From 2009: Couple finds baby rodent in food court stir-fry

A couple eating at The Sizzling Wok in St. Vital, found a baby rodent in their stir-fry. Saturday, May 9

This is not what you would expect to find in your chicken mushroom stir-fry.

But what one couple says they found after ordering lunch in a fast food court on Saturday is making even health inspectors queasy.

They found a baby rodent.

"I'm shocked and dismayed. This obviously is a very disturbing finding. It does not at all meet the threshold of what we even consider acceptable food practices," says Manager of Public Health Inspection Programs Mike LeBlanc.

The couple bought their meal from the Sizzling Wok location at St. Vital Centre.

The company has voluntarily closed the location for now.

The mall says it contacted the Health Department, and adds the restaurant will not re-open until it is cleared by health inspectors.

"We are looking into the matter as you can understand. As soon as we were aware of the situation we had a huge concern," says Cheryl Mazur from St. Vital.

The couple, who will not decide whether or not to do an interview until they speak with their lawyer, says they bought the stir fry and began eating before making the shocking discovery.

A witness who also declined an on camera interview confirmed to CTV News that this is what the couple found in its meal.

Officials from the Health Department say they still have to figure out what it actually is.

"Just by looking at this I can't determine whether or not it's a mouse, a baby mouse or a baby rat but it is obviously a baby rodent of some sort," says LeBlanc.

Health investigators hope to determine where the rodent actually came from.

It may have come from the restaurant itself, or from a food supplier.

They will also examine the restaurant's food handling practices and its pest control procedures.

LeBlanc says this sort of thing does not happen very often.

With a report from CTV's Shaneen Robinson