Woman Says She Found Dead Rat in Salad At US Eatery, Restaurant Denies Claim Citing CCTV Footage

A 27-year-old woman in New York City has claimed that she discovered a dead rodent in her salad during lunch, sparking a food safety controversy. Hannah Rasbach alleges she found the animal while eating a bowl of spring mix with grilled salmon and beef bulgogi from Ongi, a restaurant located on West 37th Street.

Rasbach described the shock she felt when she realised what she initially mistook for an uncut piece of meat was in fact a rodent. "I moved the lettuce over and could tell what it was pretty quickly. I was in shock," she told People magazine.

However, Ongi has strongly denied the claim, releasing security footage they say shows no evidence of contamination during meal preparation. In a statement, the restaurant said the NYC Health Department inspected their premises following the complaint and reaffirmed their 'A' rating. Officials reportedly found no vermin during their inspection.

"We stand behind our staff and our food safety standards," the restaurant said, adding that the security footage suggests Rasbach left with a sealed bowl, free of any foreign object. The eatery claims it is "implausible" such a large object would have gone unnoticed by staff.

Rasbach, who says she was refunded and later contacted by Ongi's owner, maintains her allegation and says she has no motive to fabricate the incident. "What am I getting out of this? There's no benefit to me putting a rodent in my bowl," she said.

Since the episode, Rasbach says she has been traumatised and is now wary of eating out. The restaurant, meanwhile, continues to assert its innocence and urges customers to trust their food safety record.