My Story
My name is Widjiono Purnomo, though everyone calls me Yono. Albany has been my home since 1978. From day one, I have felt welcomed, encouraged, included and valued in my new home in the USA. I love living in Albany!
Here is my story.
I was born in the small village of Solo, Indonesia. My family moved to Jakarta when I was 6 years old as my father was involved in the military. After graduating from high school. I attended NHI-STP Bandung (International Hotel and Hospitality School) where I was recruited by Holland America Cruise Line to work on board the SS Rotterdam.
I experienced my first plane ride in 1971 to Rotterdam, Holland to join the crew of the SS Rotterdam. The Rotterdam formerly had an all-Dutch crew, and I was the 2nd or third wave of Indonesian crew members to join the ship, which was in a dry dock in Rotterdam for refurbishment. The Rotterdam was the flagship of the Holland America Line and cruised around the world each year for 111 days from January through mid-April. It was 750 feet long and 48,000 gross tons. Impressive for that era. We sailed from the city of Rotterdam to the port of NYC , a 7 day voyage. That began my 7-year career with Holland America Cruises.
In 1975 I met my wife Donna (Metallo) Purnomo, a passenger, born in Amsterdam, NY. Her grandparents immigrated from Naples, Italy in 1920 settling in upstate NY. I was working my 3rd shift for the day in the beautiful Ritz Carlton nightclub on the ship. While serving drinks, I heard someone singing and I knew it was not the regular entertainment. Donna had gotten up to sing a song at the piano bar and I was entranced. I did some research and found out her table assignment in the dining room and I managed to switch with a co-worker so that I would be her server. All of this before the popular TV show The Loveboat hit the airwaves. In the ’70s, mixed marriages were not common. Despite most saying “This will never last” we eloped telling only a few close friends. Donna was living in Southampton, NY where she had attended LIU. During an unusual major snowstorm, Southampton Town Justice, Judge Kendrick married us on the morning of January 18th, 1977.
In May of 1978, when my HAL contract was finished we settled in Albany, NY, in July of 1978 which is when I began to follow my American dream. Though neither my family in Indonesia nor Donna’s family in Amsterdam was initially thrilled about the clandestine marriage, the result was all’s well that ends well creating much shared joy.
I was very scared in the beginning as we were two different people from 2 very different cultures. I firmly believed that we would succeed. My father always told me it doesn’t matter who you love or where you live, you must always believe in yourself. Follow your heart and be patient. Adapt yourself to your new surroundings. Be humble, kind and determined.
I always remembered the magic of the term The American Dream. If you can dream it and are willing to work and study hard, you will prevail. I knew that I was strong and had experienced many cultures and customs while traveling the world on the Rotterdam. I also knew that I could sleep in a palace one night and on the floor the next. I felt like I was ready for anything that might come my way.
My first job in the USA was as a busboy in a hotel. I was lucky to have a fellow Rotterdam crew member who coincidentally had settled in Albany and was already working there as the bar manager. He put in a good word for me and helped me get my first job. I worked many hours in both dining room and kitchen jobs including bussing and delivering room service. Though I eventually wound up cooking many years later, in my early career I was mostly front of the house as a server, bartender, and Sommelier.
In October of 1979 my wife and I found out that we were expecting our first child and it was an especially exciting time. I was happy and excited about the baby. I routinely worked 2 or 3 different jobs averaging about 60 or 70 hours weekly. While working at the hotel I was introduced to Jim Rua, the chef/owner of an Albany restaurant called Casa Verde. Jim and I made a lasting friendship and bond that remains today. I met many, many wonderful people during my time at Casa Verde many of whom are who are still dear friends to this day. When Jim Rua decided to close Casa Verdi on New Year’s Eve of 1979, I moved seamlessly to the Americana (now Desmond Hotel) as a dining room manager. The Americana Hotel was a beautiful, Colonial-themed large hotel with many banquet spaces and two restaurants as well as a lounge and bar. Scrimshaw was a fine dining restaurant; beautifully decorated an appointed and I had the honor to work from the ground up. It was a terrific experience to see firsthand the ins and outs of opening a restaurant. In the meantime, I was still working the breakfast [shift] from 6 Am to 11 Am at the original hotel job!
On June 13, 1980 at 1:15 in the morning my son Dominick was born. It was the most wonderful, amazing, emotional day of my life. That year Father’s Day was celebrated on June 15th so it was perfect timing.
In April of 1981, Jim Rua contacted me about collaborating on catering for artists and patrons of Tanglewood, which was the summer home for the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as a concert venue for many famous artists. For two summers we took the show on the road and presented wonderful meals at Seranak, a mansion that was the home of Serge Koussevitzky who had been a conductor of the BSO from 1924 until 1949. I had the honor to cook and serve Seiji Ozawa, Composer and conductor, John Williams, Nat King Cole’s widow, Maria Cole and daughter Natalie, Cleo Laine and many, many others. When John Williams was being honored Jim wanted to do something very special and I presented the idea of doing a Rijsstafel and Jim agreed. It was a four-day prepping and cooking extravaganza. I wanted to make it as authentic as possible in both taste and design. Keep in mind that the food revolution hadn’t hit yet so most people were very unfamiliar with ethnic cuisines, and most wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint Indonesia on a map. I wore my native traditional Indonesian attire and decorated the table with richly hued Indonesian batiks. We all worked very hard on this unique dinner and were rewarded with a fabulous response and thanks from the 300 guests. We did this all summer long at Tanglewood. Every Friday afternoon we left Albany, back home on Sunday. I juggled this gig while working at Albany’s venerable 21 Restaurant on Elk Street in Albany, beginning as a server in 1981. I was excited to have this new opportunity to utilize my experience, skills, and knowledge.
Soon after, I learned that my wife and I were expecting our second child! In March of 1982, we welcomed our precious daughter, Alexondra Leigh into the world.
Along the way, I always asked myself. Who am I? Am I a leader or a follower? I kept working hard and trying to learn from the industry's best. In 1983 I took the biggest gamble of my life. I had the opportunity to lease the 21 Restaurant where I had been working as a server. I became fully in charge of my destiny. I was still concentrating on the front of the house at that point, and it became evident very quickly that I needed to learn how to do every job including cooking! It only takes one experience of a chef threatening to quit if they were not given a raise to make you sit up and take notice. Thus, began yet another new chapter in my life as Chef Yono.
I began joining organizations [such as] The American Culinary Federation, the New York State Restaurant Association, Chaine des Rotisseurs, and ACCVB (now Discover Albany) and became deeply involved in the community and attended many chef's conferences to continue the learning process and to hone my skills. I connected with Chef William Wongso, the father of modern Indonesian cuisine, and many well-known American chefs including Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt, then Dean of the Culinary Institute of America and many other noted chefs through my membership in the American Culinary Federation and the Manhattan's famed James Beard House.
The 21 Restaurant was a historic (1845) building that was constructed for state Senator John A. Dix, who later rented the home to Hamilton Fish. Fish resided in the home during his tenure as Governor of New York from 1849 to 1851. Dix would also later serve as governor. It was one of Albany’s most elegant restaurants. The governor, members of the legislature and lobbyists gathered there regularly. I began to introduce my culture and cuisine even though at that time it was very difficult to source ingredients from Indonesia, I believed that in the long run it would be worth it. Each week I would proudly introduce a new dish. Bakmi Goreng, Sate, Nasi Goreng, Daging Rendang, Gado-Gado, Gule and others were all well received. I was honored that American people loved my native cuisine. Twice a year I featured a 25-item Indonesian buffet known as a Rijsstafel similar to what we had presented in Tanglewood.
On December 15 of 1985, we had a major kitchen fire at the 21 Restaurant. The restaurant was closed for just 6 weeks, which was a miracle. Our tenacity, grit and the hard work of many ensured the repairs were done as quickly as possible. I had a family, employees to pay and no time to waste. We lost most of the holiday season as well as NYE which historically was our biggest night. Sadly, I will always remember the day we re-opened as it happened to be the date the space shuttle exploded. The "21" building we leased was sold within the next 9 months. We then moved to a turnkey operation on 289 Hamilton Street, and this is when Yono’s was born.
I am proud to be a chef. My job is to make people happy and keep them healthy. I’m not sure who first spoke this quote, but it sums up our profession: “It takes five minutes to dress like a chef but a lifetime to become one.”
When we opened Yono’s, the reviews were all so glowing that our business exceeded our expectations and sometimes we were too busy, but I did the best I could to accommodate our many guests in a first-class way. When a downturn in the economy slowed business and it became a struggle, I had the spirit of this Indonesian phrase:
“madju-terus pantang mundur” which translates to never give up. We have gone on to successfully operate our own restaurant for more than 40 years. I am now honored that my son Dominick has worked alongside me in the business and is now carrying on my legacy.
Though very busy at work, I always made time to be involved with many community organizations and advisory boards and foundations: SUNY Schenectady, SUNY Cobleskill, BOCES, The College St Rose, American Red Cross, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, and many, many more. I believe very strongly in giving back to my community and it is important to me to help others in any way that I can.
In 1990 I received both my ACF Certified Executive Chef status, one of only a few Asians to achieve that level, and Certified Food and Beverage Executive from the AHMA. I was honored to be indicted by the ACF’s American Academy of Chefs in July of 2022.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have received awards and accolades from many sources. The recognition gave me the spirit to do more and to learn more and gave me more self-confidence. I pushed myself to the limit by competing at a high level in as many competitions as I could manage.
In 1991 I fulfilled a dream to bring an ACF high-level sanctioned competition to the Albany Region and founded the Culinary Cornucopia. I am extremely proud that the event continued for 25+ years and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a community charity.
1n 1992 I was an apprentice on the Chaine des Rotisseurs culinary team that traveled to Germany. More than 60 countries competed after 7 days of grueling, 24/7 work we were proud to bring many medals back to the USA. I competed successfully in many major competitions in the USA and the UK.
As Yono’s became more widely known for excellence we went on to receive both the Wine Spectator Award as well as the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award. A true highlight of my career was being honored in 2010 by the National Restaurant Association for their “American Dream Award”. As an immigrant, to be recognized for your hard work by your industry’s leaders in Washington DC was truly a thrilling moment. I received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from SUNY in May of 2021. Another unexpected, amazing recognition.
A very sad point was In December of 2004, when I was devastated to learn of the Tsunami in Bandeh Aceh Indonesia. When I returned to Indonesia several months later, I called the Red Cross in Jakarta and asked to be a volunteer. I served for 3 days, and the experience was overwhelming and very emotional. I will never forget the images brought on by that horrific tragedy. There was so much to do. No roads, no homes everything just wiped out. The only transportation was by helicopter and on foot. I got sick and I could not sleep. I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. I vowed that day to create a scholarship foundation and returned to the USA. I immediately began work on that initiative to assist talented, disadvantaged culinary students of STP in Bandung, Indonesia. It is my pleasure to continue this fund. I am so blessed that with the help of my friends, guests, and suppliers I can continue to contribute to making the world a better place. I raised funds by hosting a celebrity chef’s dinner in April of each year and a golf outing in July. I am not rich, but I have a big heart and there are many ways to serve the community than simply writing a check. I know that I cannot save the world but if I can make even a small difference in someone’s life, I will have done my part. I appreciate living in a community that supports and embraces so many worthwhile organizations and causes. I now have endowed scholarships in SUNY Schenectady and Cobleskill as well as in my alma mater in Indonesia. We have an exchange program SUNY Schenectady and the students from Bandung.
I have been honored to help the vibrant Arts community in Albany. My wife grew up immersed in music and theater. When funding was drastically slashed for the Arts in our region I along with several Industry colleagues founded the Albany Chefs' Food and Wine Festival. Now in its 11th year the event has raised over 1,3000,000. for the local Arts through a 3-day long festival of wine tastings, seminars and culminating in a formal dinner showcasing the talented chefs of our region.
All my dreams have been realized: I have a wonderful family, a wife who understands my culture, two beautiful children, and three magnificent grandgirls! Gemma, Halle and Blair Purnomo.
The key to exposing people to and promoting Indonesian Culture and tourism is to share! It is my pleasure to have shared a portion of my life with you. I hope you will be inspired to do all that you can to live the best life possible and to help others at every opportunity. In short: If I can do it and make it in this world, I know you can too. There are many ways to pursue your dream. Don’t ever give up and GET INVOLVED!!!