Amazing food. The service was good. Everyone love their dishes. I had a chicken dish that I really enjoyed and would go back.

This review is for Yono's, not dp American, that is adjoining. Many years ago, I had dinner, and the experience was upscale, and the food was good. My most recent visit was quite the contrary. I made a reservation, and upon check-in, the hostess was confused about my name and the number attending. Following an awkward wait, we were seated in the "upper" area with poorer quality seats and tables compared to the "lower" main dining level. The table settings in this area had no table lamp, and the general lighting was dimmer. The table itself had foldable sections underneath that were hitting our legs. After seating, we were left unattended for about ten minutes. Once the waiter finally arrived, they apologized and offered to get us going quickly. Their dialogue and demeanor came off as rushed, which was unpleasant. After noticing there were several open tables in the main dining area of the restaurant, I asked to be seated elsewhere given the awkwardness and seclusion of the table. The waiter responded by saying that the table was selectively set up per my request for a private table. I use standard language when reserving tables via OpenTable, Resy, etc., explicitly asking for a corner table or booth, and have never encountered confusion or been put in a different section entirely from the main dining area. Additionally, if the section was specifically reserved only for us, my presence would not have gone unnoticed for so long. When we moved, we still did not receive a corner table even when there was availability. Rather than continue playing musical chairs or hear more excuses, we accepted what was given. On to the food. We ordered oysters, tuna tartare, grilled octopus, lobster fried rice, and the crème brûlée dessert. I'll preface by saying that we do not waste food, so even when not ideal, we will consume the served portion. The oysters were fresh, but the mignonette sauce was added with a dropper by the waitress, and no lemon or other sauce was provided. Very strange. The quality and freshness of the tuna tartare were subpar. It was a bit firm and flavor-wise, it was unappealing. The grilled octopus was a small portion and firm and chewy. For $38, it was shocking in price and lack of quality. The lobster fried rice was mildly dry and only small bits of lobster were provided. It seemed like one claw was chopped into tiny pieces and added to the rice. Another pricey dish at $33 for the quality. The dessert was nice but lacked flavor. Overall, the food was a disappointment and a far cry from my previous experience. Lastly, the vibe and attire of the patrons were unexpected. Understanding that Yono's is attached to a hotel and is open to everyone, we still did not anticipate people in shorts, sandals, and casual attire. Although it was after 7 PM, there were many children dining, and that negatively impacted the ambience, especially when you're trying to have an elegant night. Yono's bills itself as an upscale, fine-dining restaurant. Our experience on this visit was disappointing, and we would not return. read more

The staff was attentive and helpful. When we made the reservation in person the day before, my husband mentioned that he was looking forward to having a glass of Brazilian Cachaça (pronounced "cashasa"), a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. The manager had one waiting for him when we sat down. The dessert--salted caramel ice cream--was delicious. My caffè macchiato was perfectly made. The SEAFOOD CURRY with "salmon mussels shrimp, crispy calamari, bell peppers, kale, and jasmine rice" was a SOGGY GLUTINOUS MESS, however. Because I was hungry, I ate about 1/4 of mine. My husband, ate more, but, unusual for him, couldn't finish. He suffered INDIGESTION all night. Unfortunately, nothing else on the menu appealed to us. All the dishes appear to be highly spiced and a contain a mishmash of ingredients. Although we stayed four nights at the hotel that adjoins the restaurant, we didn't return. read more

Yono's Restaurant - Seafood Curry - a soggy, glutinous mess. - Indonesian Near Me - Albany, New York

My boyfriend treated me to Yono's for Valentine's Day, and Yono's was probably one of the best culinary experiences I've ever had! We had their special Valentine's menu, which offered a 6-course tasting menu, and we decided to go with the wine pairings, which was an excellent choice. It was my first time experiencing the beauty of wine pairings, and I was amazed at how elegantly the wine enhanced each course - their selections of wines were *chefs kiss* The complexity, flavor, and intricacy of each dish were phenomenal. The 6-course meal featured chilled creek oysters, butter poached scallops, root vegetable potage, foie gras, filet mignon, and dark chocolate gateau--each dish was a masterpiece and so beautifully presented. My personal favorite was the foie gras. While Yono's is definitely on the pricey side, it's perfect for your fancy shmancy occasions. I'm looking forward to returning to explore their regular menu! (nom nom) read more

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We just happened to be in upstate New York and were told that this restaurant was the closest thing to fine dining that Albany had. When we looked it up and saw that it was in the hotel we were staying at we knew we had to go! I was the most excited that it wasn't a traditional American restaurant and had an Indonesian flair. We had the most fantastic waiter (Josh). He really made the experience with his passion and love for the food. We were there at the same time as some kind of event that was wrapping up and were the only people seated in the upper area and essentially had the whole restaurant to ourselves. I love variety when it comes to new restaurants so between the two of us we did both the 3 course and the grand tasting menu. The three course was $96 and the tasting menu was $165 without the wine pairings. Super reasonable! Rather than going into every single thing that I got, I thought I would share some highlights that I would recommend getting!!! The tasting menu was fantastic and I had a great time trying a little of everything. Slow Braised Beef Short Rib Rendang- if you see this on the menu GET IT. The beef is amazingly tender and falls apart in your mouth. The crispy compressed rice was perfect and crispy and I could make a whole meal off of that. Main Lobster Nasi Goreng- this was our first course on the 3 course menu. Nasi Goreng is delicious and the lobster was such a luxe addition. Bread- so you get a selection of 3 in house made breads (apparently baked by one of the inventors of viagra!!!!!!). It comes with salted and unsalted butter and you get as much of it as you want. I loved the sundried tomato one so much that I asked for some to go for my breakfast the next morning. Buttercream ice cream pavlova- the pavlova was made with duck egg and it was so fluffy and crisp at the same time and I loved it. The burnt sugar ice cream was to die for. My favorites were from the 3 course but I loved the variety of the grand tasting so I wouldn't necessarily recommend one over the other. I'm not quite sure if I will have a reason to visit upstate New York again but if I do you better believe I'll be back! read more

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I'd like to preface that the food was well seasoned, and the steaks were cooked perfect. However, I was at a pharmaceutical dinner with doctors, nurses, and nursing students and received bad service, ice cold food, and an allergy was not handled seriously. Everyone's dishes came out cold, I don't know if they sat in the window too long or the waiter forgot about them somehow. One of my classmates has celiac disease, she told the waiter, and the broccolini had soy sauce on it which is not gluten free. She was given a meal to go because a new meal would not be ready to eat before the event was over. She had asked for the waiter to bring out any gluten free dessert and was given a scoop of sorbet instead of the flourless chocolate cake or the bananas foster which should have been gluten free by nature. If the waiter didn't know what she could have, someone in the kitchen should have known. She was also not given new silverware after the one she had used was cross contaminated. A place of this caliber should be able to put out premium service for the prices or at least standard service that you could get at a chain not this sub par experience. read more

Chef Yono is a cornerstone of Albany dining. My first visit was to his tiny restaurant by the Empire State plaza. I was a bit too young to appreciate the food, but we had it reserved for a private party, brought our own two tape deck boombox, and had a blast. Fast forward to my meals at Yono's, and it's amazing how much more upscale Yono went. Walking through the bar, and having the door open to the formal, spacious, dining room is quite the experience. The food is the only authentic Indonesian restaurant in our area that I know of. I normally eat Indonesian street food in LA, where it's cheap and plentiful, but going to Yono's, while not cheap, is less than a ticket to LA. A great spot to dress up and go on a date. On a side note, the chef is involved in local charities, and it's always a pleasure to run into him and to support his restaurants. read more

Ambiance, service, food! Yono's was a delightful experience for my team and I. We attended a dinner hosted by our architectural firm and we were glad we did! We started off with hors d'oeuvres and drinks for a wonderful cocktail hour before dinner. The hors d'oeuvres alone could've served as a delicious dinner. Between the charcuterie board, seafood ravioli, delicious jumbo shrimp, and pan-seared tuna, we would have been satisfied! But then came the course menu! I had the midwinters salad--an acquired taste that can only be truly enjoyed by taking a bit of all of the ingredients in one taste to really enjoy the marriage of the flavors. For my main course, I choose the scallops. These were cooked to perfection--the curry oil and coconut flavors were delectable and complimented the sweet potatoes and crispy onions that topped the scallops. The dessert was so so good! I LOVE orange curd and it was delicious on a base of meringue topped with crushed pistachios. Y'all, this restaurant is top notch. The room was private and quiet with a fabulous pianist and bass player. The music provided ambiance but still allowed for conversation. The service was excellent. The servers were very attentive and just really fantastic! When a server noticed my purse on the floor, she came over with a tuffet and placed my purse on it. That was a lovely and appreciated gesture. This was, for my team and I, an experience that allowed us to enjoy each others' company while satisfying our appreciation for fine dining with excellent service. If you want to make your client feel special, I highly recommend Yono's for your private event. read more

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Our experience at Yono's reminds me of what dining out used to be like. "Used to be," as in when we celebrated a memorable occasion 50 years ago. You chose an establishment that was noted for its attentive and outstanding service, unique and quality preparations, and having an atmosphere with an air of romanticism. You even felt the need to dress a little more specially than you might for a regular dinner out. That is the epitome of Yono's. Upon welcoming us, our server asked if we were celebrating a special occasion. Apparently, many come to dine at Yono's for that reason. We were not an exception and informed Jake that it was our anniversary. He then brought us complimentary glasses of prosecco to toast. Dinners are offered pre fixe on the menu. The evening we were there a 3-course meal was $96 and a Chef's Grand Tasting Menu was $165. My wife selected her choices from the 3-course menu, and I chose to experience the Chef's Grand Tasting Menu. An additional server brought a tray of three different house-made breads for us to choose all or some from, and both salted and unsalted butter. She also brought our choices of dinner beverages - Salvard Sauvignon Blanc ($14) and Warbler Pale Ale ($8). Additionally, we were served an Amuse Bouche. I'm not going to try to explain in detail what was in each dish since their preparations were so complex. However, as our server explained each dish's preparation it was noteworthy how many of the ingredients were locally procured and the lengthy preparation that many of them required. You'll just have to enjoy my photos to appreciate the amazing presentations. My wife's selections for her 3-courses consisted of: - Pineapple Gazpacho. - Pan roasted Pacific Black Cod with caramelized Okinawa purple sweet potatoes, asparagus, and a roasted artichoke sauce. - And for dessert she chose Horchata Crème Brulée. Before I mention what I had in the Grand Tasting Menu, I want to also mention that half-way through our dinners we were treated to a mid-course break of an Heirloom Radish preparation. Are you ready for my eight courses? - Chilled Island Creek Oysters w/ local ramp & sake mignonette. - Pan Seared Atlantic Sea Scallop w/ broiled leek cream & shaved bottarga. - Spring Pea Salad w/ snow peas, local pea tendrils, whipped four fat fowl St. Stephen's, radish, pistachio, cured Heermance Farm duck yolk, & preserved lemon vinaigrette. - Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras w/ walnut date bread, golden raisin jam, & sour cherry gastrique. (Sorry, I ate it before my photo.) - Roasted Lovers Leap Farm Suckling Pig w/ chilled quinoa ginger salad, roasted baby bok choy, & orange ginger coconut milk sauce. - Grilled Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Breast w/ charred onion soubise, confit red pearl onions, fava bean emulsion, & lamb demi glaçe. - Four Fat Fowl St. Stephen's w/ crostini, apple mostarda, & roasted nuts and seeds. - Buttermilk Ice Cream Pavlova w/ duck egg meringue, buttermilk burnt sugar ice cream, & blueberry pancake tuile. The plating of every single dish was spectacular! The flavors were outstanding. Yono's staff helped to make this a truly memorable celebration. read more

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Euphoric. If you wanna treat yourself, honey look no further. I'm still riding the high of feeling like royalty this night. I truly have never experienced anything like this before, a taste of luxury. This is fining dining that I have not seen anywhere else around here. Jackie and I came to Yono's to try the grand tasting menu with wine pairings. This was an 8 course dinner with 8 wines, but we were also greeted with a glass of champagne, and some cookies and Madeira were dropped at the end of the meal. Do not come here for this with out a designated driver. It was like sitting down for a show. We spent three hours immersed in a food and drink whirlwind. By the second course, we were hooked. I do not mean just food, the service was remarkable. We had like 3 servers for our table and a sommelier serving and describing wines every step of the way. All glasses, plates and silverware switched out at every course. Also the chef, Yono and Dominick came out and checked on us several times. It made it such an intimate experience. The food was amazing, obviously. We started with an amuse bouche, 8 courses, and ended with mignardises. At every plate, a new wine was paired and it was perfectly matched. We were treated with luxury at every course. Oysters and caviar, octopus, luxurious soup, foui gras, the most tender pork I've ever eaten, venison like I've never had. It was an experience for the palate at every step. Not to mention the bread and house made butter. Three warm loaves of bread were offered in between every course and wow, best bread I've had in a long time. The only thing that I didn't enjoy was the matcha creme brûlée, the texture was a bit off and it was very warm. I wasn't upset about it in the least, the dessert wines were enough for me. This is the most impressive meal I have ever had. I have a new best dining experience. This meal was obviously extremely expensive, but I think it was worth it. I will definitely return when I have an extra few hundred dollars lying around. Seriously, I can't wait to try a new tasting menu. read more

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This review is solely for the bar area We were with a large party coming into town for the weekend. Our group trickled in for like an hour and I am sure was a slam on the bar. Brett the bartender kept pace. He had some helpers but he was basically on his own serving about 20-30 people. He was a knock out bartender. We had the 3 high tops pushed together as a gathering point but took up over 80% of the bar area. I am a fan of having a bartender who is great make up their own variations of my favorite drink a margarita. Brett crushed it! Brett first mixed a strawberry passion fruit, then raspberry and then the original. His drinks were a perfect balance and fantastic flavor. If we lived local I would not hesitate to hire him for private events. When it was closing time he recommended a bar across the street for us that is more of a local hangout which we thoroughly enjoyed too! read more

My wife and I came here to celebrate our anniversary. My wife had researched this place but I personally had no idea what to expect (I like surprises). I made the reservations online and noted the occasion. When we showed up we were led to a back room and seated in a corner booth and from that point on the night stopped being a meal and started becoming an experience. We had the entire back room to ourselves, save for two others at a different table that we learned were Chef Yono and an Indonesian Government official who was visiting. Josh, our server, was friendly and knowledgeable as were all of the other staff we interacted with. For a guy who likes hot dogs, the menu with its variety of options and prices was shocking. I don't typically eat at places like this. But we wanted to enjoy ourselves. One little quirk that we experienced was that my wife's menu was not the same as mine. Most things were the same, but a few details were switched. I had selected several things I wanted from my menu and thankfully mine was the correct one. We were given complementary "Amuse bouche" which that night was a spoonful of tomato gazpacho soup. Two types of warm complimentary bread were offered throughout the evening (rosemary focaccia and sourdough) and I enjoyed both. My first course was the "Slow cooked local pork belly with cleriac purée, saté sauces", and sesame relish. Without going into a lot of details (as it would cause me to start drooling) it was excellent. Completely and thoroughly excellent. I haven't had cleriac before and I thought it was a nice foil for the rich meat. I would have been happy to stop here, but there was more to come. Chef Yono, perhaps in seeing our interest in what he was eating or to honor our event, sent over complimentary crackers and a dipping sauce that was hot but very good. An even hotter one was available but we declined. "Crackers" isn't the correct word here... I asked Josh what they were and he wrote down "Krupuk" (pork rinds) and "Emping" (made with seeds). They reminded me of large Asian "shrimp toast crackers" and it was a thoughtful gesture. Speaking of thoughtfulness, our meal started with complimentary champagne. In discussing cocktails with Josh, I mentioned my favorite was a Singapore Sling and asked if they made one. Despite being an Indonesian restaurant, they had never made a Singaporean drink. That was fine. He had his bartender research how to make a proper one (don't kill it by using Grenadine) and then presented me with their efforts. Despite Josh advising me that if I didn't enjoy it I wouldn't be charged for it, he need not have feared as it was one of the best I have ever had. My entree was duck fat roasted grass fed Icelandic lamb loin with saffron fingerling potatoes, baby bok choy, and Gule sauce. If you have never heard of Gule you are not alone, so look it up online. It was great. The lamb, four pieces, was cooked well and the small potato slices were nice but the star was the sauce. Remember that complimentary bread I mentioned earlier? The sauce made it even better! As an aside, I am not sure if it is proper etiquette to pick up lamb and gnaw it off the bone so I won't tell you if I did that or not! I had also noticed homemade marmalade on their menu. After discussing this with Josh (we talked a lot that night) he volunteered to let me try some. Sadly, they were out but it was replaced with a sweet mango chutney that was very good. For dessert, I had Kolak Pisang (Indonesian bananas Foster) with a sauce made from tropical liqueurs, palm sugar, and some coconut lemongrass ice cream on the side. By this point I was pretty full but I will never turn down a good or unusual dessert and this was both. The coconut ice cream was a standout. I won't list what my wife had but suffice to say she enjoyed everything though was a little disappointed that their creme brule was off the menu for the evening. Other highlights of the night were meeting Chef Yono and discussing various things such as the history of his restaurant and common food curiosities. Some pictures were taken, and I was also video interviewed by the Indonesian representative for a film he was producing for his government. Who doesn't love dinner and a movie? The bill wasn't cheap, but we didn't come to get filled up (even though we did). We came to celebrate a wonderful milestone and to have an enchanting experience, and this place exceeded our expectations in both regards. For that reason, I consider the cost as money well spent. Highly recommended. read more

Fantastic!! It's the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion with someone who truly appreciates food. I made reservations here for my birthday and when we showed up, it said Happy Birthday Annie On the menu. It was such a nice personalized touch! For drinks, we ordered a Belgian beer and their Mastadon cocktail, which was huge and really tasty if you like fruity drinks. I opted for the five course while my boyfriend opted for the three course. It was the same amount of food for both options, however, the five course option included more Indonesian specialties. For the three course, you choose your starter, entree and dessert. My boyfriend chose the Maine Lobster Indonesian Fried Rice and the Venison for his entree. Both were so delicious and flavorful. The five course meal included duck, beef short rib, pork, chicken satay and the Indonesian bananas foster for dessert. Everything was fantastic! The portions were great and everything was cooked perfectly. Highly recommend for a wonderful fine dining experience! read more

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Top shelf dining and wine pairings!! Our waitress was very knowledgeable not only with the menu selections but her attention to our dining experience! Kiera was very engaging and we would request her to serve us on our next visit! read more

Wow. That sums up Yono's for me. I've had some great meals in the Capital Region but when it comes to fine dining, Yono's is in a class by itself. when it comes to fine dining. The chef-owner Yono cooks with Indonesian flair. It's a subtle fusion of East meets West aromas and the results are delicious. For appetizers, we had baked oysters. Yum. We also had charred octopus. It was. While beautifully presented, it was perhaps a little bit too charred. I did enjoy my grilled swordfish entree. It was grilled just right. The cauliflower and riced cauliflower were lightly seasoned. It was a healthy and delicious entree. My husband loved his scallop entree which was served in a tasty red sauce. If I wasn't on a dietary restrictions, I would have probably ordered the scallops, too, because he couldn't stop raving about them. Likewise, I would have loved to have experienced the mouthwatering desserts made by Yono's wife, Donna, but I'll just have to wait. Instead, the kitchen staff made me a wonderful salad to take home. The staff at Yono's really add to the dining experience. They are friendly, gracious and helpful. My thanks to the two servers who are both named Josh as well as Ed who serves the unique selection of breads. The meals at Yono's are prix fixe. A French way of telling you that you're ordering an entire meal at a set price and it won't be cheap. Reservations are generally recommended, though we showed up early on a weekday and it wasn't very busy. We started with a drink at the bar. My Mojito was perfect. It was made with plenty of fresh mint from the most well stocked bar I've ever seen. If you want to treat yourself to one of the very best dining experiences in the region, I'd recommend that you consider Yono's. read more

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Excellent restaurant. We ate in the back room. Service was impeccable, food was magnificent! Recommend this restaurant read more

Went in between basketball games on St Paddys day. Reservations online were easy, but called to make sure that we wouldnt be underdressed coming from a crowded arena. Assured that it would not matter. Sat in the formal dining room and did feel underdressed at first as a table of four. Greeted promptly by jake for water and was instantly thoughtful in respect to time constraints prior to the next session of games. Super helpful, personable. Arnole was a rockstar and immediately eased our underdressed feeling, super knowledgable about drinks and recommending the three course menu for time. Course one was the potash, lobster rice, lions mane mishrooms and pork belly. All beautiful and amazing and Arnole's descriptions were spot on. Main courses of monkfish. Bison, short rib and scallops. We literally tasted each others food with each course. All with amazing flavor and beautifully presented. As we wanted to get rolling, gave Jake/Arnole the liberty of choosing the best and quickest desserts. Salted caramel ice cream, a chocolate mouse type of cake which was light and delicious, and an excellent cheescake, all od wich were passed clockwise until they were nearly gone. So fun to be back out in the world enjoying things we wouldnt make or think of making at home, and laughing with and enjoying the company and knowledge of great staff. Btw, at the end of our meal, another large party came in coming from the arena as well in basketball/team swag so again no issues feeling underdressed on a busy night in Albany. Thanks for a great time. read more

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Amazing service and wonderful food. Came here for an anniversary; thy had personalized the menu and brought us a glass of champagne. Duck was perfectly cooked; Indonesian food was excellent (though the peanut sauce overwhelmed most of it), but what really stood out was the attention to detail. Yono came out and talked with everyone. The servers apologized when a glass of water was only half full. Come here and expect to have a long wonderful eating experience. Yes it is pricey, but it truly is an eating experience unlike anything else I have had in Albany. read more

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Pretty good food and a decent vibe to the place. Prices are pretty damn reasonable for a downtown restaurant! Ate at the bar...boy, service really sucked...had to finally ask for my bill ...would have had more wine, but...went to a spot down the street for a few...their loss I guess... read more

The service was the best part of the meal- our server Josh did an excellent job despite the restaurant being understaffed for the night. Unfortunately, the food was oversalted, overpriced, and most disappointingly very different from the menu currently presented online. This was meant to be my birthday dinner, and while I don't have any allergies I have several dietary restrictions that mean I check the menu quite throughly before I go somewhere. Unfortunately, the significantly different menu meant I was out of luck, and the time it took for the rest of my party to get their food meant everything was closed when we left (we arrived at 6:50 and left around 8:50). I want to be very clear- the service was excellent. My problems were with the oversalted food and inaccurate online menu. read more

I was in town for a couple of days traveling for work. I'm a big foodie and after searching Yelp, I really wanted to eat at Yono's restaurant based on their menu. This restaurant was attached to the hotel I was staying at. What no one tells you is that - Yono and dB restaurants are the same entrance - the host who sat me made no mention of it. When I sat and was given the dB menu, I stood up and left when I thought I had gone to the wrong restaurant. I had to go to the front desk where I was told they are the same entrance. It was quite confusing how to eat at Yono's vs dB. The ambiance was nice and the service was good until I was told I had "sat myself." Dining patrons are given pretzels with mustard as an app (on the house). They were cold and underwhelming. I ordered the Butter Poached George Hake with miso, purple cabbage, crispy ginger and I forgot what else. The menu price for this item was $48.00. The dish looked good but that was all that was positive about it. The fish skin was soggy, chewy and not crispy. Overall, the dish was cold. The taste was really weird and none of the flavors complimented each other. There was lack of acidity. It fell really flat for me. I wanted to let the server know but didn't want to be that customer that complained. She should've been able to tell my satisfaction with the meal when she took my plate and I barely ate it. For the price of the entree and the hype this place based on reviews - the food was extremely dissapointing! All in all with tip it cost $60.00 for lack of quality. I am not sure how this was rated as one of the best restaurants in the Capital region. I was sitting next to a table where they ordered from dB and their food looked delicious! I should've just ordered from there. read more

As a compliment, "One of the best restaurants in the Capital Region," is technically correct, "...the best kind of correct." We spent three hours on Friday night, and didn't once see Chef Purnomo - and I was told he frequently leaves the kitchen to greet the patrons. Maybe he was sick. Or distancing. That could be one explanation for our evening. Unfortunately, I found the service uneven, in some instances, comparing unfavorably to generic chain restaurants. Not just simple errors with silverware, or maintaining cleanliness at the table. While discussing the menu, our sever apparently thought he was being clever, "I'm not really sure what's in it..." Not acceptable, especially as we ordered the 5-course "Rijsttfel" prix-fixe menu consisting of Yono's most popular dishes over the past 20 years. And the sommelier was pleasant enough, but could have been more helpful with my companion's non-alcoholic beverage pairing. Of the six plates we sampled (plus an amuse bouche), we enjoyed the octopus appetizer, pork belly main and banana dessert. We found that the other courses - the chicken kebabs, duck, and braised beef - seemed a bit dry, or poorly presented, or both. Despite this, my companion enjoyed herself enormously - but her exposure to actual fine dining is extremely limited, "... this is MUCH better than Olive Garden." Perhaps the experience at Yono's is different if the Chef is on the premises. 2022 01 21. read more

It's a very quiet Tuesday evening at the restaurant. The dining room was beautifully decorated. We were greeted and seated immediately at around 7pm. The waiter Josh was great. He explained the menu very clearly and was super helpful. We decided to go for À la carte instead of tasting menu and we ordered grilled octopus, foie gras for appetizers and tilefish & scallops for main. Octopus: texture was excellent, very tender & perfectly chargrilled. The satay sauce was well balanced, however the octopus itself was super salty! Hudson Valley Foie Gras: very disappointed. The foie gras itself was velvety but the chef added no salt. As a result, it did not bring out the flavor of the heavenly piece. The strawberry sauce worked well but the milk toast beneath the foie gras was a miss as its texture is soft & gooey. This dish needs something crunchy & crispy to create a contrast. Pan Seared Tilefish with Risotto: a very good dish. The fish skin was perfectly crispy and the fish was moist and tender. Pan Seared Sea Scallops: Excellent dish. Large, tender and nicely seared. Could use some sauce though. We were very full and had no room for dessert. Again, two thumbs up for waiter Josh! read more

Yono's Restaurant - Dining room, foie gras, tilefish, scallops - Indonesian Near Me - Albany, New York

The food was good and the experience was fun. However, the premium wine pairing with the meal was with bottles of wine that ranged in the $20 range. Fun experience but it wasn't worth the money we paid. read more

STILL FOUR STARS Back here once again, this time after a successful day at The Alabama at Saratoga Race Track. (Eskimo Kisses won). My wife started with the Soup of the Day: Mushroom Velouté with Black Truffles. Very nice. she followed it with Twenty Four Hour Braised Beef Short Ribs "Rendang." Also quite nice. I went with a Four Course Menu, starting with North Atlantic Sea Scallop Crudo, and followed it with Line Caught Cape Cod Hake a La Plancha. Both were lovely. For my main course I had the Pan Roasted Maple Leaf Farm's Duck Breast which was perfectly fine. The dessert of Lemon Panna Cotta was decidedly unremarkable. Overall the meal was quite pleasing but not really quite up to 5 star quality. A nice touch was Yono coming to the table and chatting us up a bit, as he did with the other tables as well. Sadly, the service was not so hot; the servers were not very well trained and were a bit brusque and inattentive. Two different servers used the phrase "may I get that out of your way," an expression that, in my opinion, no thinking server should ever use, especially is a white table cloth place. Food - 4 stars Ambiance - 4 stars Service - 3 stars Location - 5 stars Value - 4 stars read more

Haven't been here in a year or so, but always impressed with quality and service. Usually quiet, but you can run into crowds on downtown Albany event nights. read more

Yono's is one of my favorite restaurants in Albany, which is owned and operated by Chefs Donna & Yono Purnomo and Sommelier Dominick Purnomo. Yono's has opened and closed a few times over the years moving around within the City of Albany, from Robinson Square back in the day to the Armory Center and now they are at the Hampton Inn in Downtown Albany. Yono's is only open for dinner and offers fine Indonesian cuisine in an elegant upscale atmosphere. You do have to go through the loud dp- An American Brasserie bar to enter Yono's. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online at http://www.opentable.com/single.aspx?rid=6132&restref=6132 or by phone at (518) 436-7747. The menu can be found at http://www.yonos.com My folks took me to Yono's for a Tuesday evening dinner, a while back to celebrate passing a major exam for my job. We were all dressed up nicely and I wore my new 3 piece suit to dinner. We ordered several courses of food to sample, which were all excellent including the Kare Udang Maimom and Daging Rendang. The service was professional and attentive. Before the meal, the Sommelier Dominick Purnomo came to our table and offered some wine pairing suggestions for our meal. Donna Purnomo, the Pastry Chef came over to our table to chat with us and to see how things were going. The pace of the meal was relaxed. We were enjoying a fine dinner with no hurry. I was actually looking very forward to Donna's Decadent Desserts after the main meal. I highly recommend the Banana Bread Pudding which was fantastic with a good cup of hot coffee. Overall, we had a great dinner from start to finish and we'd definitely return for those special occasions. Now, I'll just have to pass another big exam! read more

Yono's Restaurant - Indonesian Near Me - Albany, New York

I have been here a few times now. Each time has been related to business or team lunches. Yono's is located within a Hampton Inn in downtown Albany near Broadway Avenue and so it lends itself well to catering to the local business class or visitors in terms of location and presents a classy atmosphere and professional formal service with a price tag that doesn't get your expense report flagged. During this visit, my office co-workers were hosting a team lunch and I rarely turn down lunch when it is on someone elses tab. My co-workers ordered what appeared and smelled like delicious tomato bisque and french onion soups for their appetizers while I deferred my own appetizer in favor of a Kimchi and Pork Belly Fried Rice main entree. I had not tried this dish before and was feeling more adventurous with my culinary choices as, well, I was not paying. The Kimchi and Pork Belly Fried Rice came out looking rich and impressive. My eyes took in what appeared to be a dense reddish brown mountain of rice with a mix of pork belly meat and vegetables with a juicy, runny egg resting atop its peak. My mouth disagreed with my eyes and nose however. I had assumed that the pork belly meat would be the dominant flavor in the dish and that this would be a flavorful, sweeter, juicier taste with some small kimchi kick for spice and tang but the reality was that the pork belly was more a background flavor that was drier and less present. The Kimchi was the dominant flavor with a salty, almost acidic taste absent any spice I could detect that took my tastebuds down a road less travelled. Texturally, the kimchi was really firm which made each bite feel like a bunch of mushy goodness wrapped around a firm, bitter, spoil sport. Clearly, this is probably more a case of me not liking how the kimchi was prepared, or kimchi all that much, than a case of the dish being, "bad" per se. I cannot fault the chef for cooking a dish as it is supposed to be. However, it doesn't change the fact that I didn't like the dish. I wanted a more sweet, pork belly enriched fried rice flavor and I got a dish where the Kimchi basically insisted upon itself and resented the other ingredients presence. This was the third time I have gone here and not enjoyed the meal. I keep wanting to find a meal that aligns with the look and service of the place which are both great but I keep striking out. In the end I would recommend going anyway as everyone else I have ever gone with seems to love it and rave about the food. I am clearly in a savage minority. For my part, I'll only ever go there again if the meal is again paid for by someone else. read more

Yono's Restaurant - Kimchi and Pork Belly Fried Rice. - Indonesian Near Me - Albany, New York

Adding to the other fabulous time we had here the grand tasting menu was delicious and kept you wanting more they have such pride in their dishes and high quality food and servers to match They went out of their way to print a birthday menu with my name on it just a little touch of high class the you get while eating here can't wait to come back in the future to enjoy another tasting menu read more

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Delicious/great experience. John I believe was our server. He really made sure my boyfriend and I had a lovely experience as soon as we walked in the door. I can't wait to eat here again next time we're in the area. I'd highly recommended doing their tasting menu. It was flavorful and delicious! read more

What a special evening. We chose the grand tasting with the premium wine tasting. It was delicious. Each course was big and full of flavor. Super accommodating. I didn't like one of the dishes so they gave me something else and it was delightful. Our servers were so nice and professional. We felt like royalty celebrating a special birthday. My only complaint was...seriously a $600 meal and we had to spend $16 for water service. That's a bit ridiculous. But in general we were very happy. read more

After a less-than-stellar experience elsewhere in the city, Yono's has helped restore my faith in Albany dining. There is something so pleasant about a chef's tasting menu that is competently prepared and executed! The dishes were a thoughtful combination of familiar fine-dining fare with little touches of innovation. The sommelier was extremely knowledgeable, and the pairings all well-chosen. The server was professional yet amiable, and the pacing very steady and smooth. The Indonesian flair was very subtle, and I wouldn't have minded more experimentation in that direction, but this is not really a quibble since everything they served was so delightful! read more

Happy Birthday to me! For my birthday, my SO treated me to a lovely evening at Yono's. I had previously looked the menu over and was afraid that I'd have to have a snack upon arrival home. No so. Pleasantly so. Because my birthday had been secretly been disclosed to staff prior to arrival, there were a few surprises for the birthday girl. My first surprise was my menu - my very own menu, with my name and date on it. The specials for the day were printed on said menu. The staff obviously knew it was my birthday and called me by name the entire evening. It's the little things. After ordering our dinner, we received a tasting of a gazpacho. WOW! I could get to like vegetables. It was about 4 tablespoons of soup in a teeny tiny cup with a cute as a button little spoon, but it was delicious with just enough spice to get your attention. A short time after that, a gentleman came along with a platter of perfectly baked breads (nut, pretzel and French bread?). Just like on a cruise ship, the little tongs deliver your choice to your bread plate. My appetizer was the she-crab bisque. I've had other bisques at other restaurants, but this is my new bar to rise above for she-crabs. The presentation was another deal altogether. The soup bowl arrives with crab and a toasted bread crumb at the bottom and then the server pours the creamy sherry laden soup around the she-crab. It was a taste of seafood soup heaven. Of course, If you don't like seafood, I don't think this is for you. SO had Montauk caught tuna tartare, which thankfully, I did sample. Pleasant surprise, it is a delightful flavor not the fishy salty expectation, it was a firm bite of flesh that I might consider next time. More bread wandered through the dining room. Yum. Meals arrived. I had the Pan Seared Atlantic Merluza, a lovely white fish similar to haddock. It was accompanied with a little dome of rice (which I believe also had tiny chopped nuts in it) with roasted root vegetables all adorned with a spicy tomato bell pepper nage (sauce). SO had the North Atlantic Monkfish also accompanied with the root vegetables but he got the acorn squash risotto. (He said his sauce was a bit oily not what I would expect of a beurre blanc.) While the portions do not look like you will be satisfied, I think because of the enormous plate sizes, you are pleasantly surprised. We were both satisfied with our dinners, but decided since it was a birthday, we did need dessert. Many choices available, but chose the Indonesian Banana's Foster. SO enjoyed more than I did. It arrived with a birthday candle and a wish for a happy remaining of the day. (no song) Around the edge was a birthday greeting written in chocolate including my name. awwww. All in all, it was a marvelous meal equal to many meals I've enjoyed on a cruise ship. Each server made the seemless effort to keep water filled and patron's happy. It was a better experience (for me) than some other expensive steak houses. read more

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Great service I was excited to go again I haven't been there since before Covid, but the food was in the same quality it used to be

Came here for dinner and had the Venison and Scallops. Everything was out of this world. Joshua was incredible and the service was above and beyond. Really impressed my wife. Cheers. read more

Yono's Restaurant - Indonesian Near Me - Albany, New York

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We were looking forward to trying this place after reading many good reviews. We actually went out of our way to spend the night nearby in order to try it. Turned out to be a disappointment all around. Octopus was tougher than it should have been, Halibut was a little overcooked, and a stray piece of plastic in my salad. At this price point, everything should be wonderful and yet... Add in the annoyingly verbose waiter and the experience gets worse. When we walked in on a Friday evening and perhaps only 3 or 4 tables were occupied I began to be a little suspicious, and it appears my suspicions were warranted. They took 15% off the bill for the stray plastic I assume. Hardly made up for the other issues. read more

This restaurant is out of the world clean nice set up enough space between people and most off all hospitality is on 100000 very respectful calm Music isn't loud at all everything is literally perfect especially the customer service now let's get to the food my wife ordered a noodle dish noddles cooked to perfection not over seasoned everything was cooked well and they followed all directions our server was very understanding and patient due to the fact it's our first time here Josh helped us pick drinks it was a big help we never drink and he was the best waiter rashawn was the cook and must I say everyone here goes above and beyond today is our anniversary and I wanted it to be special and I must say this has exceeded my expectations management was on the floor keeping track of everything and everything ran smoothly this experience was more then worth it thanks to all the kind staff and great food I'll be returning soon read more

Somewhat disappointing meal! Service was great but my dish (pork) tasted terrible. The waitress saw I barely touched the food but didn't ask why i or if I wanted to take the leftovers home. Although it was suppose to be a three course meal they additionally charged us for an appetizer? Meal cost us over three hundred dollars for two and was not worth it. Don't think I'll return again. read more

I used to love Yono's. I honestly believe that eating there should be considered a civic obligation. Any time I have recommended it, I have received nothing but glowing praise. Not last Saturday night. We were the guests of our children for our 30th wedding anniversary. Service was terribly slow. Drinks took way too long... and we had two rounds between appetizers and the entree, which never arrived until after I complained... The herbed gnocchi were appetizer sized. It honestly looked like they took one order and split it. The goat cheese has liquefied like it had sat under the heat lamp too long. The salmon was raw. They tried to make it right. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I left my entree, which looked fabulous, untouched. They won't miss me. But I will miss them. read more

Through an odd set of circumstances, I found myself the first customer at Yono's tonight, dining alone, and further singled myself out by mentioning that I wanted some spicy Indonesian food when I made my OpenTable reservation. Both Chef Yono and his wife, whom I believe is the co-owner/manager, stopped by to introduce themselves and assure me my needs would be met. If you like to be pampered, this is the place. They could not possibly have made any money on me considering the number of silverware changes alone. Service was attentive throughout the meal but not hovering. Plates for a larger party were brought out simultaneously by an armada of waitrons, most of them clutching some sort of sauce or relish as well as a massive dinner plate. Impressive. I ordered the Five Course Traditional Indonesian Rijsttafel which I would not do again because two of the courses, the Gado Gado vegetable stir fry and Soto Makasa soup, were pleasant but without the assertive flavor excitement I was looking for. A MUCH BETTER choice is the Nasi Rames sampler which includes all the flavor hits from my meal: a richly sauced short rib and a pork tenderloin, a complex shrimp noodle dish, an excellent crab cake and okay chicken satay and an amazing sambal assortment to kick up the spice as needed. (The "sambal ketchup" was particularly outstanding.) This item is $24 less than the Complete Rijsttafel (which also includes an excellent dessert, though I was too full to enjoy it.) Go for the Nasi Rames and then choose one of a number of imaginative apps that add southeast Asian spices to fresh seasonal ingredients. A couple comments about the venue. Yono's is an ornate interior space with no windows, cozy in winter but a bit claustrophobic on a late summer's eve. And, Yono's is among the many local restaurants that believes the dining experience is enhanced by a lively sound track, in this case consisting of Moon River and other show tune favorites. As a rule of thumb, if you can make out the lyrics enough to sing along, I say it's too loud. read more