Ochama
Cross-the-bridge comfort food where everyone finds their thing
Why Go
Just over the Wijdenbosch Bridge in Meerzorg, this cheerful diner-style spot has quietly become the go-to for Commewijne locals craving juicy fried chicken, sizzling hot pot, and late-ish eats without trekking back into Paramaribo.
The Experience
Ochama leans into its motto "waar iedereen een optie heeft" (where everyone has an option), meaning the menu wanders happily from Italian pasta to American burgers to Korean-inspired noodles and Asian hot pot. It's casual, family-friendly, and unpretentious ΓÇö the kind of place where a table of ATV riders, a couple on a day trip from the city, and a family celebrating a birthday all coexist. Portions are generous, prices are gentle, and the kitchen keeps a steady rhythm from late morning until 11 pm daily, which is a genuine gift on this side of the river where most spots wind down early.
What to Try
The whole fried chicken is the sleeper hit ΓÇö reviewers keep coming back for its juicy, tender meat and crackly skin, and it's the dish locals order for the table. The chicken burger wraps are the reliable quick lunch, the spicy noodles bring real heat, and if you're a group, order a hot pot to share. Save room for the agar agar dessert ΓÇö a wobbly, sweet, seed-flecked jelly that's a nostalgic Suriname-Asian classic and happens to be vegan.
Insider Tip
Ochama sits on the Oost-West Verbinding, the main road that shoots east toward the old coffee and sugar plantations of Commewijne. Time your visit for after a morning of ATV riding, watertubing, or a plantation tour ΓÇö you'll roll up dusty and starving right when the kitchen hits its stride, and you'll dodge the small dinner rush that builds around 7 pm when Meerzorg residents come home from work in Paramaribo.
The Practical Stuff
Address: RV73+W8H, Oost-West Verbinding 89, Meerzorg (about 10 minutes across the Wijdenbosch Bridge from central Paramaribo). Open daily roughly 11:30 am to 11:00 pm. Casual dress, family-friendly, moderate prices ($$). Cash in SRD is safest; card acceptance can be spotty in Commewijne. Parking is easy on-site. Best reached by car, taxi, or as a stop on a Commewijne day tour.
Pair It With
- 101 Suites Guide — The nearest comfortable stay on the Meerzorg side ΓÇö walk or short drive to Ochama for dinner without crossing the bridge back to Paramaribo.
- Aanansi ATV Tours Guide — Book a morning ride through Commewijne's back roads and plantation trails, then land at Ochama for a huge fried-chicken lunch.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — Burn the morning on the water, then dry off over hot pot and noodles a few minutes down the road.
- 4x4xJankie Guide — Rent a 4x4 to explore the old Commewijne plantations and use Ochama as your reliable lunch or dinner base camp on the east bank.