Sushiro Taiwan to sue college student who put pet lizard on sauce plate

Fish have scales, as do geckoes - but one of the two should be less likely to appear on your dinner plate.

That may not be the case for this diner, however - and her actions have landed her in hot water after sushi restaurant chain Sushiro have announced their intentions to sue her for putting a lizard on an empty sauce plate at one of their outlets in Taiwan, according to multiple Taiwanese media reports on Monday (June 24).

Sushiro said they intend to take legal action and hold her responsible for damages to their reputation, among other damages caused by her actions, the company said in a statement on Facebook on Monday.

"The consumer's behaviour has raised concerns about hygiene and caused damage to the company's reputation," Sushiro also stated. 

"All Sushiro outlets in Taiwan have stepped up their cleaning and disinfection of tableware to ensure that meals are safe and clean."

The diner, a student from Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan City, Taiwan had gone to a Sushiro outlet to celebrate her birthday and brought her pet lizard into the shop's premises, ET Today reported.

After putting multiple plates of sushi on her table, she then placed her pet on a sauce plate among the plates of sushi, snapping a picture of her reptilian friend.

She then posted the image on her Instagram - but the same picture found its way to Taiwan social media platform Dcard.

Many users found it "disgusting" and "unhygienic", wondering why the student would even let her pet out at a restaurant - a lizard, moreover.

"It's cute but it's the wrong place [to do that]," a user commented on the post, according to Taiwan publication Liberty Times. "That's very unhygienic."

Another worried: "What if the plates aren't washed well afterwards?"

University responds

Responding to queries by Taiwan media, Yuan Ze University said that they are "rigorous in running the school" and "attach great importance to students' moral education and health and safety education". 

"If we receive news reports or complaints from the public, we will handle them prudently and in accordance with the principles of impartiality," the university said.

Students who have erred will be "dealt with in accordance with school regulations" and are also required to apologise to the victims and relevant merchants.

The university said it also promised to strengthen students' moral education and promote the importance of health and safety.

ALSO READ: Lizard discovered in zi char stall's dish, but SFA finds no food safety lapses

khooyihang@asiaone.com