CHILD UNFRIENDLY We came here to celebrate our anniversary and left absolutely appalled. Midway through our meal, the manager had the audacity to come to our table and tell us that our 18-month-old son needed to be quieter. Imagine that -- being scolded by management because a toddler was acting like... a toddler. If this restaurant doesn't want families, they should be upfront about it instead of humiliating paying guests. As an OBGYN provider, these are the types of interactions that contribute to postpartum depression and anxiety. The manager argued with me saying other customers left or requested to move tables because of my son (which is completely their right) however in my opinion compensating them a free dessert or drink for the inconvenience would have been a better course of action rather than shaming my family. To make matters worse, the food itself was a major disappointment. Every dish we tried was far too salty, completely unbalanced, and certainly not worth the outrageous prices they charge. For the cost of this meal, we expected refinement and flavor -- instead, we got over-seasoned plates and an under-seasoned dose of arrogance. Hospitality is supposed to make you feel welcome. Here, we felt disrespected, overcharged, and dismissed. If you value your money, your dignity, or your taste buds, skip this place. There are plenty of restaurants that know how to cook well and treat guests with basic courtesy read more

Met 3 of friends here last night to give them a taste of my favorites and everything we ordered was delicious!! The flavors of every dish were so good!! The grilled roti here is by far the best I've had, we ordered 3! My favorite dish was the tamarind whole fried fish with a side of the coconut rice...but honestly, loved every dish we got...sea bream ceviche, papaya salad, gado gado, charred eggplant, pork belly skewers, cereal prawns, ayam penyet, and nasi goreng. And can forget the dessert!! YUUUMMM!! read more

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Smaller place with a great staff. A bit noisy. But the food- oh my! Started with a couple roti. The sauces were both excellent and just the right amount of curry. Prawn and pork belly skewers were amazing- again just the right amount of seasoning to remind you you're not in Kansas anymore. Eggplant was delish out and I hate eggplant. Mike goreng was good. Add excellent servers and you have a winner. Will go back soon. read more

My husband wanted to try this place and so we Came here for dinner on a weekday evening. He was very excited to try this place as this is a Michelin recommended restaurant. We got the sea food Nasi Goreng - not my favorite but husband enjoyed it. I ordered the pork belly skewers which were the highlight of our dinner along with the grilled Roti. The roti was so soft yet piping hot and came with lamb curry - just amazing! If you have to get 1 thing here, it's the grilled roti! The dessert was Thai panna cotta which was okay. Reducing a star because we felt like we were rushed to place an order. And oh!our service spilled an entire glass of water on me. read more

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We heard about this restaurant from some locals. So, being the "foodies" that we are, we went to check it out. Small and delicious menu. Right down to the dessert. Great service and the owner is there with her fingers on the pulse. Definitely a must try when in the area. Looking forward to our next dining experience at this restaurant. read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

Came here as it was suggested to us by a friend. Didn't have reservations but wanted to give it a shot to see how long the wait will be. The first host or sever was super nice. Came back 30-40mins they had a table for us. Our sever could have done little better not sure if she was having a bad day but she was over it honestly she sigh when she came to our table and other people's table. That's the server life if you ever seen it. The food was actually delicious, small portions but def worth a try at least once. The drinks were yummy too. The manager or not sure if she was a server but she came to check on tables to make sure everything was alright. Which you don't see much in smaller restaurants. The inside was pretty nice lots of mixed art . Dark little light urban ish feel. Prob won't come here again but it was nice to try it at least. read more

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Let me begin by saying that I began going to Dija Mara in 2017 when they first opened and the owners lived upstairs. At the time Dija Mara was at the top of my personal restaurant list. We recommended the place to friends and anyone who would listen. The place was consistently good. It was a great place to eat at, as the food was good, the place had an LA Melrose Avenue vibe to it and the staff, the owners, and Chef knew who we were and were not strangers in coming to our table to say hello. The servers were genuinely friendly from the time we walked in till the time we left. After dinner there was always a quick stop to the kitchen to thank Chef Ryan and Kitchen Staff for their hard work. At times, even the Chef would come out and explain the dish and sometimes would create something special and totally off the menu. We would always take in our own wine, pay for corkage, and send a glass back to the Chef and even share a glass with Rob the owner and even our server. The server is as much a part of making your meal a wonderful experience as the chef cooking the meal. Many times corkage fees were waived. This wasn't just another place to eat at while being waited on, thanked for the patronage and leaving. Anyone can go to any eating establishment, pay for food, have friendly service and still have ZERO connection to the staff, owner and kitchen staff. An anonymous experience of sort. Dija Mara was like being invited to someone's home for a nice dinner while interacting with the people who own the place, the servers and the Chef. An ongoing relationship that kept patrons going back. All good things eventually come to an end and so did our liking for Dija Mara. Chef would eventually leave for North Park and while the recipes remained, the food just wasn't the same. It became inconsistent from temperature to the level of spice, portion sizes and price. The turn over in staff became more and more consistent which began to reflect poorly in the service. It appeared that short cuts were being taken in food and we rarely saw the owners. Our last straw eating here was when we decided to get take out and were denied the request when the place was literally empty. I have zero tolerance for poor service. From that point on, I refused to go back and told all our friends why we would not go back for two main reasons. Poor, unfriendly customer service and inconsistency in food. That was about 7 years ago as Dija Mara opened in 2017. Recently we learned that Dija Mara had a new owner. I was coaxed into going back to try it again. This was my first time back in 7 years. Upon walking in, the place was packed and we didn't have a reservation. The hostess kindly greeted us and offered us a place at the bar, which I usually don't like. As we sat at the bar we were immediately greeted by our server, given water, asked if we wanted anything else to drink and were explained the menu. We were told that the entrees come out at different times of the meal. An issue we had when we used to come here before, but not an issue on this night because it was explained to us. Thanks for the communication. The food was what I remembered when Dija Mara first opened. It was almost like going back in time. Everything was spot on and for the most part the place looked the same with the gray walls, the Melrose Vibe with a good looking hip crowd. There were a few changes like the lighting fixtures, plants, a graffiti type mural on the wall which fits Oceanside. Think Animal Kingdom. My experience was good enough to change my mind to go back. Dija Mara is now back in the top of my list of Oceanside Favorites. It only takes one employee being rude and not friendly, one bad night, one mistake to undo a perfectly good reputation that drives people away. With high prices and inflation, there is little room for error as competitors are waiting to take away business. If the owner or manager is reading this, go to the tables to say hello to customers, engage in conversation with them and please keep things consistent. Continue doing what brought in a packed house and myself back. Thanks for bringing Dija Mara back to what it used to be in the beginning. There are other friends who have also not been back in years due to similar experiences. I will be sure to spread the word. Rating 1-5 (Five being the highest) Ambience = 5 Quality of Food = 5 Service = 5 Value for Money = 5 Overall Experience = 5 read more

I went there for Indonesian food. Even though it's fusion, I had some expectations. This is not Indonesian food. They don't use the same spices, and some of them taste old. Also, the portion is much smaller than the price suggests. Service was casual and nice. read more

This place was amazing!!! My friends and I had all these lovely food for dinner. My favorite was the pork belly skewers! I just love the fusion of two into one dish. Service was good. The place was nice and small but very aesthetic. I would come back again. read more

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The place has a nice ambience. The place is a little small inside but was surprised they had a very nice table to sit eight of us. Everyone was very nice and accommodating. The food was very tasty, full of flavors. You definitely have to try the pork belly skewers, that was my favorite. The yu choy was amazing. Their menu wasn't updated and the dessert that we wanted to try was no longer available, that was the only disappointing thing. read more

Great service and spectacular food! Our favorite was the pork belly. Highly recommend checking this place out. Bold, delightful flavors.

Great food. Amazing ambiance. Must try. Came here for the skewers, walked out trying everything!

This cute little place, is hidden in plain site. It is very unassuming from the outside and frankly very easy to miss. The food is out of this world - every bite better than the last. Everything we ordered was a 11/10, flavorful, balanced, and oh so delicious. Best to come with a group and order multiple dishes to share so you can try as many as you can. You won't be disappointed. I highly recommend making reservations as this is a small place with only a handful of tables and they can get quite busy. Shout out to the two ladies serving everyone tonight and keeping the place humming. read more

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The food is exceptional. Go for the food. The service was overall also exceptional except for a difficult start with a waitress who seemed uncomfortable with us wanting to ask questions. I was asking about the roti and she assumed we were ordering it. We were not. She responded to my next question about the whole fish. read more

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Food absolutely delicious. Flavors were on point. We had chicken skewers, papaya salad, mei goreng, and gado gado. That was a bit too much for two people. We made reservations which I highly recommend as the restaurant was full on a Saturday night. We sat at a high table in the window so we had competing music from the establishment next door. Some might find that annoying but I kind of liked it. The hostess was great, our server was attentive enough, and food came out quickly. My only real gripe is the restroom. A single stall bathroom is surmountable if maintained but the high volume use of it has worn it in a little. Also the trash can being so small it was full by 8:30pm and almost overflowing an hour later. Other than that one small detail everything was great. I'd definitely go back. read more

Great ambiance and service. Food was a bit salty, likely to promote pairing with drinks, but very flavorful. The Pork Belly Skewers were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and a nice touch of smokiness for a savory starter. Cereal Prawns were a pleasant surprise. Just a really creative use of corn flakes, and absolutely delicious. Overall, a great spot for a nice date night. read more

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Absolutely worst service ever. Came in for a birthday and besides having servers run food we had 0 service. Complained to a manager and then all was said was "that is how it is sometimes". Took 14 minutes for a birthday dessert and all the server said was "here's your birthday dessert" and rudely dropped it. They held our card for 20 minutes and server disappeared. And we had a reservation for 7:15 and didn't get sat till 7:45. We get that it gets busy and people stay past their time but we were "offered a beer" for the inconvenience then were charged for it. Poor communication, poor service, 0 hospitality. Will not be coming back. 0 compensation besides the server "taking care of the birthday dessert". We were polite and discussed our frustrations and manager said "sorry you feel that way" read more

We ordered Grilled Roti, Charred Eggplant, Pork Belly Skewers , Beef Rendang, and Nasi Goreng. The Roti is a bit thick, almost tasted like Naan Bread, but the dipping sauces are both delicious. The Charred eggplant is good, I enjoyed the flavor and texture. The meat in Beef Rendang was so tender, and Nasi Goreng tasted delicious. My favorite is Pork Belly skewers. It was seasoned well. The place is small, you have to make reservations to get seated right away. The voices of the people in the restaurant bounced around the room that made it noisy- even though the music is not loud. Excellent service- everyone was very friendly. read more

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Great quality, relaxed environment. The drinks were good and service was equally good. Would definitely return. read more

Dija Mara - Agave wine - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

Lets just say I can never go back to those instant Mee Goreng packets ever again. Dija Mara was an incredible restaurant which 100% deserves their michelin rated status. In my opinion, they should be Michelin Bib Gourmand! This was honestly the best Indonesian food I have had in the states, close to the quality of the Indonesian food I have had the pleasure of eating in Singapore. My friend and I sat at the bar because we did not have a reservation, but the service at the bar was just fine. The ambiance here is cool and hip. One thing to note, is that during my visit, the bathrooms did not lock properly. If this hasn't been fixed yet, then I'd recommend you to have a friend stand by the door while you use the bathroom. Hopefully this is no longer an issue. What I ordered: Mie Goreng: 5/5. Absolute must order, this dish was filled with protein and flavor in every bite. Seriously so addicting. Nasi Goreng: 5/5. Absolutely incredible and also a must order. Pork belly skewers: 3/5. This just didn't impress me as much as I had hoped it would. It came out a bit dry, and I would not order it again. Roti: 5/5. The two curries it came with were so delicious and the roti was perfectly prepared. The drinks here were also crafted beautifully! I will definitely be coming back here the next time I am in the area. read more

Dija Mara - Mie Goreng - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I've come 3x and I always leave thinking about the next time I'm going to haul myself back to Oceanside for this burst of flavor and culinary delight. Drinks: so fun, simple, and well curated. Food: have never tried anything that I'm not OBSESSED with. Each time I come back, I struggle with the decision to try something new or return to my favorites. For appetizers, the pork belly skewers & charred eggplant are out of this world! So much texture, flavor, and color. You can't go wrong with any entree sized dishes - I think I'd rotate a new dish each time I come. Dessert: while everything has been light, balanced, and sooo refreshing - my favorite has been an apricot gazpacho (w coconut sorbet, basil sugar, and candied sourdough) in July 2023. Hopefully this stays on the menu for a while! Ambiance: edgy and cool art with a tasteful touch of greenery. Dija Mara will remain one of my favorite spots to take people! read more

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Hands down the best meal I've had since 2017 in Paris. I've eaten my fair share of Indonesian food. I had my first taste when I was 6 or 7. I've eaten while visiting my dad in Jakarta. My dad was married to an Indonesian woman who had a friend with a catering business - so I've sampled from many regions. This place deserves ALL of the Michelin stars and James Beard awards. There's this funky British gastropub vibe, but they were jamming old honky tony country. They have organic wine and cocktails made with agave wine. We started with krupuk. So fresh!! And the sambal was awesome, too! We actually ended up getting a second order. The short rib rendang was spoon tender. Also possibly the best rendang I've ever had. Served with coconut rice and an egg on top, it was utter perfection. The mie goreng wasn't what I expected, but it was so good. And so spicy. You can even add a round for the kitchen staff to thank them. So I bought a round for them and the bar staff. Honestly sad I couldn't go back. But if I end up in the SAN area again. I will make a trip to Oceanside just for this. read more

Dija Mara - Beets by Bali, Prawn Crackers with Sambal Terasi, and Jumping Juice organic wine. - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

Exotic flavors! The best ... innovative, creative and inspiring food. Loved it. Ordered mocktail coco, tofu / tempeh rendang, tartare, sea bream ceviche, and dessert of the day. read more

We really enjoyed dining at Dija Mara. If you are a picky eater, you may want to avoid this place. All of the food is very unique with distinct flavours. The pork belly skewers were our favourite of the things we ordered. The ambiance is moody, it is dark in the restaurant with small candles on each table. Interesting art on the walls. The service was okay. We came on a weekend so it was kind of busy. We put in an order for the beef tartare after a few of our dishes came out and I think the waitress forgot to put it in. They eventually did get it to us and gave us a discount on the final bill which was really kind. There was no automatic gratuity for our party of two. We will be returning with friends to try more of the menu items! read more

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Food was amazing, service was personable, been looking for some Indonesian cuisine for SO long and happy to find some near home. Absolutely loved it and will be back! Get the Mie goreng. read more

First time at Dija... parking was a bit craz craz so had to circle around a few times. But we had dinner reservations at 6:30 and were seated promptly. Staffs were very sweet and accommodating. I was here on a date bc he's been here before and is a total foodie. He ordered 4-5 dishes and everything was AMAZING. The portions are small but melt in your mouth goodness!! We had the pork skewer... charred eggplant , ceviche, Grill roti.... Best chicken I've had! OMG I cannot say enough that everything shocked my mouth. It was SOOO good! My favorite was the papaya salad. So even though it's an hour drive for me, I will definitely be returning to this place whenever I'm in this area. it's one of the best food I've eaten this mos and I enjoy treating myself to all the best places yet this place left its mark on me:) Small, quaint, casual ambience but beautiful and hip! Great staffs, checks on us often. Definitely deserving of its 5 star that I seldom give. Just give yourself a little extra time to find parking read more

Absolutely amazing. Everything we had was packed with flavors our tastebuds weren't used to tasting. Unique and all the flavors and textures bounced off each other. I can see why they were Michelin! Very cool decor - concrete walls with colorful artwork. We got the pork belly skewers (10/10), the Roti (10/10) sooo fluffy and the sauces were delicious, the ceviche (10/10 a nice contrast to the other dishes), fried chicken (9/10 recommended by the server), and eggplant 9/10 (came with a lot). I also got a glass of chilled red wine that was so juicy. Excited to come back and try more! read more

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My cousin took us 1st timers here which we were very excited to try and i gotta tell yah it was top notch service was great beautiful decor and EVERYTHING was good very flavorful and if you like spicy this is the spot there salad was my favorite I didn't get a picture or there Beef rendang that was topped on a bed of coconut rice that dish was amazing!!!! Chicken skewers completely made my mouth happy it was good and must I get into there charred eggplant? I'm going to leave you wondering....You must stop on in and find out....It gets busy quick so get there early. We went for dinner which they open at 5pm. read more

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I'll start with this - my husband ate until he was so full it hurt. We got the roti, chicken skewers, fried rice, spicy noodles, and fried chicken. Everything tasted amazing. The Sambal was the best I've ever tasted. Smaller space with chill vibes. Place felt like it was meant to stay small so they can concentrate on fresh flavors and great execution. Service was fast since it's smaller. Every time we looked up the waitress/bartenders knew we needed something. When the surrounding area offers a ton of burgers and fries, this was a breath of fresh air. I do recommend reservations if you know ahead that you're going. Some of the items were too spicy for my 10 year old, but there were plenty of items she could fill up on. Just check with the servers to know what to expect. read more

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Everything we ordered was an absolute must! Drinks: Gypsy King and Beets by Bali (we both loved their Beets by Bali and each had our own!) Plates: Beef Tartar, Pork Belly Skewers, Pei Mussels and Mie Goreng Dessert: Apricot Gazpacho We left very full but well satisfied! Thank you Dija Mara for a great experience! Very welcoming from several staffs there that night! read more

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Absolutely one of the best restaurants in Oceanside! Next level Indonesian style dishes that are overflowing with creative expression. The flavor combinations resonate with everything you crave from SE Asian food but done in such an original approachable way. There is something on this menu for everyone from vegans, pescatarians to carnivores alike. Noodles are literally everything you've ever dreamed that a noodle could be. I think about them all of the time... Drinks are made from locally distilled spirits and complement the food in every way. The vibe is street gritty NY 90'ish underground to match the fresh music and the service was top! Make a reservation because they are always busy. read more

Dija Mara - Noodles!! - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

My partner and I were excited to try this spot out, especially because we're new to the SD area and have been looking forward to finding some good Asian food. I'm new to reviewing but our experience was bad enough for me to leave a review. Upon getting to the front door, the server said "Hi" and that's about it. It was awkward, and my partner and I both mentioned to each other after sitting down that it felt like the server didn't expect for us to have a reservation. Moving onto the food, we got the ceviche, nasi goreng, and beef rendeng. Ironically, the ceviche came out last. Beef rendeng: All the "flavor" was on the outside of the meat. Upon first bite, my partner and I didn't say anything. Then both admitted that it tasted dry. We aren't even major food critics, and it was unfortunate given that she has actually had beef rendeng before and said I shouldn't base how good it can taste off of this particular serving. We didn't even finish the plate. Nasi goreng: Our fave of the three! However, what made it taste great was that it reminded me of a home cooked meal made by friends' mom. It was nostalgic in tasting, but it wasn't necessarily anything out of the ordinary. What surprised us both was how spicy it was. If you like spice, you'd really enjoy it. Ceviche: Presentation felt fancy, but it was super salty. Also the ceviche was hidden under these cassavas I think? Looking at the ceviche itself, it look really unappetizing. There was nothing that wowed us about it. Our drinks were cute and simple: sparkling water & and dija's soda. We told the server who gave us our check (different than the one who took our order) that the rendeng was not good. She said she'd go and tell the kitchen and we expected her to come back to follow up with us, but there was nothing. Ironically, there was another server who gave us the check back after running the payment (before we added our tip), and my partner and I joked that we had 3 servers. It was a quick experience, probably about 25 minutes overall for this date night. No one even thanked us or greeted us when leaving, which feels like the bare minimum to expect at a higher end place. We won't be back. read more

Amazing food, can't wait to go back when we are back down in Oceanside. So many unique dishes read more

Great food at reasonable prices. Excellent service and a big shout-out to Tarrah who got us in on a very crowded night. Diverse, but limited menu. The four of us all agreed we'd come back. read more

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Michelin guide Balinese cuisine! Dija Mara is a unique and flavorful eatery located in Oceanside! There is no parking lot, but there are street parking spots available. We made a reservation for their Sunday brunch and were not disappointed! Once you walk in, you'll be greeted by a modern interior with some colorful artwork. We ordered the dija hangover, Kaya toast, and nasi lemak breakfast. Everything we tried was beyond delicious and flavorful. Overall, the staff here are very friendly and accommodating. I can see why this is a Michelin guide spot! We will definitely be back for another wonderful meal next time we're in the area. read more

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If you've not had the opportunity to drop into to Dija Mara, I suggest you make some time! Suzanne and her crew will treat you to one of the most tantalizing food journeys! The ambiance is inviting and fun and the staff is attentive and welcoming! Treat yourself to a night your taste buds will not soon, if ever, forget! Make a reservation as they fill up quick! read more

Love the pulpo here so good. Its been awhile since we went there when my cousin from Singapore came with her dad we went for a meal. Its pretty good read more

Phenomenal in every way. Rarely do you come across food done in an entirely unique way that you've never before experienced. That is Dija Mara. Imaginative flavors, understated but exquisite presentation, laid-back but professional and personable staff, and a well thought out, but not overly thought out, vibe. Distinctive but in no way uncomfortable. This will be a frequent return locale anytime I visit Oceanside! read more

Dija Mara - Indonesian Near Me - Oceanside, California

This brunch is anything but basic. Ngl I'm over the champagne flights, burgers with egg, and pancakes with flower petals on it. The food is 10/10, ambiance is 10/10, street parking is easy to find. Lovely staff. I ordered with my eyes and got the nasi goreng, lemak (pork belly and chicken), roti, kaya toast, and eggplant. Everything (minus the toast) had some level of spice to it. All good. No complaints. My favorite was the kaya toast dipped in egg 10000/10. read more

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Food is fabulous but just too hot geez get more AC please. We were dying. Not acceptable. read more