Sushi Lounge Encinitas on Santa Fe Drive near Encinitas Community Park has served innovative rolls and house-made sauces since co-founders Katie Rooney and Frank Interlandi brought their coastal expansion here in 2012. Interlandi spent seven years as a sushi chef at Sushi on the Rock in La Jolla before co-purchasing the original Poway location in 2006, developing a proprietary sauce program that now includes yuzu-jalapeño truffle vinaigrette and sweet-spicy ponzu — condiment depth on par with the artisan spreads at Board & Brew on Encinitas Boulevard. The Encinitas location is one of three Sushi Lounge outposts across San Diego County, joined by the 2006 Poway original and a 2016 Point Loma expansion. The catering division builds 76- to 80-piece sushi platters — pre-set combinations of rainbow, shrimp tempura, and specialty rolls — adding a large-format takeout tier alongside the family-style pie service at Corner Pizza on Coast Highway 101. The kitchen holds a San Diego County Environmental Health score of 93 out of 100, with the tempura station running a dedicated fryer for shrimp, vegetable, and soft-shell crab batters at controlled oil temperatures to maintain a light, non-greasy coat.