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 — 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 — 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 — 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 40–100 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 — 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 Tuesday–Sunday, 5 PM–11 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 — sushi SRD 40–100, cocktails SRD 30–45, 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 — 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 — 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.
