Nestled on Coast Hwy in the Leucadia community of Encinitas, you will find a little hole in the wall named Kai Ola Sushi. Cooper and I happened upon this spot after a long walk admiring the beautiful California coast. Sushi sounded good, so we decided to give it a try.
About Kai Ola Sushi in Leucadia, Encinitas
Kai Ola is all about fresh – fresh fish, fresh creations, fresh vibes and fresh sake! Their head chef Matt was brought up in his parent’s Japanese fusion style restaurant which led to his love of sushi. With over 18 years of training, Matt served as the executive chef at Edamame in San Diego before coming over to Kai Ola.
Kai Ola is an original west coast izakaya. What is that you might ask? An izakaya is a Japanese style pub where small, typically inexpensive dishes are served and shared to accompany the alcoholic drinks. The word breaks down to mean stay, alcohol and room or shop. Literally, it is a shop for people to stay with alcohol.
Kai Ola’s goal is to bring people together to enjoy their menu, influenced by Japanese and Hawaiian roots.
What to Drink at Kai Ola Sushi
Kai Ola offers craft sake in either a glass, carafe or bottle. Silver Mountain, Tenth Degree, Summer Breeze and Heart & Soul are options on the menu. If you are unsure of what to order, try a sake flight to get a taste of three. Not in the mood for sake? Try one of their craft or Japanese beers. Not in the mood for alcohol? Watermelon Green Tea, Cucumber Lime Infusion and Fresh Lemonade are all house made.
What to Eat at Kai Ola Sushi
Their menu is diverse with appetizers, salads, poke bowls, noodles, rolls, sashimi, nigiri sushi, and even some “turf” dishes for those who don’t like fish. Feeling adventurous? Try an Omakase, which means “respectively leaving another to decide what is best.” Choose lite, medium or big, and the chef will create a fresh assortment of the best selections of the day. Don’t miss out on their specialty rolls with many named after local beaches.
Click below to preview the menu at Kai Ola:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mNanC9af4ViuDJb54hEMTJMlx5F19Hwk/preview
My Meal at Kai Ola Sushi
It was hard to make up my mind, but I ordered the following:
- Edamame – A sushi restaurant staple, it is offered steamed or you can add a garlic butter or sweet & spicy sauce to ramp up the taste. I chose garlic butter and was not disappointed.
- Cucumber Salad – This salad is perfectly dressed, light and flavorful.
- “Stone Steps” Specialty Roll – A combination of salmon, salmon skin, kaiware (sprouts), gobo (burdock root), avocado, ikura (fish eggs), white onion, and ponzu sauce, it is both beautiful and yummy!
Daily food and drink specials are available. Make sure to ask your server for the details.
Kai Ola Sushi is Dog-Friendly
Dogs are allowed on their outside patio which includes a colorful narrow alleyway on the side of the building. While there is no dog menu, Cooper enjoyed a side of salmon skin that the restaurant was happy to prepare. The staff is very friendly and made Coop and me feel welcomed.
What to Know to Not Stress Before You Go
Kai Ola is located at 918 N. Coast Highway in Encinitas, California. Their phone number is 760-452-2493.
They offer a sushi bar, inside seating and patio seating, but it is pretty small. They get quite busy, so be prepared for a possible wait.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily from 12pm to 9pm daily (until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays).
You can order online or from Grubhub directly from their website: