Scoozi: They Call it Open Sushi… Preferably Not

I was at Cozmo just a day before I came to Scoozi. Let’s just say I had less than average sushi at their conveyer belt. I had a plane to catch to Dubai at 5pm, so my wife and I left home earlier to grab a bite somewhere. We stopped at Beirut City Centre. Let’s Sushi she said. So we did. I haven’t been to Scoozi in a while, at least three years ago, so we thought why not give it a try… 

In 1992 Scoozi opened in Verdun as the first Italian restaurant to offer a comprehensive range of pizza, pasta and salad. Scoozi specializes in preparing hand-made, wood baked pizzas in an open kitchen, producing its own fresh pasta, traditional Italian dishes and superb desserts, creating a place for people to dine out while still feeling “at home”. As competition has increased and more Italian restaurants have opened, Scoozi has differentiated itself from other restaurants by creating the concept of the Scoozi Conveyor.

We sat at the conveyor belt and were welcomed by a waitress who informed us that they were offering an open sushi formula. It wasn’t going to choose what I like and pay according to their color codes… Anyway, open sushi for $33 was intriguing, so we decided to play the game.

The place:

• A light relaxed ambiance with natural light entering from all sides
• Nicely designed light wood chairs and tables
• A couple of light brown sofas
• A triangular conveyor belt like the one found at Cozmo which offers the same concept at Kaiten
• The bar is relaxing since it’s low at table level
• Another bar serve drinks and coffee
• Black lights pend from the ceiling over every person
• Posters of Italian origins decorate all the walls
• Two columns of brick separate the restaurant from the mall

The conveyer belt was empty. It was still off when we came and was off when they started putting some plates on it… A tiny choice of maki rolls that was actually too cold. They seemed like they have been made early in the morning and refrigerated, not to assume the night before. We said OK, let’s enjoy the food like we often do at fast food sushi joints in Europe.

You eat what is placed in front of you and nothing else. The choices are limited and unappetizing. My wife, who’s pregnant couldn’t eat any of the plates proposed. We asked them to make us some crabstick makis. One of the women behind the counter told her friend, “but we are not allowed to make anything else.” After a long debate with each other they prepared some crab rolls that she could eat.

An overdose of rice is what’s for lunch along with fried appetizer bites that smell used oil.