Pasta and Sushi at Scoozi

Italian or Japanese? That was the big question we had to face on a Thursday night. But why choose when we can have both in the same place, at the same time! In 1992, Scoozi started as an Italian restaurant and eventually changed its concept years later by adding Japanese cuisine on the menu. Scoozi is now all over Beirut and Dubai, giving people the option to enjoy both Italian and Japanese dishes on the same table. 

It was my third time in Scoozi. On my first two visits, I was stuck with the Italian menu and didn't dare to add a little bit of craziness to my meal. Yet, I have always wondered "what if I'll have sushi on the side?" So, that Thursday night, there was no room for what ifs. Scoozi promises "a dual sensation", I just had to place my full trust on that.     

At Scoozi, we had an option to order from the a la carte menu or pick whatever we want from the Sushi Bar for 155 AED. The Sushi Bar all-you-can-eat option sounded great, but I was there to enjoy both cuisines, not for Japanese alone. Ed and I decided to browse the menu for a mix and match dinner. 

Scoozi's conveyor belt loaded with Japanese specialties

The Japanese Rolls up close

Scoozi's menu: Italian or Japanese or both? :) 

complimentary bread basket with olive oil

Over dinner, I was contemplating about what we had on our table. From the Italian menu, we ordered Spaghetti al Pesto; fresh homemade pasta with fresh basil sauce and cream. From the Japanese menu, we chose the mix platter of salmon sashimi, salmon sushi, tuna sushi, red snapper sushi, shrimp sushi, Scoozi maki, Philadelphia maki and cucumber maki.   

a closer look on our mismatched dinner

My taste buds were confused! The taste of creamy pasta sauce and the spicy wasabi, plus the delicate texture of raw fish, just didn't blend in. I used fork in a moment, then switched to chopsticks in seconds. I poured in Balsamic dressing on one side for bread sticks, then have to pour Kikkoman for the sushi! Mix and Match? Nah, I totally failed on this. It was a mismatch! I think it would have been better if we had tempura instead of sushi, or maybe pizza instead of pasta. 

You think it's weird? I think so too! Hahaha! But there's always a point in life when you just have to embrace the weirdness in you, satisfy your cravings no matter how weird it can be and enjoy the goodness and weirdness that our world can offer!  

Dinner for 2:

Spaghetti Al Pesto: 54 AED

Mixed Platter: 99 AED

2 Lemon Iced Tea: 36 AED

Location:

Scoozi

The Dubai Mall 

Lower Ground Level