PRESENTED BY

Dija Mara Brings Indonesian-Inspired Cuisine to Oceanside

Chef Ryan Costanza searched Southern California for a great surf town for the new restaurant

By Troy Johnson November 24, 2017

Dija Mara Brings Indonesian-Inspired Cuisine to Oceanside — Photo by Sam Wells

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES Know the Neighborhood Where to eat, where to drink, and what it's like to live there. EXPLORE THE GUIDES

Chef Ryan Costanza first worked under New York great David Bouley, learning the classics. His stint at LA’s famed Southeast Asian restaurant Lukshon inspired him to take an executive chef post in Singapore at Nosh, before returning as director of operations at San Francisco’s Michelin two-star Crenn Dining Group.

Now, after searching Southern California for a great surf town in need of their Indonesian-influenced California cuisine concept, Dija Mara, he and his partners chose… Oceanside. Yep. Ceviche with kaffir lime. Nasi goreng. Wagyu beef tartare. Wok-charred eggplant with smoked tomato sambal. A low-ABV cocktail program with Southeast Asian flavors. A fully biodynamic, natural wine program. Owner Rob Jones hand-built a lot of the restaurant with wood fixtures shipped over from Bali. It’s a hell of an addition.