Dija Mara

Ok, we have been wanting to come here for years but I always had this sinking feeling that the food was going to be expensive and basically "meh". I was so wrong.
Wow. Parking was easy, as we parked literally right in front of Dija Mara, then we walked over to LTH an hour before our DM reservations to have a couple of drinks. Came back over at 6:30 and got seated at a two-top in the back half of the restaurant.
Not the best table and the sun was glaring in my eyes, I was worried we were going to have a "off" time but it turned out the sun was perfect for taking photos and we didn't mind the seats at all.
The place was consistently packed at 6:30 until we left. After reading all the reviews and watching any YouTube videos I could find, I boiled down to this list of plates we HAD to try: Grilled Roti - ($11) Beef Short Rib Rendang - ($32) Ceviche - ($18) Ayam Penyet - ($23) Mie Goreng - ($18) and one red wine - ($18) We ordered all at once and they brought out the food slowly, which was great because we didn't have that much room on the table for all those plates. The Roti was really good.
Think of it like a large, very warm pita bread...only much lighter and fresher.
The two sauces it came with were very good too.
They brought that out with the Beef Rendang which was beautiful to look at and you could use the Roti to sop up the beef juices. Then we had the Ceviche - which hands-down was the BEST ceviche we have ever had in our lives and I've eaten a metric ton of ceviche over the years.
This is a crowning achievement wow and a steal at $18. Then the Ayam Penyet came out, which is essentially shake-n-bake fried chicken but it was SOOOO good! And the Sambal sauce that came with it is blow-your-head-off spicy but so tasty I could not stop eating it.
But then the side of rice that came with it is easily the BEST rice we've ever had in our lives.
Like, what is happening!??? We finished off with the Mie Goreng - which was outstanding in flavor.
It's fried wok noodles.
Like a really amped up thick Yakisoba.
Absolutely delicious but we had no room to eat it.
We packed it up to go. The wine was good too.
A bit pricey at $18 if you ask me and that's why we did LTH first.
I do want to try their cocktails so next time... Overall I would (and will) re-order everything again except for the Beef Rendang.
It was good and a beautiful dish but I can make short rib in the Instant Pot at home pretty easily.
Just not as pretty... I liked the vibes of this place, especially on a Saturday evening.
There was live music playing next door and the street just felt alive and electric.
I love living in Oceanside more and more.
We are truly becoming a culinary destination. Dija Mara was awarded the "Bib Gourmand" by the Michelin Guide (the same people that award Michelin Stars) from 2021-2023.
This means they provide outstanding Michelin-level food at VALUE prices.
This I can attest is true.
Around $20 for this caliber of food is insane.
But they've been in the 2019 and 2020 Michelin guides as well (Michelin Plate and Discovery). Can't wait to come back!

I was in Oceanside visiting, and took my wife here to eat.
We had a reservation and were sat immedietly, and the server explained the food and plates right away. The drinks were delicious and looked great.
We had pork belly skewers, fried chicken, fried rice, and noodles.
They recommended 2 dishes a person.
The noodles were more up my wife's alley, but had a unique texture.
The rice was flavourful and spicy, but could have used more egg yolk.
The fried chicken was crispy, and the coconut rice was fluffy.
The hot sauce that came with it was very spicy but delicious.
I will have DREAMS about those pork belly skewers.
I could eat 10 orders.
There are only 4 per order. The dessert was okay, they did not have the Panna cotta, instead it was a banana dessert.
I'm not a fan of bananas, but gave it a shot and it was still a mix of flavors and textures.

My friend and I got the charred eggplant, and it was delicious.
We also got the whole fish and a vegetable dish that had a peanut sauce. Overall, we loved everything.