American Dream Award Winner

Widjiono 'Yono' Purnomo
Yono's
Albany, N.Y.

Boats have brought millions of immigrants to the United States for much of its history. Although most travel today by plane, Yono Purnomo came — indirectly — via cruise ship.

Purnomo grew up in poverty in Indonesia after that country's war for independence from the Netherlands. His school, a thatched hut, had no books, only blackboards. The lack of resources didn't deter Purnomo. By the time he was 20, he entered a training program for the Holland America cruise line.

While working in housekeeping on the flagship SS Rotterdam, Purnomo studied food, wine and service while improving his English. He quickly rose through the ranks in the food and beverage department. One night, while serving cocktails, he exchanged glances with a passenger, Donna Metallo, who decided on a whim to sing with the band. The next night, he traded jobs with a co-worker so he could be the server at her table.

After what the couple describes as a "fairytale, shipboard romance" and nine months of long-distance phone calls, the couple married. Purnomo moved to Albany, N.Y., in 1978 after fulfilling his contract with Holland America and began working in the city's poshest restaurants.

In 1983, the Purnomos bought Twenty-One, a legislative haunt in what had been Albany's original governor's mansion. A year later, Purnomo left the dining room for the kitchen when his chef quit. He joined the American Culinary Federation and resumed his food and wine study through apprenticeships, seminars and trial and error. He since has won numerous national and international cooking awards.

Purnomo hasn't forgotten his origins, although he has appeared on the Today Show and Food Network and cooked for sold-out James Beard House events. He mentors high school and college culinary students, raises money for multiple charitable organizations and created a scholarship fund for Indonesian students affected by the 2004 tsunami.