I can't say enough about this place. Been here a couple of time with friends. Last time we come here for my husbands birthday. Service is always top notch. I got the tofu Tempe dish and my husband got the fried chicken. For apps, we shared the roti with the vegetarian dipping sauce. Everything was delicious. Practically licking my plate clean. Paloma and Gypsy king were great cocktails. They were kind enough bring out a passion fruit panacotta for dessert to celebrate my husbands birthday. Pro tip - make reservations 2-3 weeks in advance. They get booked up pretty fast. Already looking forward to my next visit. read more

Dija Mara - Tofu Tempe with rice - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

Ambiance... interesting and funky. Uncomfortable chairs. Service... not the best. Nobody came to check on us after we got our food , perhaps they don't care whether you like it or not. When we were done ( napkins on the table and cutlery on our plates) it took 20 minutes for someone to walk by and we had to flag them down for our bill. Food... husband had the fried chicken and liked his food... but come on, it's chicken and rice... hard to screw up. I ordered the eggplant...terribly over salted to the point it was inedible. Luckily I also ordered the tofu and tempeh bowl ( I should really just say tempeh bowl because I couldn't find any tofu). Flavors were delicious just a larger portion than I was expecting. Thought it was more of a small plates menu. Flat bread was eh...just was expecting more from the place. read more

We made reservations at Dija Mara based on a friend's recommendation, and it did not disappoint. The staff is friendly, and the food is delicious. We ordered with the intention of each of us sharing like family style. The eggplant was to die for! I had to stop myself from hogging the entire dish and share with the table. The flatbread is also a must try. Make a reservation because the restaurant is small and cozy. It's a must try when dining in Oceanside. read more

WOW! Just WOW! My son and daughter-in-law have raved about this place and I finally got to try it. The food is so delicious. They are shareable plates -- bigger than tapas portions. We had 2 roti (flatbread) with two different dipping sauces, eggplant, fried chicken (ayam penyet) pork belly skewers, papaya salad and spicy wok-fried noodles. There were 4 of us and it was plenty of food. Everything's a little spicy, but not overwhelming. It's a small place, so make reservations about 2 weeks in advance. You can't just walk in -- well, you can -- but you'll probably be turned away. I'll be back!! read more

It's actually 3.5 stars. New cuisine with interesting flavors. The drinks were absolutely delicious. The meal was Tapas style- we got the eggplant( Meh!), chicken wings( ok), laksa( above average), flatbread with curry( nice). For dessert we had the pudding with fresh mangos( not very satisfying). Although the restaurant is beautiful and food is presented well, some flavors are hit or miss. Portions are small for the price. read more

See all

I've been here twice and it just does not disappoint! Mie Goreng, Chicken Skewers, Tofu Rendang are some of my favorites, can't wait to try he entire menu! read more

Yo. This place is bonkers good. I grubbed here firsties back in 2018 or so and I remember being pretty stoked on. Decided to try it again as I'm back in the hood and holly f-ballz they nailed it again. I was like "peeps, what should I get?" And thems was like, eggplant mos def." I was like "eggplant wtf? Naw dawg, are you sure?" Bartendress was like "yuppers, totes." Dude get the frickin eggplant, People... she was sure, for real. Dija Mara kilt it dead. read more

Very interesting and eclectic food. The atmosphere was interesting. A little more industrial than I would've picked. The service was wonderful and gave great suggestions to the menu. read more

Service is friendly here whether you are dining in or taking out. I like how they attempt a bit of friendly chit chat with you. Been here pre-pandemic before, but takeaway experiences have been just as wonderful. Yes, the playing of the dishes is a creative canvas, but getting takeaway isn't so bad either. The mix of colors of the food still looks fantastic! Moreover, the food is delicious here. My favorites are the Charred Eggplant and Gado Gado. I enjoying the flavors of the charred eggplant. The slight crisp of the eggplant's skin and it's soft center bursting with all the sauce's seasonings is indeed a treat. Gado-gado flavors are on point to that of my travels through Indonesia. Thanks to Dija Mara's nice adaptation of this dish, I am a bit satiated in regards to my travel thirst. Cannot wait to come here for brunch. Driving to Oceanside is quite a drive, but Dija Mara is worth it! read more

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

See all

Came here because I read an Eater blog about this place so I thought to try it out. They only do brunch instead of lunch menu on weekends which was kind of a let down but I wanted to try anyway. To my surprise, it was pretty dead when I came. Only two other pairs were dining. This probably explains why they don't offer a full lunch menu. Had thoughts whether to eat here or not because it's usually not a good sign when a restaurant is empty/not busy. Since we drove 35+ min to try this place out and I didn't see any other more appealing options in the area we dined here. Parking is only street parking on a busy road. I tried the Nasi Goreng and the Crab fritters. Nasi Goreng: Not going to lie, I probably should have looked at the photos more closely on Yelp at what I'm ordering. This dish was advertised as "prawns" being in the dish but when it came out, they were what looked to be super tiny dried shrimps. Call me naive but whenever I order prawns (not shrimp), I typically would expect something larger than shrimp in my dish. This was basically fried rice with tiny shrimps and chicken pieces. The flavor was great and all but the asking price was a bit too much for what was offered in my opinion. $14 was how much it costs. Based on price alone, I cannot justify ordering this again. Corn Crab Fritters on Brioche: This dish looked more reasonable. You get 3 crab fritters with generous amounts of corn sprinkled all over. The brioche slice was good. Hollandaise sauce was okay. I think they were some shrimp pieces as part of the crab fritter which was a nice surprise but at the same time someone might have been allergic to shrimp. It wasn't listed in the description of the dish. This was also a bit too much for what it is. Asking price was $16. Service was pretty minimum. Gave us water and took our orders. Didn't bother to remember who ordered what at the table so we just corrected it ourselves. They didn't refill our water. Overall, it was just okay. Too expensive for my taste based on what was offered. I don't mind spending expensive meals when it's worth it but I didn't feel the value here. Not worth the drive in my opinion. Maybe their dinner menu is better value/food. Brunch was meh to me. read more

Very innovative delicious fusion foods. The chef must have put a lots of thoughts into each dishes, and didn't miss anything from taste and texture combination. The staff was every friendly. knowledgeable, and was very good at explaining the dishes. Very chill and relaxing ambience that you can feel at ease and want to hang out. read more

See all

Wonderful food and drink, cool ambiance. Indifferent service, but still had a great experience anyway.

Love this place. They seriously have the best wine selection around. I always sit at the bar and they are so attentive! Food is delicious too- esp if you like spicy. Hard to find Balinese food esp at this level. Highly recommend! read more

Amazing place ! If u r looking for great food ambiance and vibe in Oceanside - this is the place. Such a gem and the food was on point ! Friendly staff cool place and great service. We're here for brunch today and we ordered French Toast, Short Rib Rendang and Thai sausage hash - all delicious. To end our meal we ordered the Ube Cheesecake ! So good Def we are coming back again. read more

Dija Mara - Ube Cheesecake - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

This place is great! The ambiance is sweetly funky with cool murals and intimate seating. The ladies who waited on us - an impressive team approach that ensured the most effective, efficient and friendly service - were fantastic. The food was out of this world. Our waitress suggested that we pick four dishes to share between the two of us and that was perfect. Plates came out as they were prepared which ensured they were fresh. We had fun exploring the gourmet dishes and will definitely go back. Reasonably priced too! read more

See all

We've been to Dija Mara 3 times, and for good reason. Staff are friendly and attentive. Atmosphere is casual. Food is awesome - the best Indo food I've tasted outside of Indonesia. I'd definitely recommend their coconut rice, Balinese spare ribs, nasi goreng and pork belly skewers. read more

Food was good. Our order got mixed up so had to wait. I believe it to be a one off.

Great food & ambiance! Many vegetarian options. I've been here several times and it's always one of my top spots I like to take friends. I only wish they had more availability as they can often be hard to make reservations with. read more

Service was fantastic, ambiance was nice and the food was the star! I loved the texture of the roti... fluffy, chewy, and crispy... and that curry dipping sauce is phenomenal! The pork belly was also amazingly flavorful... wish there were bigger pieces. The oxtail dumpling looked beautiful (presented sprinkled with edible flowers) and tasted wonderful. I ordered a rose cocktail which sounded intriguing... overall it was good but I thought the smell of the egg whites was a little overpowering. Dinner here was memorable! There was plenty of street parking when I arrived at 5pm on a Saturday. read more

I've been wanting to try to this restaurant since it first opened because the chef crafted his trade in two of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco (Coi & Atelier Crenn). So, we finally decided to make the long drive to Oceanside from Central San Diego to try this restaurant everyone was ranting and raving about and we are glad we did. All the dishes were small and masterfully prepared and packed with flavor like any Southeastern Asian dish. Some of my absolute favorites were the Grilled flat bread (Roti), Charred Eggplant, Grilled Octopus and Beef Short Rib Rendang. We also wanted to order the Sea Bream Ceviche, but they unfortunately ran out of it. My only gripe was that some of the rice dishes were a tad bit too oily that left my stomach a bit unsettled when I got home. Other than that, we loved everything about Dija Mara and ordered way too much food since we don't know when we would be able to make the long drive back to Oceanside. Hopefully, they plan on opening another restaurant in Central San Diego so many more San Diegans can taste their amazing food and so that my wife and I can order more items off the menu that we were unable to order the first go around. read more

See all

Everything was terrific! The menu was interesting and the food was delicious. Great service and great ambiance. read more

See all

Although I live much further south in San Diego, I visited this restaurant a couple weeks ago with a friend because we were planning to go to a holiday market nearby. I've had this restaurant saved in my to-visits list for a while, because Indonesian food is pretty hard to come by in San Diego. Since I recently visited Bali, I had really been looking forward to taste some of the favorite dishes that I tried there. My friend and I each ordered a drink (I had the pandan-y dropper), and we shared 3 dishes - the gado gado, kaya pandan toast, and breakfast roti. I would recommend the drink for anyone who also enjoys a sweeter drink with a lighter alcoholic taste. Both my friend and I's favorite dish was the kaya pandan toast, and we both wanted to order kaya jam right after in order to recreate this at home. Having the sweet kaya pandan jam with the buttery toasted bread and then dipped in the slightly salty poached egg was absolutely amazing. My next favorite was the breakfast roti which had perfectly scrambled eggs and fried potatoes; the roti itself was soft and doughy, which paired well with the texture of the fried potatoes within. I wanted to try the gado gado here in order to balance out the meal with some vegetables, and can tell that the peanut sauce was made in-house because it was slightly chunky/crunchy (rather than too smooth). As for the ambiance of the restaurant, we were seated near the front of the restaurant where it opens up to the street and it was nice to enjoy the fresh air and people watch. Our server was very attentive as well and checked on us a few times to ask about how we were enjoying the dishes or if we needed anything else. Overall, this is a restaurant that I would love to dine at again when I'm in the area, and next time I'll come for the dinnertime service! read more

See all

Everything was fantastic, food and service. Ceviche, Papaya salad, skewers were all phenomenal

Amazing experience! Food was delicious, serious outstanding, great atmosphere! You must try!!!

Excellent experience at Dija Mara for dinner last night. Immediately upon stepping inside, we felt at ease about our decision to choose this restaurant over other nearby options. The dining room was crowded and lively, while the industrial decor, unique artwork, and dim lighting created a distinctive ambiance. While waiting for our table, we were offered drinks. I had the Paloma (pictured) - light and refreshing. Just the right amount of citrus, sweetness, and alcohol. This also afforded us the opportunity to study the menu. After deliberate discussion, we settled on a game plan: - Shrimp Chips with House Made Hot Sauce (5/5): My goodness. I've only had the processed version from the Asian Grocery store growing up. Their freshly made rendition with the tangy spicy hot sauce to dip was an awesome way to start off the meal. - Chicken Thigh Skewers (4.5/5): Well-seasoned with a clear smokey flavor. Excellent homemade peanut sauce and cucumbers to compliment the savory chicken. - Grilled Octopus (4/5): Very pleasant, atop sliced potatoes and some curry. Would go for it again. - Nasi Goreng (5/5): The star of our meal. Outstanding presentation and combination of textures and tastes. - Beef Cheek Mee (3.5/5): Nice but not life changing. Great texture on the noodles. Thank you to the staff for taking care of us and hats off to the kitchen for excellent execution on a delicious meal. Overall and amazing experiences - we'll be back! read more

Tried out this restaurant last night for the first time and wasn't sure what to expect. It's a small low lit place with colorful wall art inside. It feels intimate and casual without being too understated. The menu is full of interesting options with something for everyone. We particularly appreciated that the drink menu had a mocktail option and said mocktail was actually delicious (not overly sweet, thankfully). We really enjoyed our drinks and the food. The flavors embodied a lighter version of Southeast Asian cuisine. The service was pretty good too. We would definitely return and encourage others to try it out. read more

See all

Of COURSE this restaurant was listed in the Michelin Guide. It's a treat for your taste buds! The decor and vibe of this hidden gem is as great as the food and drinks are. There is so much cool and funky art adorning the walls and they were playing 90s hip hop during Sunday Brunch when we were there. It was perfect. We had dinner here twice before and I probably should have written my review then so I could describe the dishes better. But they were all wonderful! We loved the Pork Belly Skewers, Chicken Thigh Skewers, Ayam Penyet (fried chicken), Cereal Prawns, Mie Goreng (spicy noodles) and Beef Short-Rib. We went for brunch last Sunday and it was fantastic! I had the Nasi Goreng, which is fried rice, pork belly, bay shrimp and topped with an egg. It was perfectly spicy and FULL of flavor! This will be a something I definitely crave for Sunday indulgences. My husband had the Thai Sausage Hash which was also topped with an egg, and it too was packed with flavor and perfectly spiced. Both dishes had a wonderful kick to them! The "brunchtails" they offer are a nice accompaniment for the spicy dishes. They do not have regular 80+ proof liquor, but they have the stronger wine-based "liquor" for their cocktails, which honestly suits me better on a Sunday afternoon (do I reeeally need tequila or bourbon 2 days in a row?). Do not fear though! The cocktails are very well crafted and like I said, accompany the dishes very well. We ordered the Breakfast in Bed, Sweet Annie and Lychee Mimosa. Delicious! Make reservations though. It's a small establishment with amazing food and drinks so it books up rather quickly. read more

See all

Absolutely amazing! Went for my bday dinner and the place was cute, intimate, and amazing food/cocktails. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

Love this place! Super cute spot! The food was amazing as well as the drinks! Will definitely come back with an empty stomach next time so I can try all of the food! read more

See all

It's so stinking unique and delicious. Trust me, order the Roti, Mie Goring and Nash Goring. So so so so darn good. It's one of our favorite date night splurges! read more

As soon as we left Dija Mara we both said "we have to come back." What an absolute gem of a restaurant. The service was top notch and the food was amazing. It's a wonderful blend of cuisines, perfectly executed. It was comfort food on another level and even though we were full, I could have ordered more things off the menu because of how good everything was. I would go to this place and tell them to give me whatever they want...we liked it that much! We went for brunch but can't wait to go for dinner. read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

Went here twice last weekend. Yep it was that good we went twice in one weekend, my mom who was visiting insisted on returning and thanking the chefs in person. Great service, the waitresses are superb. Their cocktails are delicious. I ordered rose one and the Paloma and one other all three were delicious. My mom loved her white wine. Food night 1- Appetizer- we got the grilled roti with lamb curry jus. This bread changed our lives, it is so fluffy and yet so crispy. You want to soak up every last drop of that lamb curry jus sauce. Every drop. Came back two days later and ordered two roti instead of one. Vegetable course- Gado Gado, local seasonal vegetables in a peanut sauce. Omg the sauce was so yummy, sweet yet refined and intriguing, the vegetables were so crisp. Their flavors are just incredible here. It was like a delicious fancy peanut sauced salad. The presentation was beautiful with edible flowers. Mains- Noodle dish with a chicken confit with lowest spice- absolutely delicious. Noodles were a great texture, flavor was out of this world, a little spice as promised and it really was an amazing flavor explosion yet again!! Chicken skewers with peanut sauce. That's some of the best chicken I've ever had, the way the chef structures the plate is brilliant make sure you get the sauce mix on the plate with the skewered chicken, at first it may look like a garnish but it's all part of the dish. Coconut rice- fluffy, great portion size, two can split 1 bowl, balanced flavor. Good way to cool off a little from the slight spice of the noodles. Dessert- lychee and lime sorbet, clearly house-made. Delicate, restrained, not too sweet and simply lovely closer. Night 2 Appetizer- 2 grilled roti orders, one lamb curry jus, 1 vegetarian curry. Loved both. I could eat that bread every day. Vegetable course- charred eggplant with tomato sauce. Wow, best eggplant I've ever tasted. Amazing flavor. Was not overwhelmed by the tomato, which I feared. Superb! Mains- I brought a vegetarian friend so he got the tofu with peanut sauce on rice with vegetables which was delicious. The tofu had an amazing sear on it my friend really appreciated. The seasoning was spot on. Lamb skewers- so yummy, great sauce and flavor. Short rib with rice- great sauce, so tender, went perfect with the rice, a generous portion. Dessert- affogato, omg, what is this life? How is this so tasty? I was blown away by this simple dessert. And I've had affogato before, many times. This one is special. Vanilla icecream (probably house-made) was so creamy, little cookie crumbs on top for texture and espresso taste was so smooth. Both my friend and I were blown away by it. Will be returning for brunch soon. read more

Dija Mara - Rose cocktail, so scrumptious! - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

We've gotten takeout twice now for dinner and loved it both times - can't wait to come back! We've gotten the pork belly skewers, lamb skewers, the eggplant dish, and the tofu/tempeh curry dish. All delicious and so flavorful! The jasmine coconut rice is a perfect side for the skewers and other dishes that don't have rice. The owner and employees are genuine and friendly. The portions aren't very big, however, so be prepared to order extra dishes and spend a bit more. Worth it to support a small business! read more

Dija Mara - Pork belly skewers takeout - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

Extremely over priced, uninformed staff, and completely over hyped. Such a let down. I would hope that management would educate staff on proper pronunciation and terminology of Indonesian cuisine, (especially if staff will be correcting Indonesian customers). Highly suggest finding other Indonesian/Malay restaurants in San Diego or even LA that offers decent portion sizes with competitive pricing. read more

Dija Mara is housed in a two-story white-washed building, proudly positioned in the seaside sun since the 1920's. Despite its age, there is a minimalist and modern feel to the building. As I parked across the street, I noted three mysterious windows on the second level, perhaps someone's clandestine hide-a-way, I would very much like to think. As I waited across the street in my car at 4:45 p.m. for the few minutes before the restaurant opened its doors, I observed Ryan, the chef-owner, come out onto the sidewalk to post the daily menu in a glass case positioned near the front door. He chatted amiably with passersby before returning inside. I crossed the street and walked into the dining room a few minutes before the 5: 00 p.m. opening hour. I have found that arriving early is always a good test of a restaurant and how they will respond to the situation---will someone bark 'We don't open 'til 5:00 p.m.!", as is often the case. At Dija Mara, Ryan and a server were at the bar reviewing the daily menu. Nonetheless,they graciously welcomed me, ushering me to a table to await my friend from Los Angeles [Oceanside is a great location to meet friends mid-way from points north]. A Paloma 232 cocktail was ordered and quickly whisked to my table, fragrant with grapefruit and stylishly garnished with a wedge of dried blood orange: a lovely beginning. Before returning to the kitchen to work his magic, Ryan stopped by my table for a chat about his background and the concept behind Dija Mara. He spoke of his training, from running a renowned French restaurant in Singapore, to managing Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. He explained the menu at Dija Mara is ever-evolving, further commenting there are several anticipated dishes soon to be unveiled that currently remain in "R & D". The black-clad female servers move about the room with a quiet efficiency. Of interest, even though my guest and I ordered ten different dishes, the server did not write a thing down as we gave our order--it was all done from memory, and there were no errors. The dishes arrived from the kitchen in a well-timed succession, which is helpful, since the small tables for two simply cannot hold a "smorgasbord" of plates. Of our multiple selections, perhaps the stand-outs were the Crab Fritters in a lemon creme fraiche, sprinkled with a radish salad like tiny multi-color fans, and the Baja Fluke, served with a delicate pastel green sorrel. The silverware and the small charcoal-colored earthenware plates upon which you eat are not changed by the course or at any time during the meal except on request [which I requested once in ten plates]. The server explained "we are tapas style", although I am not sure what that has to do with an occasional change of a plate. Vanilla ice cream doused with espresso ["Affogato"] was a fitting and light end to the feast. All in all, Dija Mara is a happy and welcoming place at which to enjoy the discovery of new flavors, tastes and ideas. read more

See all

Fairly new establishment here in Oceanside. The owner is very welcoming and knowledgeable about her spices. Their food is fresh, different, yummy and great to share small plates with friends so you can enjoy the many different flavors. I love her Paloma cocktail and the eggplant dish. The atmosphere is clean, staff is friendly, food items are unique which makes it a must try several options kinda place. I love the Balinese flare! Headed there again tonight! It's addicting! My only con would be that it can be a bit noisy due to the high ceilings so if noise is an issue for you go early, before the place fills with patrons. read more

See all

The food was outstanding with perfect flavors and textures. The eggplant and nasi goreng were the highlights, and all dishes were excellent. The dishes were beautifully plated and photo-worthy. The cocktails were tasty and inventive, especially working within the limitations of a beer/wine license. The ambiance is kind of artsy industrial. It is a very open single room, and the hard surfaces make it quite loud. The front roll-up and front door were open on a chilly spring evening, which made it a bit cold. I was ok in a short sleeve shirt, but my gf was glad she brought a coat and wore it the entire time. The service was less than spectacular, as the staff couldn't keep up. There were only 2 women working and serving as hostess/bartender/barback/server/runner/busser. Upon arrival (on time, with a reservation), it took a couple of minutes to be acknowledged, and then a few more minutes to be seated at a table that was already open. It felt like at times they would drop the food off and run away to purposely avoid having to take additional food and drink orders. At a restaurant specializing in small plates, it is especially important to be willing and able to handle additional orders during the meal. A single extra server or dedicated bartender would have made a huge difference for all patrons. I have read the same comments in other reviews, so it seems like the restaurant is making a choice to be chronically understaffed. It is unfortunate that the service does not live up to the level of the food, and I hope that they will consider improving their staffing. If the service matched the food, this would be a 5 star review. I'd consider going back, but I might give them some time to improve their service. read more

I would be giving a 2 star but because we ate only vegetarian dishes and possibly the meat is what gets the higher ratings so I'm trying to be fair. We did order the most popular vegetarian dishes on the menu - tofu rendang and grilled eggplant. Eggplant was just ok. The tomato based sauce was decent but nothing wowed us. Tofu dish was extremely rich but not enough flavor. Again it was just ok. Lastly, we had the vegetarian fried rice. The rice was hard and it was extremely oily. It was also too spicy for my liking. I wish they would give the option for spice level bc overall everything was a little too spicy for me. My partner loves spicy food but he agreed on the poor quality of taste. Also every dish had large amounts of oil which left us feeling dense after we ate. That heavy, uncomfortable feeling of greasy food. The roti bead was the only thing that was amazing but I didn't care for the vegetarian curry flavored dipping sauce. Overall, we would not come back here. The food didn't do its job and for the price, no thank you. read more

We went in with high expectations when a friend's recommendation and DM making a "Best Brunch" list collided in my consciousness. Knowing all their reservations were spoken for, made us put up with the hostess/waitress who seemed loathe to acknowledge us. She eventually offered us bar seating, and we found Tarrah, the bartender, to be perfectly friendly and courteous. The place did have more of a bar vibe than "brunch" with concrete and graffiti art figuring in the decor. It never filled up though I'm guessing 11:15-12:15 on Sunday is the height of brunch, and only one other couple joined us at the bar. Even so, it was tough on the two servers, and apparently the kitchen. If you were partaking I'd the Mimosas or had something in which to snack, a 30 minute wait might not be bad, but it's definitely not good when you're hungry and perched in a too-short bar stool. Still, the food could have made up for it... The Nasi Lemak Breakfast was composed of 7 elements that attempted to balance each other out - unfortunately the dryness won out lead by the chicken which, while flavorful, was fried without skin to the point of desiccation. The Nasi Goreng, a representative Indonesian dish, was good - HG had them increase the spice level. I may have shied away from the "fermented" hot sauce, but there was no unpleasant strong taste. The roti was good, but too bad it wasn't included instead of being $10 for a small serving. I think there are too many nearby choices for me to give Dija Mara another chance. read more

See all

This was my pre-Valentines, pre-Birthday dinner! And, am I in love! Oceanside is the foodie scene of North County San Diego and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Dija Mara is somewhat hidden along South Coast Highway, it's quaint inside, offers an intimate space for couples, but a group can make a go of it. Dija Mara is serving innovative Indonesian food and cocktails at fair prices. Small plates are the thing and everything is perfect to share. We went with a starter, two entrees, a dessert and don't forget the cocktail. The Red Lotus cocktail was delicious served with red rose petals on top, the salad starter was flavorful, the meat cooked perfectly (we chose the short rib and the fried chicken) and the dessert was made up of "screw tree" ice cream! What?!?! It was earthy and delicious. It only felt right to write up a review on a hot new restaurant that I think will be here to stay as it's so different than anything else we have nearby. I now have a place to wear my Batik clothing from Coco Rose (see previous review). So, here is to Indonesian culture; fashion and food! Still in love... I'm ready to get back to drink the Red Lotus and Screw Tree! #Oceanside #DijaMara #RedLotus #ScrewTree read more

See all