Oceanside’s Dija Mara Changes Ownership

Dija Mara , the popular Michelin-recognized Balinese-inspired restaurant at 232 South Coast Highway in Oceanside , has officially changed ownership.

The restaurant was originally founded by Rob Jones and Simran Soin , who opened it in 2017 before Soin eventually took sole ownership in mid-2021. Now, Dija Mara has been sold to Suzanne Nguyen , confirmed by What Now San Diego. The Seattle native is no stranger to the restaurant industry, owning Cafe Zenon in Tahoe City, CA. She will now take over and keep Dija Mara mostly as-is, leaving menu execution in the hands of Chef Jason Ambacher .

While most of the concept will stay the same, Nguyen tells SanDiegoVille that she plans to eventually update the dining room while adding some small touches here and there. Despite this, the restaurant will continue to operate as is, which is a good thing, considering Ambacher helped lead the restaurant to become Michelin-recognized in October 2021, naming it one of 25 California restaurants deemed to be new “inspector discoveries.”

“My plan for Dija is to come in and be the general manager,” Suzanne Nguyen tells SanDiegoVille. “I have previously owned two other restaurants where I am Owner/ Operator/ Chef. I am not interfering with Chef Jason. Why fix it if it’s not broken!!! He does an amazing job with the food and I want to continue and support what he does in the kitchen at Dija. I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life and in Dija Mara!”

Keep up with What Now San Diego’s restaurant, retail, and real estate scoop by subscribing to our newsletter , liking us on Facebook , and following us on Twitter . Opening a restaurant? Browse our Preferred Partners .