Delicious, inventive food and thoughtful, kind service. We enjoyed the atmosphere and felt cozy and cared for

Dija Mara stands out, not just in North County, not just in SD, but among all restaurants in Southern California. It possesses the ability to compete with restaurants a couple $$ up from it with no problem. Constantly displaying an inventive menu and excellent execution. What an overall incredible value. To elevate Indonesian food to this level, you typically need to head up to LA where some hipster warehouse in Downtown has been transformed into a urban eatery. You would struggle to find parking, pay $20 for valet, $30 for corkage, and yet another rendition of some now cliche octopus dish would be found on the menu. To have this local to Oceanside is truly a treat and you should certainly check it out. Great service, an awesome owner, and an incredible chef. Food highlights include the grilled roti with lamb jus (already dreaming of that flaky salted crust), ayam penet (incredibly tender fried chicken that falls off the bone), and we hear the whole fried snapper is incredible. Sadly they were out but I can't wait to go back and try it! The other dishes we tried were also good but not a highlight like the other two mentioned. So just go with your gut. Pictures make a few of the dishes seem small but they were filling. Four dishes for two people is a good rule of thumb here. Cocktails are made with wine liquors but are quite inventive. Good beer and wine list but we paid for the corkage. Enjoy! read more

Dija Mara - Updated summer 2020 menu - delicious! - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

The food was good, a bit spicy but good. However the service was horrible. We ordered one of the cocktails and we all had a sip. No one at our table liked it and when asked we were polite but honest. Our waitress took the drink off the table but not off the bill even though it was undrinkable. After that she was extremely rude and short with our table, even cut us off when trying to order. As first time visitors we were unfamiliar with the menu which seemed to annoy her. She did not offer any help and left us to google some dishes/ingredients. We were the first table to sit (they had just opened) and they were already out of pork belly. How does that work? Very pretentious and rude. We will not be going back. read more

This is an interesting spot for sure. If you didn't know Dija Mara was there or that it had a Michelin Star you would for sure walk by. You can't see into it from the street and it's not in a great neighborhood, but once inside the vibe changes. Grafiti art and fabulous music from the 90s set the tone in this 30 seat eatery. Drink menu is hip yet simple and simply delicious. Dishes are small so go with a group and order a bunch of stuff and share. We got the grilled roti, beef tartar, pork belly skewers, green papaya salad with pickled shrimp, coconut rice, lamb satay. Each dish was better then the first. The roti was like a grilled dinner pancake and I couldn't get enough of it. Papaya salad was crisp and palate cleansing. Meat on the pork belly and lamb satay was tender and well flavored, beef tartar was served in a different way. More like a tuna tartar, the beef was chopped up and mixed with a mustard sauce and formed into oblong shapes resembling meatballs and served alongside well grilled, well buttered toast. I would absolutely go back. All that food and 2 drinks per person was a bill of $50 each of the 3 of us! Great price point for amazing quality. read more

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We ordered many dishes for sharing and they were all delicious but seemed a bit small for sharing them between four people so you'll need to order a lot or everyone order an entree. In addition to sharing plates. Ceviche was amazing and so was the eggplant!!! . the fried chicken dish was smaller portion of chicken than we thought (just one chicken thigh and drumstick ...not very shareable as we had been informed. Chicken skin was perfectly lightly crispy. read more

The whole ambiance, service and food amazing. The server was so helpful knowing the menu inside and out.

This a fusion restaurant with Indonesian flavors, this is very Hipster place, plate portions are small considering the price of them. There is no parking and the place is good for local people to get a drink. Not a place for children. Flavors are good and food is well cooked but if you are looking for the original Indonesian taste this is not the place for you. We ordered: Nasi Goreng Beef short rib rendang Lamb shoulder skewers Eggplant The portions are really small, we were 3 and we were still hungry after eating and prices were high. read more

Oh myyyyyyy. This restaurant is in my Oside top 3. There's really like only like 5 good places to eat in Oceanside everything else is mediocre. I sat at the bar and the experience was still so great the only thing is there's no liquor license. read more

What a gem. I didn't have any alcohol but looking forward to next time to try a few cocktails. I really enjoyed the food. Nasi goreng, Mie goreng, and their fried chicken - all superb. Ambiance and service was subdued and chill, just the way I like it. read more

One of the best meals I've ever had. We tried the Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng, and Chicken Skewers. All had unique and strong flavors. Nasi Goreng was personally my favorite. read more

Was a little skeptical because this place had good reviews but was in an old building that was sketchy in the previous decades. The food is amazing! The servers were friendly! The place is a little loud but was worth it. I cannot wait to go again! read more

Most of the food we ordered was good. Indonesian? Somewhat. Bought the beef rendang, gado gado, and pork belly skewers for my Indonesian mother and she wasn't impressed. I ordered most of the suggested food here on Yelp and thought it was delicious but would probably not come back due to how expensive the food was and how rude the waiters were. They barely came to our table and divided the bill incorrectly. One of the waiters rolled her eyes at my aunt. Communication is key when dealing with customers so why have waiters that don't want to learn something as simple as that? read more

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Absolute faves: Tofu rendang and the charred eggplant Other yummy stuff: lamb skewers, pork belly skewers I absolutely love this place. Such a gem in Oceanside even with all the new restaurants that keep popping up, this place is incredibly unique and the food is out of this world. The flavors are so good and the dishes are not something that you can get just anywhere. Like honestly, how many sushi places are there or Farm-to-Table American etc etc. When do you find an Indonesian restaurant anywhere? Well, Oceanside has one! And it's probably the best restaurant Oceanside has! I initially went to Dija Mara for their brunch and had the Nasi Lemak Breakfast... which was okay. My mistake was only getting one dish because this place is definitely a family style restaurant where you get multiple dishes to try out (yes it's expensive but worth it). Anyway, after that experience I slept on Dija Mara for a while until finally a friend wanted to go for dinner, and that's when I truly got to experience how great the food is here. I come back at least once a month if not more. Don't snooze on this place, it's DELICIOUS. read more

A crown jewel tucked away in Oceanside, Dija Mara is one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Great example of a place that offers excellent, Michelin quality dishes without trying so hard. I didn't know what to expect when I walked into this unassuming restaurant but was quickly blown away by the excellent service (shout out to Sean) and top-notch dishes. This is a must visit place if you're in Oceanside and definitely worth the drive if you live in San Diego. read more

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I grew up in Indonesia and always in seek for Indonesian food! I was pretty happy to find this place. Hope it is closer from my place.. read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

East Asia done right. This modern twist has my pallet doing flips. Their cocktails do not lack unique flavors and twists you never thought possible. Food was fresh and great variety of additions for more or less flavor. Their servers are attentive and bring smiles to each encounter. The decor is fresh and vibrant and brings a lot of appreciation as well as lots to discover. read more

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Finally got a chance to go to Dija Mara. I really enjoyed this restaurant and it's all about the food. The space itself is cute- small and minimal, but really makes the focus all about the food and service. They had lots of vegetarian options, even gave us a separate menu that listed everything that could be modified to be vegetarian. The roti is to die for and an absolute must! Loved the spicy noodles with jack fruit, but definitely consider getting them less spicy. We did at recommendation of the server and glad we did because they were still pretty hot. The charred eggplant was my favorite. Perfectly cooked and spiced. The gado gado was delicious and unique as well. We had great service and all the staff were super attentive. Will definitely be back. read more

So happy to of finally tried out this restaurant. It's got really cool urban artwork aesthetic. The food and cocktails speak for themselves. Vibrant colors, flavors, and presentation. some dishes had a little extra spicy heat than I'm used to, but I couldn't deny the flavors and quality of ingredients and dishes coming straight out of the kitchen fresh and warm. My husband felt the higher price to smaller food portion ratio wasn't matching up. We splurged for my birthday and didn't want to worry about it for the occasion. Our server was very knowledgeable of the menu. She helped guide us with suggestions on what to order and was very efficient with our requests. (Im sorry I don't remember her name, I was there on 4/19) she did add a candle to the dessert order which was a sweet gesture. I've shared my experience with coworkers and friends so I hope they'll find time to go too! I didn't get pics of all the food, but these were notable. read more

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One of the best restaurants in San Diego and my go to date night spot. After traveling to Bali and trying so many amazing foods, it's awesome to have a neighborhood restaurant that's inspired by those flavors. The roti, nasi goreng, Gado Gado, skewers and satays, are all some of my favorites but everything I've had here is amazing and they have a great selection of natural wine. read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Dija Mara was a great experience. Really liked the art and the casual vibes. Made a reservation for dinner on Saturday and was a little late due to traffic. They still had our table available, thank goodness. It was a little confusing when we walked in because there was no host and the only person who was available to help was the bartender who seemed busy at the time. We started with drinks. Got the Red Lotus and Paloma. Red Lotus was decent, and the Paloma tasted great! I enjoy drinks on the sweeter side without the alcohol taste and the Paloma had that. For food, we got the Grilled Roti, Pork Belly Skewers, Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng, and Beef Short-Rib Rendang. Loved that these are smaller serving sizes so we were able to try a lot of different dishes. Their dessert menu rotates and there's only one dish. 5/5 Grilled Roti: Omg the softest, airiest flatbread I've ever had. Didn't even need the Lamb Jus Curry. Hands down my favorite part of the meal. 4/5 Pork Belly Skewers: Great taste and charred but not too burnt. Good balance of fat and meat. 4/5 Mie Goreng: Very tasty noodle dish and pretty presentation. Perfect serving size. 3.5/5 Nasi Goreng: The rice felt a little undercooked but the egg was cooked perfectly. Runny yolk but firm white. The rice had good flavor though. 3.5/5 Beef Short-Rib Rendang: Never had a pickled egg before and it was interesting. Mostly rice but the presentation was very pretty. Would return just for the roti and paloma haha. Would like to try the Cereal Prawns and whatever they have for dessert! read more

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Great food try the cereal prawns - loved the cocktails - the bread to start was amazing

Roti, Cereal Prawns, Pork Belly Skewers & Service: A++ Thai Salad: B Eggplant: C Overall: Definitely Must Try read more

Best food find of the year. My partner is a diehard vegetarian and finding complex flavors that are expertly pulled together and layered with such finesse is next to impossible. Every dish hit the mark and my non vegetarian chicken skewers were perfect. Can't wait to come back to this North County gem. Oh, and the vibe made us feel like we were in Berkeley again, so effortlessly bohemian and cool. read more

Went here last night for a fun date night dinner with the husband. Definitely make reservations because it is a busy spot with a couple of tables and a bar that will be hard to grab as a walk in. Cool fun hip industrial decor, music was a little bit on the loud side though in case if you were trying to go here for a first date or something. We ordered the cardinal sin and a passion fruit soda to start. Both super yummy. For food we shared the roti, papaya salad, pork belly skewers, beef short rib rendang, and the nasi goreng. Husband really liked the lamb jus that went with the roti. It tasted a lot like cumin, which was yummy. I liked the papaya salad and the pork belly. Both of us thought the nasi goreng and short rib rendang were just ok, not bad but nothing really special with those two dishes. We didn't get the market place fish, but the table next to us did and that did look BOMB. Price: average for this type of restaurant Food: slightly above average, but nothing really standing out. Decor: hip, trendy and airy but a little bit on the loud side. Service: average friendliness but everything was sort of on the slow side with only three workers bartending/ waitressing/ hosting/ and bussing the entire spot. Overall a nice addition to the neighborhood, decent food, but wouldn't call it my favorite or go out of my way to pop in. read more

Super unique decor and the food is incredible. Make a reservation before you go this place is very popular and for good reason! If you don't have a reservation you can try your shot at bar seating. read more

Food was delicious and unique. Service was good. Ambiance was casual but on the noisy side.

Underwhelmed and Disappointing to the Point that it Pissed Me Off As part of a four day North County restaurant tour Dija Mara was our 3rd dinner out. Coming into our trip this was the restaurant I was most excited to experience. However both the food and setting lacked charm or favorable character whatsoever. Frankly, if I didn't know better I would say its inclusion on the Essential 38 list is an indictment on the San Diego food scene. Other than filling a north county quota it's not at all deserving and it offended me with how underwhelming it was. Put another way, drop Dija Mara into Manhattans Hells Kitchen neighborhood and it's not even an honorable mention best southeast Asian restaurant between 9th and 10th Avenues. We sat on the sidewalk 'patio' dining, as cars and trucks raced by on the busy street in front of us with the best ambience coming from the hardware store across the street. It's a sad location that doesn't have the food to back up its address. It has a level of hubris that makes it seem better than it actually is. It fails to overcome what nearly 2 dozen taco trucks in dark, dingy corners of the county are able to do by making you forget where they're parked because you're there for the food. The best food item on the menu we tried was the roti. You can easily mess up bread but thankfully they did not. Most dishes were fine, they did the trick but did not warrant banking a memorable thought to beyond their last bites. The cocktails were memorable and I probably could have drank more to ease my discontentment of the food. What they do wrong is that they overly rely on heat and spices. Like many South Asian restaurants heat defines many dishes. But it doesn't work if you're unable to navigate the complex balance of flavors to compliment the heat, which they failed at. It's a lot like another regional pet peeve I have - the IPA beer; just because you can put more hops in it doesn't make it a better beer. The food lacked complementing notes and felt like the place was trying to act the part rather than actually be it. The Mie Goreng was particularly errant. Spicy as advertised but frankly it wasn't right. I could have easily traded it in for a spicier dish at a number of other restaurants where they know how to draw out complimenting flavors and give you a culinary experience that didn't leave you asking for the check early. Maybe it was an off day. Maybe it's the unavoidable comparison to my dinner the previous night at Campfire which was like watching the Lakers court-side one night and then a JV high school team from the upper deck of the stands the next. Funny, reading other recent reviews my high/low foods seem to match other experiences. Personally this isn't worth the drive up, down or wherever you're coming from if you're hoping to recreate or build off of great southeast Asian experiences you've had elsewhere in life. It will only just piss you off. I initially gave this three stars but after sitting on my thoughts for a night there's a very specific downgrade reason to two stars. This was the only restaurant of the entire 4 day trip where not a single member of staff wore a mask. It's blatant disregard to the worldly situation and the comfort of diners coming into their restaurant as Delta is running rampant. It's careless and utterly as stupid as this restaurant being on any best of lists in San Diego. read more

Reservations are highly recommended. They take walk-ins, but are usually fully booked for weekend dinners. The outdoor seating is on the sidewalk of Coast Hwy. The traffic noise was constantly interrupting conversation, and then later the jazz club next door chimes in (if you're looking to enjoy live music instead of talk, this is a plus!). The draw of Dija Mara is the unique flavors that is a product of Balinese fusion. Some were uniquely good, and some were uniquely not for my palate. We ordered a variety of dishes for the table, and each dish played to someone's taste buds, but we weren't unanimously wowed by anything. Same thing with the cocktails, which are mainly wine-based. read more

This place gets better and better. The two women working this small, funky place do an amazing job of taking care of the guests. Jordon took great care of us. Pandany dropper and gypsy king cocktails are delicious. Dinner was started with ceviche which was so tasty. The sauce.... Just order it. Husband had beef short rib randang and loved his meal. I ordered the whole fish. It was beautifully presented, but even better were the complex and exotic flavors. It really is out of this world. See you again soon. read more

This was our first time trying Indonesian cuisine. It was fantastic. Such flavorful dishes. Can't wait to go back!

Deliciously crafted Indonesian food! The beef shirt rib rendang was so delicious! Each bite made me want to go back for more. The coconut infused rice was the perfect complement. read more

Dija Mara - Beef Short-Rib Rendang - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Meh. Was told that it was family style eating so we ordered three dishes and the first one was a fried chicken leg, whole, for three of us, family style... It was ok. Second dish was ok. I was mostly looking forward to Laksa- I've always wanted to try it after how hard Top Chef waxes poetic to this dish, during the Tiger King part of quarantine I got a hold of all the ingredients and made my own. Loved it, so I was excited to get it at a proper Indonesian restaurant. Meh- my rookie try had more flavor. The drinks were my favorite part, the paloma was great. Ordered Dessert but not available- but they did have mango sorbet, which tasted like that from concentrate frozen orange juice my mom used to have in the freezer. Drove from Rancho San Diego, once was enough. read more

My friend recommended this place when I was in town, and I was slightly skeptical when we were waiting outside based on the interior design. However, the food surprised me with how well put together it was, and the combinations of sauces and toppings made the dishes more interesting than other places I've tried. The prices were very reasonable for a tapas place, and although the restaurant is tiny, the tables are very spaced out. Make sure to make a reservation or you won't get a seating due to how small the establishment is read more

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Dija Mara is definitely one of the better spots to eat in Oceanside. It is tapa style so the plates do come out when they are ready. Highly suggest getting the ceviche (have never tried anything like it but it's absolutely FANTASTIC) + also ordered the nasi goreng and mie goreng which we also enjoyed. Three plates between me and my best friend were just perfect. It is limited seating (inside only) so expect the wait on getting seated. Definitely more of a cute place to eat with a friend or two. Big parties - good luck. Absolutely coming back. read more

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Have you ever had a great experience at a restaurant and wanted to recreate it? Well, this was the case with Dija Mara. Unfortunately, we had two very different experiences. The first visit, we loved everything. All dishes were well seasoned and the presentation was beautifully done. Our second time around was a big let down. We tried to get a reservation, but they don't have a reservation system (you need to call, but we couldn't get a hold of them). We tried emailing too. We then tried our luck and did a walk-in. We got seated and that was the end of the bad experience. HA! Gotcha there! They were out of MANY dishes including dessert (it wasn't closing time). Also, everything we ordered was extremely hot, and I couldn't finish my meal because my mouth was on fire. It's so sad to see a restaurant I fell in love with go down like this. We definitely won't be back for a third time to see if it's the charm. Food: * Grilled Roti - the only good tasting dish. * Grilled Lamb Satay - extremely spicy, I couldn't taste anything. * Mie Goreng - I know this is a spicy noodle dish, but when you can't finish your meal or have to drink water between each bite it's not well balanced. * Prawn Crackers with Sambal Terasi Drink: *Paloma #808 - this was a good drink. read more

Dija Mara - Grilled Roti - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Yum! Deliciously flavorful food but beware most dishes are spiced so kids were able to enjoy the roti without sauce and breakfast dish only-they loved them and I loved everything: gabo gabo, tuna benedict, spicy eggplant and especially the pandan drink!! Would definitely go again when in the neighborhood. Only downside was bad acoustics-very loud and echoes even though not high occupancy. Also, only one server but did a great job at Sunday Mother's Day brunch! read more

What an amazing hidden gem in Oceanside. I found out about this place when my CIO who lives in Seattle was asked what his favorite place to eat was when coming to San Diego. A little fusion Indonesian place in Oceanside called Dija Mara. I dropped by the first time to find out was sold out for the night and to go online for a reservation. It was also sold out the next night and for the next week. Grabbing a reservation for 4 and finding out this little gem is a Michelin rated restaurant was more than a surprise, but good things come to those who can wait. Awesome food fantastic ambiance. Not up tight or stuffy the food was very good. Since Indonesia is my favorite country in the world I was excited to have real Indonesian flavor and I wasn't disappointed. It's been a few months and I can't wait to get back there to try new dishes. Seriously you can't go wrong. We tried 4 dishes sharing all of them and loved it. 6 stars if I could. read more

Our food was delicious! We had the roti with 2 sauces - the yellow one was especially amazing. We also had the spicy noodles, short ribs and eggplant. So yummy! Noodles were almost too spicy for us, and I like spicy food. The eggplant was so surprising and savory. Short ribs were so rich and flavorful. We loved the dessert as well. We'll be back for sure and are so happy to have this quality of food in Oceanside! read more

I didn't know what to expect when I tried Dija Mara, and was blown away by the flavors of everything I had. Even their bowl of white rice was amazing!! They've sold me on the amazing flavors of Balaniese food. read more

I've wondered about Dija Mara since its opening, replacing my much beloved breakfast joint, Bessie's, so my husband and I decided to try it out for date night last week. The atmosphere is funky yet inviting, with several two-tops and some larger tables for bigger parties. The lighting is tastefully dim, but no so much so that you can't see your food or dining partner. One downside, the chairs are so HARD. By the end of our meal my backside was so sore from sitting. Some more ergonomically-friendly seats or a little cushion to the current ones would do them good. Our server asked whether we had any allergies or dietary restrictions, and I let her know that I eat seafood but no meat. She provided us with an extensive list of menu items that were suitable, as well as those that could be modified. The menu is tapas-style, so she recommended sharing 3-4 dishes between the two of us. For drinks we each had a pineapple soda - I wouldn't recommend these. It's basically soda water with what tastes like simple syrup and chunks of canned pineapple at the bottom. For food we decided on the tofu rendang ($14), charred eggplant ($13), stir-fried Chinese greens ($9) and tiger prawns ($17). Our favorites of those four were the tofu rendang and eggplant, both of which were well-seasoned, the tofu and tempeh accompanied by a mild curry, and the eggplant tender and charred to perfection. The Chinese greens were simple but terribly salty and over seasoned. The tiger prawns were presented beautifully but were over cooked and tough. Our server was kind enough to discount our bill when we left the plate of prawns over half untouched. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would be open to going back to check out their brunch someday. read more