Oh man where do I begin! Right off the highway in Oceanside and not too far from San Diego or Orange County is Dija Mara, an excellent place to grab great food and catch up with friends. The music, the decor, and the vibes reminded me of a underground, intimate place you could find in NYC! We were seated for our dinner reservation promptly and helped by all of the staff on the floor. They were super attentive to our needs and helped us curate the best meal we could split as a group of three. DRINKS- LYCHEE CAMO: this drink was so light I literally forgot it had alcohol in it. Perfect for those who don't prefer the taste of alcohol but still want something to pair well with the meal. FOOD - CHARRED EGGPLANT: oh man this was super hot and charred, with excellent salty and sour flavors. The crispy onions on top really brought it all together. I was initially skeptical but after trying it, I get why it's so popular! - GRILLED ROTI: ok full disclaimer I LOVE ROTI and would literally wrap myself in a blanket of it at night. This is no exception. The roti was cooked really well, had good seasoning, and was perfectly light. The lamb al jus curry it was served with was also *chefs kiss* 10000% recommend this - NASI GORENG: this crispy fried rice with fried egg had a great balance of spicy, salty, and crunchy. I thought it was seasoned well but my friends thought it was a tad salty for their tastes - BEEF SHORT RIB RENDANG: a great mixture of beef, rice, and pickled veggies! Was an excellent way to finish our meal here If you find yourself in Oceanside or need a place to catch up with folks between OC and SD, this is a great place! read more

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Small place, very different decor inside. Nothing too fancy but the food is really tasty. The drinks were very different. We ordered cardinal sin and beets by Bali. Food portion size is really small and it's expensive for the size but of course that's something I was expecting it to be for a Michelin rated restaurant. The service was top notch. My dog was allowed too. We went on a Sunday evening so could find a table but in general I would suggest it's better to take a reservation. We had Thai Sausage lilit, fried rice and chicken swekers. read more

Dija Mara - Cocktail - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Every dish comes with an EXPLOSION OF FLAVOR! We started off with some cocktails, the Poloma and Gypsy King. Although delicious, they have a lower ABV than tequila based cocktails. So we opted for a bottle of wine for the next round. The Domaine Du Temps Cosmolite is red blend that I'd definitely recommend if you love Cabernets. My favorite dishes were the pork belly skewers and Nasi Goreng. The rice from the Nasi Goreng reminds me of socarrat in paella which I love because it's generally difficult to get the right texture but they absolutely nailed it here. I also liked the beef tartare as one of their lighter dishes. The service was perfect. We were seated (outdoors) immediately without a reservation and they were able to provide good recommendations for a first timer. I also found parking right in front of the restaurant so that was another plus. read more

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We came here on a Sunday after a mid term just to get away for a little while. We hadn't given ourselves any real away time for far too long so we woke up and drove to carlsbad for half a day. We got a bullet proof coffee at babas and got a nice little table inside. We ordered the Thai sausage hash and the banh mi and French toast for dessert. The Thai sausage hash was so good!!! A little on the salty side but I added some of it to my banh mi which made both even better. The pork on the sandwich was kind of sweet with ginger... It was glazed well and tasted bomb. We got talked into the French toast dessert and it was amazing. The cream that they gave us was my favorite. Above all, the service was friendly, attentive and very thoughtful. I hope we can make it been soon. read more

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I've been to Dija Mara multiple times and it never disappoints. On this most recent visit the Nasi Goreng and the eggplant were my favorite dishes. The restaurant ambiance and feel is also great. I look forward to visiting again soon. read more

Awesome meal! Not sure what all the complaints about salty food are from, because everything we had was seasoned deliciously! For our mini-holiday meal we decided to eat out for ease and I'm also not sure what the heck people were complaining about for food portion and cost- we had 6+ dishes split between 5.5 people (one was pregnant,lol). We were all satisfied to full, and still had some rice left over. And cost?! With the crazy prices rising everywhere else these days, I thought the bill including 3 drinks was a relief? Service was really slow to start and they forgot my drink completely, but once the food started rolling out we were good! We had: 1. GRILLED ROTI $11 house-made flatbread : labne : lamb jus curry / vegetable rendang curry- amazingly perfect bread! Curry sauce was better than the jus, but all delicious! 2. Passion fruit soda: delicious but heavy on the ice filler 3. TARTINE $16 seasonal fruit mostarda : fresh ricotta : radish : thai chilli : prager toast. One of my fave dishes out of the 7 we sampled! Sweet jam was heaven with the rich ricotta and crisp fresh radish-I couldn't get enough! 4. ROTI JOHN $17 EGG FRIED BAGUETTE : HOUSE SAMBAL : PORK BELLY : CURRY AIOLI : URAP- fantastic sauce in this crowd pleaser! Everyone loved it and it was in my top dishes of the day! The house sambal is so good- hot but not forget-your-name-hot- just enough to keep you intrigued. 5. SPICY EGGPLANT BOWL $18 eggplant : tomato sambal : cucumber : lemon labne : sunny egg : feta : - I absolutely love eggplant and this was so delicious! 6. NASI LEMAK BREAKFAST $19 coconut rice : roasted peanuts : anchovy sambal : fried egg : choice of - protein- ours was fried chicken- the skin was so crispy and delicious! 7. DIJA HANGOVER $19 roti wrap : scrambled egg : confit chicken curry : hot sauce : potato : matah : asian beer The wrap was so perfectly toasted- yum! Although we would NOT have ordered the grilled roti we started with if we had realized this would have the same roti in it. 8. NASI GORENG $17 fried rice : bay shrimp : pork belly : fermented hot sauce : sunny egg- traditional comfort flavors and perfectly cooked egg- dependable classic. 9. SHORT RIB RENDANG $29 spiced beef short rib : coconut rice : matah : fermented cucumber : peanut sauce : egg - ooh! The sauce and the rib?! So rich, complex and satisfying! The meat was so tender and perfectly seasoned! This was the only dish I didn't photograph because the only man in our party assaulted it before any of us ladies could get our phones out, lol! I would order the following again and again: Tartine, Roti John, Eggplant, Short Rib Rendang Enjoy! read more

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Been coming here pretty constantly for little more than a year. Food - 5/5 : Flavor is both unique and authentic. Most dishes have good harmony regarding flavor and textures. Service - 3/5 : Service is pretty slow. All dishes come out at different time (slowly), so if you're in a group, likely one will have to stare at another person eating their food. One time I got my food so late everyone was finished with theirs... Ambiance - 1/5 : One of the loudest place I've ever dined in. My gosh. With it's industrial interior design, there is no sound dampening and everyone is shouting. It ecos like crazy. Brought family members who lived in Malaysia, they loved the food but didn't want to come back again due to the noise. It could be acceptable during dinner time, but it's really not the best Brunch vibe. Also the bar table is way too high (for anyone from my observation). We will keep going back because the food is great and unique. Just wishing one day they will install some sound dampening mat to make the dining experience more pleasant for people. read more

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Small and quaint urban vibe to this restaurant. The food was really tasty with lots of flavor. And it's family style. The whole fish of the day was branzino and it was served deboned and without the head. We loved it so much we ordered 2! The following dishes were my favorite : beef tartare just melted in my mouth, beef short rib rendang was very rich and tender, charred eggplant was very tasty as well, and pork belly skewers was a crowd pleaser cuz how can pork belly be bad. Lol. The nasi gerang was similar to a fried rice but with a kick to it. The other dishes that I thought were good but maybe I wouldn't order again since there are so many more yummy dishes to order. These were the tuna crudo was seemed average to me, Mie Gerang was too salty for me and the grilled roti. Although the roti was good, it was similar to naan bread. The roti I've had before had a more flaky texture. The cocktails were delicious. I forgot the names but they were very pretty. One was a beet cocktail and the was a lychee cocktail. We had very good service, the employees were all very friendly, and overall the food was great with an exception of a couple dishes being more on the salty side but my friends didn't mind it. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely return especially since we don't have any other Balinese cuisine in San Diego county. read more

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Excellent food and knowledgeable staff who are attentive to their customers taste. Impressive Asian fusion we absolutely loved the cereal shrimp, papaya salad, wok fried rice and the dessert was delicious so soothingly creamy after the many spicy dishes we just had to try, it's creative and the colors, textures and layers of flavors are very unique. We especially liked that the atmosphere it was casual yet tasteful. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Ate over the weekend. Nice ambiance and good food. If I had one complaint, service a little weak for easily spending $200 plus and never asked if I wanted another glass of wine. Best dish was the whole fish and I am not a big fish eater. Prepared really good. Skewers good and we enjoyed the fried chicken dish. Rice dish with egg on it good, but ours was VERY spicy. Fun place to split some food with friends... read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

I went to Dija Mara for Sunday lunch-- the earliest reservation I could get was 12:45. But when we got there, the place was largely empty, so I don't think a reservation was necessary-- at least on that day. The stuff we ordered was tasty and delicious for sure, but tiny portions that were pretty expensive. I'm not sure if the price is worth what you get, but it was a good experience! read more

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I haven't had a lot of Indonesian food in the past so it's hard for me to compare this to others, but in a vacuum the food was excellent! I went with a big group (of mostly vegetarians) for brunch and so we ordered a bunch of entrees and shared them, which I think was the best way to taste several options. The veggie gado gado and the nasi goreng were really stand-out. It's quite expensive, so I would consider this more of a splurge meal! It was also a bit tough sometimes to grab someone's attention for things like water or extra orders, but they're definitely busy because people like them! read more

We came here on a Thursday with no reservations. We got super lucky and we were able to snag a couple of seats up at the bar before the crowd got there. We knew we wanted wine but we were unsure of which one exactly so the owner let us try some wine. She was very sweet and helpful and gave us her recommendations based off of our preferences. We ended up with a wonderful Pinot noir. The wine there is different and more natural than wine served at other places. We ordered the charred eggplant and the bread. They told us they could make the eggplant vegan if we wanted to but we wanted the regular version. I would say it was one of the best eggplant dishes I've ever had. It had tons of flavor and was cooked just right. The curry sauce that came with the bread was to die for. I'm not a huge curry person but this sauce was amazing. Overall, the service was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the ambiance was very unique. I'm looking forward to coming back! read more

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Seems that the quality of service has come up as an issue in several reviews and our experience was similar. I had finally convinced my party to come here after being overridden for other area restaurants during the past 2 months. The skies had opened up during freak 10 minute downpour. It was 7 minutes until they opened and also our reservation, but we tried the door anyway because we were about to get drenched. The door was open and we took a couple of steps in before we were stopped and told that they were not open yet and that they were having computer problems. We asked if we could just wait at the table by the door as it was pouring outside and the answer was " I would really prefer if you didn't". Needless to say, there was no way I could get my party stand in the rain and walk back in that door minutes later after that. The biggest hurdle was that the woman who was communicating with us acted like we were a burden and really wasn't interested in whether we came back in a few minutes for our reservation or not. -Nobody felt good or could come up with an excuse to support the tact she chose with us or the situation, so we left. We ended up around the corner at The Flying Pig which has consistently good food & ambiance, and even better service. Ironically, I called to cancel our reservation 15 minutes later and no one answered the phone. I am not going to belabor the point on how important service is when you are operating in a service industry. Some people just intuitively get it, and some don't. read more

Everything was delicious ! Ambiance was great, and so was the service. Would highly recommend. Can't wait to go back.

I'm mostly underwhelmed when I go out to eat. And I travel and eat out a lot for work. And damn did this place blow me away! The flavors were phenomenal. I was very impressed. Knocked down a star because an hour went by before we got our first dish. Other than that if I'm ever back in Oceanside I'm coming back! read more

It's been a long time since we last dined here. We were let down by another local spot on our wedding anniversary night so I popped my head In to see if we could get a table (I wasn't expecting to be able to since they are usually very booked), but timing was perfect and we got 2 seats at the bar. Dinging at the bar is full service and the staff were kind and friendly, offering suggestions and answering our questions knowledgeably. My drink was refreshing and delicious, and the food was a pure taste sensation! Thanks for making our wedding anniversary date night one to remember! We'll be back read more

The food was incredible. I was pleasantly surprised with every dish that came out. It was timed and coursed out perfectly and all around was great service read more

Great find in Oceanside! Recommend making a res ahead of time, we showed up without one and had to wait about 45 min to sit at the bar. Food options were pretty veggie friendly which was nice for my partner. The pork belly skewers were the best thing we ordered; also recommend the nasi goreng, eggplant, and fried chicken. Overall I thought the quality was really good for Asian/Indonesian food in this area and will definitely be coming back! read more

Easily one of the best restaurants in San Diego!! The flavors are absolutely incredible and Dija Mara has a beautiful atmosphere with fun music + awesome artwork. The owners traveled all over Indonesia for inspiration for the dishes and it definitely shows. Each dish is so delicious with beautiful flavor couplings such as cardomom, assam, rose, coconut, etc. The fried chicken with coconut rice (Ayam Penyet) is a must in my opinion and the lamb skewers are also amazing! The pork belly skewers are another favorite of mine and the noodle dish (Mei Goreng). You really can't go wrong here because everything is incredible. Any meat dish we had was so tender and melted in our mouths. If you want to be adventurous I highly recommend the beef tartare. It comes with a big fried egg on top of it and crunchy garlic bread. For dessert, I definitely recommend the Pandan Buns filled with coconut and lemongrass cream and the Cardomom & Assam tea ice cream. Amazing restaurant, my regards to the chef & owners! read more

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What a wonderful restaurant in Oceanside to experience the taste of Indonesian food! Better to make reservations or you can walk in and sit at the bar. Interior is dimly lit giving the feeling of closeness and intimacy. Yet, one cannot escape its funky vibe. The back wall pops graffiti creativity and there are colorful pictures along the sides of the walls. The saying "Where have you been" seems to be written in various places throughout the restaurant. I think the only decor reminiscent of its Indonesian motif is the buddha positioned in a state of tranquility next to the front windows. That was our lovely reminder to intentionally savor the flavors of what we ordered: charred eggplant, nasi goreng, pork belly skewers, and beef short rib rendang. Our taste buds transported us to the other side of the world to Southeastern Asia. Dining at Dija Mara is must when in Oceanside. read more

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I've been waiting for a couple of years to make it into Dija Mara. It's not always easy to get a reservation as it's a small restaurant overall. I will say it is quite noisy due to the setup but it goes with the feel - graffiti walls and all. We finally made it in and the food did not disappoint! They are beer and wine only but I appreciated that they had a variety of wines on their menu including a few from France. They did have some interesting looking wine cocktails that I would try next time. I'm gluten free so I asked for options and they had a pre printed menu with several options although our waitress told me many dishes could be made without wheat. We ended up ordering off that menu since most of the things I was interested in were on there anyways. We started with the Sambal Tuna Crudo. I loved the spiciness of the sambal mixed in with the tuna and it was perfectly balanced with the lime and coconut sauce. It was served with little cassava chips that made the perfect little scoops. We both wanted the Beef Short Rib Rendang and went with the Nasi Goreng for main courses and the Charred Eggplant for a vegetarian dish. The fried chicken is actually gluten free so I have to come back for that. The short rib redang was so delicious. The short rib was tender and the redang had cinnamon and cardamom flavors balanced with these litte pickles for some balance against the richness of the redang. The Nasi goreng was like a complex fried rice with a salty peppery flavor, shrimp and chicken and some crispy rice mixed in. The eggplant was exceptionally good with smoky flavors from the char, lebneh for some creaminess and crispy onions on top for crunch. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful about the menu overall and I liked the pace that the dishes came out in. I loved the flavors of Indonesian cuisine when I traveled to Bali and I'm so excited Dija Mara has brought them to San Diego. read more

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Everything I ate here was perfect. The ceviche, the roti, the eggplant, the nasi goreng... all amazing. The cocktails were great too. For the Gypsy king was my ideal cocktail. And when u take a sip and get a whiff of the Thai basil on top.. perfection. Service was good. The ambiance is kinda weird. Odd mix of decorations read more

All the dishes we had were amazing, but the eggplant and fish were incredible. Great food, wonderful service and good atmosphere. read more

This has been on my list for a while; last night we got a flat tire at the beach and ended up here! Everything we had was great - custom made cocktails, lamb skewers, flatbread with yummy vegetarian curry, veggie plate, even the old favorite chicken and rice. Lots of delicate spices - not hot, but flavorful. The staff was really friendly. If you want a table on a weekend, make a reservation, but we sat at the bar then got to move to a table. The blues club next door is fun, too! read more

Unfortunately, the food is not as good as I remembered. They changed the menu and it was blah. Very bland. The fried rice was still good. Ordered the prawn crackers, a dish with shrimp and squid, pork belly with coconut rice the fried rice. The shrimp dish was very very very bland and the pork belly was also lacking. Not the same flavors as I remembered. It was such a disappointing meal that my BF and I had to do a redemption meal the next day. I hope they bring back the original menu from when I started dining here. read more

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Best food in north county hands down. My friend introduced me to this gem and I've been coming back ever since. Nothing beats their Nasi Goreng. It is so so delicious. This place is the kind of place that just doesn't miss. Their drinks are good, the food is good, the ambience and service is good. I've tried almost everything on their menu and the grilled roti is a must try. I could drink a bowl of their Ju. Prices are reasonable for the portion sizes Expect an amazing experience the moment you walk thru the door. There's a reason it's so hard to get a reservation here! read more

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Called for a reservation was told they didn't take same day reservations and only took walk ins. Asked whether it was fully booked was told that they take walk ins. When we arrived the hostess informed us they were fully booked! Well it would've been nice that they were honest from the very beginning rather than wasting our time! read more

Every bite filled with flavor! Had chicken and pork belly skewers, and a tofu dish. Loved the black bean chunks and the sauce for chicken skewers the best, but it was all good! read more

The food was delicious (nasi goreng, ceviche, fried chicken, pork skewers)! Giving it 4 stars because it was sooo loud - couldn't hear anything. The menu was really poorly printed which made it hard to read. There were two servers helping us but they weren't communicating with each other and were back to back asking the same questions. Overall, the food was the star of the experience. read more

Who would have though that Oceanside would have amazing Indonesian food! I think it's the only Indonesian spot in SD. I came by for an early dinner on a Sunday and was lucky enough to get the last 2 bar top seats. For sure make a reservation before. My friend and I split the shrimp chips, the fried chicken, rendang, and the stir fried noodles. Everything was super flavorful and well prepared. My favorite was the fried chicken. It was super moist and and crispy. The menu said it came with coconut rice but I think it was just plain rice that was served to us. The noodles were really hearty and not overly greasy. Service was friendly and attentive. Parking can by a bit hard to find as it's all street parking. read more

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The food was good, but nothing that would make me come back to deal with the lack luster service. The service was pretty slow on all fronts and almost all staff projected a feeling of "if you're talking to me, you're bothering me." The bartender seemed annoyed that my friend ask for a suggestion, no one smiled, and we had to wait a really long time to get seated (even with a reservation), have someone come by to take our order, and for the food to come out. Like I said the food was good but probably not a place I'll come back to. read more

Everything we had was amazing .My favorite was the beef short ribs. Also the big eyed tuna skewers. Fried chicken was amazing. Also had the ceviche as an appetizer. Hard to go wrong with with this place . Service was fast and friendly. And they don't try to push you along even though the place was jammed. For sure make a reservation . read more

Dija Mara is a manifestation of flavor, presentation and style. The flavors from their fantastic menu items pleasantly arouses your tastebuds while the presentation urges you to dig right into every dish. The style of the overall atmosphere is trendy and inviting which provides the ideal setting for an enjoyable evening for food and drinks. Every dish that my party ordered and shared was delectable. The dishes that stood out the most was the beef tartare and charred eggplant. The beef tartare isnt the gooey kind so it was definitely my preference. The eggplant was highly recommended by the waitress and boy was I glad I listened! Superb dish. Now as simple as a beef satay appears, Dija Mara's version is one of the best I've had. Juicy, tender and packed with flavor (like every dish here really). The Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng, and Ceviche were also very tasty and I would order them again as well if I had the chance. The braised short rib was good but the flavors were familair to me so I wasn't quite blown away as compared to the other dishes. Definitely nothing negative about it..it's just all the other dishes elevated expectations for the rest. The staff was always checking in on us and although it was a fairly busy evening, they held a positive attitude and graciously served with a smile :) read more

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Very cool venue and not your average Indian. cuisine (you won't find a masala and you won't care). Amazing food, but make a reservation this place gets booked up. You could try showing up at opening also to get a seat at the bar. I would recommend the coconut rice, eggplant, roti with vegan sauce and chicken thigh skewers. I also tried the nasi goreng which was beautifully plated and had lots of depth of flavor. If you are lucky you might get to meet the owner, Simran. Street parking out front. read more

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The range of dishes available to a gluten free eater was outstanding. The flavors were exceptional and each dish was amazing. The four people in our party all considered the experience to be extraordinary. One gluten free person in the party, but we all ate gluten free so we could share and everyone loved all the dishes. No one gave up anything to accommodate the person with the allergy. So refreshing to have so many options. read more

Tried to get in on a Friday night without a reservation. Hostess told us bar seating was first come/first serve but it was full. She put us on the waiting list and said we were first up, but expected an hour wait. We went and grabbed some drinks and returned about 90 min later and saw a group of four leaving the bar (we were three). Hostess said hold on for five minutes, she was trying to get us a table(great news!). A couple came in after us and were immediately seated at the bar. Hostess comes out 15 min later and says wait is about an hour. I complained and asked why the other couple was seated before us? We had been on the list for almost two hours. Her reply? They had a reservation. Look..... if the house is full and you have no intention of seating us... just say that... don't BS me with lies. Honesty goes a long way. Im never coming back. Plenty of choices in North County to eat. My recommendation is to go somewhere else. read more

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Oceanside. We stopped in for brunch, just for a drink and a small bite. It's quite small inside but they had a spot at the bar. I had the breakfast in bed drink (so good) and the Nasi Goreng which is fried rice with pork belly, shrimp and egg on top. It was amazingly good! I would definitely come back for dinner because I can imagine it would be wonderful! read more

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Oh my goodness. This little hole in the wall restaurant is bustling with character, amazing creative food, and a vibe that can't be beat. I'd heard about this place and finally went (pre-COVID) for a friends birthday. We shared many entrees and just loved everything we ordered. Started with roti prata then ordered sea bass, some eggplant dish, noodle dish, sides of rice, veggies, and drinks, did I mention the drinks? Great place for date night or a group. Parking can be challenging but all in all, a must do if you're ever in North County let alone Oceanside! read more

So happy my husband and I finally discovered this place! We loved just about everything. Here's what we had: Sambal tuna crudo-- fresh, bright and full of flavor. Also stunning plating! Thai Sausage Lilit-- if you love the flavor of lemongrass, you'll love these skewers. They come on stalks of lemongrass and are juicy/tender. When you're done, don't let them take the plate because the sauce it comes with is great for dipping. Grilled Roti-- Let me preface this by saying I LOVE roti, platha and the like. Sadly, this was the weakest link of our dinner. It felt undercooked and/or too doughy. What's worse, the curry (we had the lamb and veggie version) just didn't taste very good to us. Tasted a little too cinnamon heavy or something and more reminiscent to a mole. Mie Goreng-- This was our most favorite dish. We'd come back just for this! The waitress said the spice level is about a 7-8 out of 10, and she wasn't joking. Instantly spicy when it hits your lips, but worth it. It's a nice spicy chow mein-like dish that I'd recommend to anyone. Ayan Penyet-- This fried chicken was nice and moist, though crispy. The flavor wasn't particularly different (it just tasted like standard fried chicken), but it was good. But just know it's a small dish. We would have loved 2 pieces, but since this came at the end of our meal, we weren't upset about it because we were already pretty full. The wines were interesting, and if you like natty wines, you'll love them. I'm not a huge fan but was able to find one that was good enough to get a full bottle to share with my husband. Service was great too! All in all, this is definitely being added to our "must" list when we're in town. read more