Yong Hua Restaurant
Old-school Cantonese comfort on Paramaribo's Chinatown strip
Why Go
Tucked into Jacques Gompertstraat ΓÇö the city's unofficial Chinatown ΓÇö Yong Hua is the kind of unfussy, family-run Chinese kitchen where Surinamese regulars, off-duty shopkeepers and hungry travelers all end up sharing the same lazy Susan.
The Experience
Step off Gompertstraat's row of Chinese groceries and neon shop signs into a plainly furnished, air-conditioned dining room where the ceiling fans hum, the tables are big enough for extended families, and the menu runs to dozens of Cantonese-Surinamese staples. Service is brisk and no-nonsense, portions arrive family-style and comically large, and the soundtrack is mostly clinking cutlery and orders shouted toward the pass. It's not designed for Instagram ΓÇö it's designed for you to eat well, pay a fair bill and leave full.
What to Try
Start with a bowl of wonton or tjauw min (Suriname-style Chinese noodle soup), then share a plate of foo yong hai, roasted duck with plum sauce, or the salt-and-pepper shrimp. The chow mein and fried rice are benchmark versions ΓÇö order at least one per two people ΓÇö and locals swear by the sweet-and-sour pork and the sizzling beef with black bean sauce. If you see a whole steamed fish being carried past, flag one down for the table.
Insider Tip
Gompertstraat is Paramaribo's Chinese quarter, so time your visit for early evening and browse the surrounding supermarkets and bakeries for pau (steamed buns) and moon cakes before you sit down. Cash in SRD gets the smoothest checkout ΓÇö card machines can be temperamental ΓÇö and if you're a party of four or more, phone ahead on +597 550-336 to reserve a round table with the lazy Susan; it turns dinner into a proper feast.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Jacques Gompertstraat 136, Paramaribo, Suriname. Phone: +597 550-336. Hours: Sun & TueΓÇôSat 11:00ΓÇô15:30 and 17:30ΓÇô22:30; Wed 11:00ΓÇô22:30 (closed Mon). Air-conditioned dining room with on-site parking. Price range: budget to mid ΓÇö most mains SRD 80ΓÇô200, generous enough to share. Family-friendly; casual dress; walk-ins usually fine outside Friday/Saturday peak.
Pair It With
- Gompertstraat Chinatown walk — Yong Hua sits mid-strip on Paramaribo's Chinese shopping street ΓÇö browse the supermarkets and bakeries either side for pau, dried goods and Asian pantry finds before or after dinner.
- 101 Suites Guide — A convenient central Paramaribo stay less than a short ride from Gompertstraat, making Yong Hua an easy walk-back dinner after a day of sightseeing.
- Aanansi ATV Tours Guide — Book an all-day off-road adventure outside the city, then reward the dust-caked crew with Yong Hua's oversized shareable platters ΓÇö perfect refuel food.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — After an afternoon on the water, the restaurant's hot noodle soups and salt-and-pepper shrimp are exactly the salty, comforting finish an active day calls for.