn crackers.
"The spare ribs Peking style were particularly popular as a starter, and the battered chicken balls were huge – and each had a very large piece of tender white chicken breast inside.
"The shredded chilli beef was something I’d not tried before, but it turned out to be my revelation of the night: it had a small kick to it, but was sweet as well and the battered beef was delicious."
He was also full of praise for the "quality and breadth of choice of the food on offer".
The newly published rating means that Mexica Chinese Buffet is now one of just two businesses in the Three Rivers district to have a 1/5 score, while none are currently rated 0/5.
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