Warung Chaz: Roadside Javanese Comfort in Commewijne
A no-fuss Tamanredjo warung serving the banana-leaf classics Suriname built its palate on.
Why Go
You could zip past Warung Chaz a hundred times on the Oost-West Verbinding without realizing you just missed one of Commewijne's most honest plates of Javanese-Surinamese cooking. This is the kind of family-run warung locals stop at on the way back from Marowijne or a day at the Commewijne plantations ΓÇö a modest kitchen turning out food that tastes like someone's grandmother is standing over the wok.
The Experience
Warungs aren't restaurants in the tablecloth sense ΓÇö they're the descendants of the roadside kitchens Javanese contract laborers set up after arriving in Suriname in the 1890s, and Chaz keeps that DNA intact. You walk up to a counter, peek at the trays of the day, point at what looks good, and eat under a tin roof or take it away in a neat banana-leaf bundle. Service is warm but efficient; the crowd is a mix of Tamanredjo regulars, taxi drivers refueling between Paramaribo and Albina, and the occasional lucky traveler who read a tip like this one. Cash-friendly, no reservations, and everything moves at the pace of the kitchen, not the clock.
What to Try
Order the berkat if it's on — it's the showpiece Javanese-Surinamese plate: white and yellow rice, bami (fried noodles), goedangan (vegetable salad in coconut dressing), a boiled egg, chicken, peanut fritters (pejeh), and sautéed kousenband (long beans), all wrapped in banana leaf. If berkat's sold out, go for saoto soup (fragrant clear chicken broth with crispy potato, bean sprouts and sambal on the side) or a plate of nasi/bami with pom-style chicken. Ask for extra sambal — the house chili is the whole point.
Insider Tip
Come before 1 PM. Warungs cook a set amount in the morning and once the trays run down, that's it ΓÇö the best dishes (berkat especially) disappear by early afternoon. If you're staying at one of the nearby Commewijne guesthouses like 101 Suites, phone ahead and ask them to hold a berkat portion for pickup; most warungs, Chaz included, will happily set one aside for a regular request.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Oost-West Verbinding 26, Tamanredjo, Commewijne ΓÇö roughly 30ΓÇô40 minutes east of Paramaribo by car. Cash (SRD) is safest; card acceptance at rural warungs is inconsistent. Expect to spend SRD 60ΓÇô150 per person for a full plate plus drink. Hours are typically late morning through early evening, but warungs close whenever the food runs out, so earlier is always smarter. There's no formal parking lot ΓÇö pull off along the shoulder like everyone else.
Pair It With
- Peperpot Nature Park Guide — A former coffee-and-cacao plantation just west of Tamanredjo ΓÇö do a morning walk spotting monkeys and toucans, then roll into Chaz for a late lunch on your way back to Paramaribo.
- Fort Nieuw Amsterdam — The open-air museum at the mouth of the Commewijne and Suriname rivers pairs perfectly with a warung stop ΓÇö history in the morning, banana-leaf berkat after.
- 101 Suites Guide — One of the closest places to sleep in Tamanredjo, making Chaz an easy walk or short drive for dinner without heading back to the capital.
- Commewijne river bike loop — After cycling the old plantation dike road along the river, a plate of saoto or nasi at Chaz is the standard-issue local recovery meal.