Yono's in Albany, N.Y., has been a family business since it debuted in 1986. Opened by chef Yono Purnomo and his wife, Donna, the restaurant focuses on blending American and Asian cuisine with dishes like dashi miso fingerling potatoes, furikake-crusted Atlantic tuna and braised short-rib rendang—an approach that matches Yono and Donna’s respective native cultures of Indonesia and New York.
The Best of Award of Excellence winner received its first Wine Spectator Restaurant Award in 2001, and was promoted to its current level in 2007. Wine director and co-owner Dominick Purnomo, the couple’s son, manages the 1,000 wine selections, most of which are from California, France and New York. The list is also strong in fortified wines and half-bottles.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Dominick worked with other community leaders to co-found Feed Albany; since March, the charity has provided more than 200,000 meals to out-of-work restaurant workers and their families.