Little Ochie, Alligator Pond, Manchester, Jamaica, Phone: 965-4450,965-4449,382-3375, Fax:876-965-4450 email:littleochie@cwjamaica.com, website: www.littleochie.com
Little Ochie is a little off the beaten path, being on the South coast of Jamaica, which is less frequented by overseas visitors, and therein lies some of its charm. For those who want authentic Jamaican food in an authentic setting, Little Ochie is the place. It is regarded as one of the best restaurants on the South Coast, where the people from the Parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth go to eat seafood. For the last few years I have been hearing about how good the food at little Ochie is, so recently I decided I had to try the food myself. From the main South Coast road, we took the turn at Gutters and headed South to Little Ochie in Alligator Pond. The trip from Gutters to Little Ochie is roughly 10 miles on fairly good roads. You will know you are near Little Ochie when you see the Wigton Wind Farm on a mountain to the left. It is a stunning view. The Wigton Wind Farm is the first commercially operated wind farm in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Its light colored turbines cut a pretty impressive picture against the greenery on the mountain side. Our party of eleven arrived at Little
Ochie minutes later. Upon entering Little Ochie we were greeted
by the bass and treble sounds of Dancehall music by a DJ who
also sells CDs just inside the entrance. Further on we were enveloped
by soul music. It is hard to call Little Ochie a restaurant
in the traditional sense. Perhaps, because it is situated on
the beach in one main building and several satellite thatched
structures, some of them boats, and because the atmosphere is
very casual, it is more of a happening. Don't get me wrong. Underneath
the relaxed atmosphere and the casual and relaxed manner of the
staff is a very professional and well oiled operation. I got
a glimpse of this when I was taken inside to see the Kitchen
and the storage area and the preparation of the food. Very well
organized and very professional. One of the fascinating things about
Little Ochie is that you get to see and choose your food before
it is cooked. You can go with the server to select fresh seafood
directly from the the ice chest and have it cooked to order.
The seafood (there is lots of it) is weighed prior to being cooked
and you are charged for the weight. You determine how you want
your seafood prepared, and you relax until it is served. The
fish can be roasted over an open flame, steamed, or escoveitched,
baked in foil, and lobster and shrimp can be curried, boiled,
roasted, or prepared in garlic sauce. If choosing your fish or
lobster is not that important to you you can call ahead to cut
your waiting time. However, the atmosphere is so pleasant you
won't mind waiting. Our food was excellent. A few of the dishes were especially good. The jerk fish was down right phenomenal and the foil roated fish was also a winner. This was a great experience, one I would like to repeat soon. Little Ochie is a charming place that
serves up excellent seafood in a relaxed and charming atmosphere.
It no doubt reflects the easy going, calm, but businesslike nature
of the owner Everald "Blackie" Christian who started
Little Ochie as a one man operation back in 1989 and has nurtured
and grown it into a well run operation with a staff of 30 that
still manages to deliver the kind of tasty cooking found in very
small establishments. Enjoy!
E-mail: eatjamaican@eatjamaican.com |
