Kai Ola Sushi — Restaurant in Encinitas

Don’t come here. Where to begin. My husband and I came in this evening excited to throw down and enjoy some Omakase. We ordered the Medium Omakase which is $95. This plate was so disappointing (see photo) which is exactly what we received which is an essentially a variety of single (very thin) sliced fish on rice. In general nigiri on a $95 Omakase plate feels off to me.

Overall I feel bitter because not only was the quality of fish subpar, the amount of fish was absolutely abysmal compared to other Omakase offerings at local sushi joints. I also realized that we could have just ordered off the nigiri menu and saved $30. The other rolls we ordered contained hardly any fish (I’m not joking when I say they gave us a a pea sized amount of fish????) and the rice tasted absurdly sweet.

Additionally the service was awful. My husband never received his drink after asking multiple times. We also never got our salad which I now see was included in our Omakase they happily charged us full price for. I’d also like to add that the restaurant was not notably busy or anything as there were a considerable amount of staff people and many open tables.

This brings me to my next point. Throughout our dining experience the staff was yelling and joking around with each other loudly approximately 6 inches from where I was sitting. I understand it’s a small cozy atmosphere but have some basic respect for others. I certainly have no issues with wait/restaurant staff having a fun time at work, but just be considerate! In such a small space at such a loud volume it was so annoying and rude. This was not just a one off thing. I am not kidding these people were literally running around laughing and screaming throughout our entire meal. Obnoxious.

I will never come back. Really wanted to like this place but overall just such a bad experience.

TLDR: go literally anywhere else for higher quality fish, better prices, and a better atmosphere/service. Drive 10 minutes up the road and go to Blue Ocean or Sushi Taisho...

I came to the Grand Opening with a couple of friends. We were greeted with a warm "Hello!" and a big smile. Inside, there is a long sushi bar and a multitude of different table arrangements, perfect for 2-7 person groups. The interior is appropriately decorated with surf and skateboards and there is a big TV playing awesome surf and dive videos. The menu was precise and had a few great island local favorites such as Ramen, Katsu, and Teriyaki Chicken. We started with the Garlic Chili Edamame while choosing from their offerings. Our new friend and server Kaz brought us some refreshing, house blended iced tea and we ordered our entrées. A few minutes later, our food was brought to us hot and steaming. The Chicken Katsu was perfect; a crispy golden breading delicately enveloped a lightly pounded & seasoned juicy chicken breast. It was served on a bed of cabbage to retain the texture. On the side was a delicious rice, green salad, and potato salad. I was only able to get a few tastes of the Ramen and Teriyaki Chicken as my friends were batting my hands away from snagging a good bite. The broth was devine and the Teriyaki was on point. My friends thoroughly enjoyed their food aswell. All things considered, I will definitely be back to try the sushi (they get fresh fish every almost every day) and more. Great service + amazing food + nice casual atmosphere = a great place to eat and bring...

I had a baby a few weeks ago and I have been very excited to have sushi again. My husband made a reservation for 7pm, we called before we arrived to let the restaurant know we were coming with a stroller. The man who answered the phone reassured us they would find a way to accommodate us as the restaurant is quite small. When we arrived, the hostess offered us a small table out front that didn’t work for us. We asked to wait for the same size table with more room for the stroller, but she told us it was reserved for someone else. She was very rude and pretty much told us she couldn’t help us. The man we talked to on the phone came out and talked to us, said he would look into getting the table for us. He went in never came out, when he did come out he ignored us and would’ve talk to us. After trying really hard to get his attention, he told us they were now combining the 2 tables for a bigger party that had just arrived with no reservation. We made reservations and got dressed to come out to a sushi dinner after having a baby and we were treated so badly because we had a stroller. We asked if we should just leave and the hostess said yes. I am very disappointed because we have been coming to this restaurant for 3 years and have spent a lot of money here! Will not be returning or recommending this...