Ogi Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar
Tableside teppanyaki theatre and fresh sushi tucked inside Paramaribo's Ramada Princess.
Why Go
On a compact stretch of Kleine Waterstraat, one flight up from the Ramada Princess lobby, Suriname's most theatrical Japanese kitchen fires up nightly ΓÇö flames leap off the iron plate, knives clack in rhythm, and you're suddenly a long way from the Caribbean coast.
The Experience
Ogi is Paramaribo's rare fine-dining Japanese room, and its charm is in the choreography. Slide onto a stool at the teppanyaki counter and Japanese chefs will build your dinner in front of you ΓÇö searing beef, flipping shrimp tails into their toques, sending a soy-garlic-ginger sizzle across the plate. The vibe is dim, polished and just formal enough to feel like an occasion, but the crowd is a happy mash-up of expats, downtown professionals, hotel guests wandering up from the lobby, and Surinamese families celebrating birthdays. On weekend nights the dining room hums with live entertainment between 8 and 10 PM, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays flip into an all-you-can-eat sushi rhythm that locals in the know quietly guard as the best value in the city.
What to Try
Anchor the meal with the Beef Teppanyaki ΓÇö tender slices grilled on the iron plate with seasonal vegetables and Ogi's soy-garlic-ginger sauce, and unquestionably the kitchen's best seller. Round it out with a made-to-order bento (the chefs will tweak the components on request), a run of nigiri and maki from the sushi bar (SRD 40ΓÇô100 a plate), and a bowl of miso to open. If you're a group, order the lobster or squid teppanyaki so everyone gets a share of the tableside show.
Insider Tip
Book the counter, not a table ΓÇö the whole point of Ogi is watching the teppanyaki chefs work, and the four-top tables around the back miss most of the drama. If you're chasing value, come Tuesday or Wednesday for the all-you-can-eat sushi; if you're chasing atmosphere, come Friday or Saturday between 8 and 10 PM when the live entertainment kicks in. Reservations by WhatsApp (+597 7675918) land faster than the phone.
The Practical Stuff
Kleine Waterstraat 9, 1st floor of Ramada Paramaribo, a five-minute stroll from the Waterkant and Fort Zeelandia. Open TuesdayΓÇôSunday, 5 PMΓÇô11 PM; closed Monday. Reservations via +597 424160 ext. 114 or WhatsApp +597 7675918. Smart-casual dress works; card payment accepted. Prices are mid-to-upper for Paramaribo ΓÇö sushi SRD 40ΓÇô100, cocktails SRD 30ΓÇô45, wine bottles from SRD 145.
Pair It With
- Waterkant sunset stroll — Walk five minutes down to the Suriname River waterfront before dinner for a golden-hour view of the wooden colonial facades ΓÇö the perfect pre-teppanyaki appetite builder.
- 101 Suites Guide — A short cab ride away, this nearby stay makes a natural base if you want to roll straight from Ogi's sake list into a soft landing without driving.
- Fort Zeelandia — Cap a cultural afternoon at the 17th-century riverside fort with an evening at Ogi ΓÇö the contrast between colonial Suriname and precision Japanese cooking is quintessential Paramaribo.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — If you're planning to extend the trip inland the next day, pick up a rental nearby so Ogi becomes your last polished night before the jungle lodges.