Encinitas’ hip sushi spot, Temaki Bar: Handroll, Sushi, Sake, located at 575 S. Coast Highway 101, will reopen on Monday, Oct. 19, following a fire that temporarily closed the restaurant in early September. To thank the Encinitas Fire & Marine Safety Department for its swift response, Temaki is debuting a specialty hand roll in its honor, with all proceeds supporting the Encinitas Firefighter’s Association – Local 3787.
The Phoenix, named for the mythical, immortal bird that is reborn from ashes, is a hand roll filled with spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, spicy mayo, yuzu kosho and pickled jalapeños, priced at $10. From Temaki’s reopening through Saturday, Oct. 31, all proceeds from every Phoenix hand roll sold will benefit the Encinitas Firefighter’s Association – Local 3787, which represents the city’s firefighters and supports their work in the community.
A statement posted to the restaurant’s website says, “The past several weeks reminded us how lucky we are to be part of this community. The firefighters who responded moved quickly, and this roll is our way of saying thank you. We’re also grateful to every guest who reached out while we were closed. Our team is ready to get back to bringing people together over sushi.”
With the reopening, Temaki is also bringing back its guest-favorite specials, along with the return of its monthly bingo night:
- Happy Hour: From 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Temaki’s happy hour features a rotating lineup of $4 to $5 bites, including crispy spicy tuna rice bites, edamame with sea salt or spicy garlic soy, salmon or yellowtail hand rolls, tempura veggie bites, seaweed salad, cucumber and avocado hand rolls and a limited-time crunchy special of the month. Drink specials priced from $6 to $8 include hot or cold house sake, draft beer, house wine and canned specialty drinks.
- Quickie Lunch: Available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, the Quickie Lunch offers any three hand rolls for $19, including a choice from Temaki’s monthly specials and favorites such as spicy tuna, blue crab, salmon with cucumber, yellowtail with scallion and vegan avocado cucumber. Each hand roll is made to order and can be enjoyed at the sushi bar or to-go.
- Martini Thursdays: Every Thursday, guests can enjoy $7 martinis with purchase, with a choice of lychee, dirty, lemon drop or espresso martinis.
- Bingo Night: Bingo kicks off on Monday, Nov. 2, and will take place on the first Monday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. Each night features five rounds of bingo, with winners choosing between a spin on the small prize wheel for Temaki swag and sushi-themed prizes, or a risk-it-all spin on the large prize wheel, filled with daring challenges and grand prizes including a trip to Las Vegas, a one-night stay at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe and more. Guests can keep the night rolling with $6 draft wine, beer and sake and $8 Mexican sake bombs made with Solento Organic Tequila.
Temaki, which means “hand roll” in Japanese, is built on the tradition that a hand roll should be eaten within seconds of leaving the chef’s hands, while the rice is still warm and the fish is still cold. At the 45-seat counter, chefs prepare every hand roll and piece of nigiri to order using freshly caught, sustainable seafood and seasonal local ingredients.
Temaki will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with reservations and more information available at TemakiBarSushi.com. Follow Temaki Bar on Instagram and Facebook.
