Beirut gets a taste of Dubai’s star chef Reif Othman with Suki

Singapore-born restaurateur explains his playful take on traditional Japanese cuisine

Chef Reif Othman is behind the menu of new Beirut restaurant Suki. Photo: Reif Othman

Bringing street-born Asian soul food to the heart of Beirut, Suki offers bold flavours and authentic dishes, elevated with a dash of contemporary flair.

The newly launched casual-dining restaurant by Karim Jaber serves a robust yet elegant menu that has been designed by Singapore-born, Dubai-based Reif Othman, the chef behind Reif Kushiyaki, Hoe Lee Kow and Tero.

As one of the Middle East’s most exciting culinary figures, Othman has earned multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand recognitions, the Chefs’ Choice Award in the inaugural Mena 50 Best Restaurants list and accolades from Gault & Millau UAE. The chef is known for his exciting yet refined creations, including his popular Wagyu sando and viral yuzu “toilet roll” cake, and Beirut is now getting a slice of the action with this new experiential restaurant in the Saifi Village neighbourhood.

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There are fusion, pan-Asian and westernised dishes in Beirut, but not many authentic Chinese restaurants

Reif Othman,
chef and restaurateur

“I always believe in respecting ingredients as they are. Don't complicate things. Keep it simple. Don’t try to make a fish or mushroom taste like something else,” Othman tells The National. “Get good ingredients and cook with good techniques, so you can play with the flavours themselves.

“Travel inspires so much of my cooking, especially around Japan and the US, as both countries have such vibrant culinary scenes. I’m always looking for new things to bring back,” he adds. “For Suki, the idea was to have comforting, straightforward, honest food. Somewhere that is casual, in a young and vibrant neighbourhood, so you can come every day.”

The decor at Suki is distinctly Asian with with lucky cats and fish motifs. Photo: Reif Othman

The restaurant’s carefully curated decor immediately sets the tone, filled with fun Japanese night-market style elements – minimalist lucky cats, colourful sake barrels, and hanging cloth banners decorated with fish motifs – that offer a sleek, contemporary take on traditional restaurants and festival food stalls.

The menu itself offers a mix of classic Japanese dishes and sharing plates, refined by Othman’s expertise in balancing flavours and textures. Menu highlights include crunchy pickled cucumber salad and crispy spring rolls, freshly-made sushi and hearty ramen. The selections of Chinese dim sum and Japanese gyoza are a particular highlight, although Othman is careful not to muddle styles from different countries.

“I wouldn't describe it as fusion food, because I like to keep the identity of a dish as it is, so most of the menu at Suki is traditional Japanese, but a bit more playful,” Othman says. “When I visited Beirut in the past, I couldn’t find a good dim sum place, no one seemed to be doing it. So I thought Suki was the perfect opportunity to introduce these dumplings to Beirut, done properly.

Reif Othman promises to bring dim sum 'done properly' to Beirut. Photo: Reif Othman

“Most dishes are made with locally sourced produce and ingredients – we only had to import a few Japanese ingredients – so everything is fresh and tastes at its best, because it’s seasonal,” he adds. “One of my favourite dishes is beef claypot. The claypot comes from Singaporean cuisine, where they marinate the meat in soy sauce and cook it all in one pot. At Suki we do it a bit differently – we cook the rice in beef stock, then top it with grilled Angus, mushrooms, fried onions and a little butter, to create a contrast of flavours.”

The umami-forward dish is both comforting and savoury, with earthy mushrooms threaded through the rice and a burst of sweetness from the crispy onions. The beef is tender and the dish is rounded off with fresh herbaceous notes from chopped spring onions and shiso leaf.

It’s a stellar example of how Othman elevates heritage home cooking into balanced, complex-flavour dishes. When designing Suki’s menu, Othman was conscious of creating a flavour profile that worked for Lebanese palates, rather than what is popular in the Gulf.

The chef recommends the beef claypot. Photo: Reif Othman

“I noticed that Lebanese people like less salt and more sour flavours than in the UAE, where they love deeply savoury, salty dishes,” Othman explains. “The Lebanese palate has always leaned towards lemon or sour tones, and more contrasting flavours, so I had to change the balance when creating the dishes for Suki – a little tangy, a little sweet.”

Other must-try plates include sweet and nutty shrimp sesame toast, har gau dim sum – a mixed-seafood filling wrapped in soft squid ink dumpling shell – and spicy tuna sushi roll.

Suki offers a contemporary take on traditional restaurants and festive food stalls. Photo: Reif Othman

It's worth saving some space for dessert, as the banana fritters with miso caramel sauce and ice cream, or the light and fluffy Japanese cheese cake topped with cream and berries, make a satisfyingly sweet finish to the meal.

Going forward, Othman plans to add seasonal specials alongside Suki’s regular offering, introducing more Chinese dishes, such as Mongolian beef, sweet and sour shrimp, as well as more ramen options for the cold winter months.

“I realised there are a lot of fusion, pan-Asian-style or westernised Chinese dishes in Beirut, but not many authentic Chinese restaurants,” Othman says. “So I feel it could be cool to add some of these to the menu as monthly specials. We’ll follow the seasons and see what Beirut brings.”