The Mill City Times Interview: Zye and Albert Kurniawan of Young Man Restaurant
Friday, July 17, 2020 at 2:46AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided by Young Man
What if your dream was to own your business – a restaurant - and the opening day is March 7, 2020? That’s what happened to Zye and Albert Kurniawan, owners of Young Man at 3752 Nicollet Avenue. They met the COVID-19 challenge head on and have stayed afloat by adapting for the time being to a take-out business model. We talked to them about their culinary influences and why their motto is “it was all a dream.”
Q: Tell us about your immigration story.
A: We are from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Albert started out as a dishwasher and busser in Jakarta but always dreamed of being a chef. He worked his way up and became a chef in several Japanese restaurants for eight years. We moved to NYC in 2010, and then to Minnesota in 2013. Minneapolis is our home and we’re planning to stay here.
Q: What was your first Minnesota food business?
A: We operated our Don Oishi food truck and served Japanese fusion food in Downtown Minneapolis, Northeast and at local breweries. We met many of our long time, lovely customers during our food truck years.
Q: When was the move to your brick and mortar location on Eat Street? How has the shutdown affected your business?
A: We opened our doors on March 7. We were so thrilled to have our own restaurant. We really like our location and have been able to put our dream into action. Our motto, "it was all a dream," refers to our life goal of owning our own restaurant. We always heard of the American Dream and it was our goal to experience it too. We didn’t know the phrase “it was all a dream” was used by Biggie Smalls until an editor pointed it out to us earlier this year.
The Kurniawans with daughter VictoriaWe are still delighted, but it has been challenging due to the shutdown. We’re like a lot of restaurants all over the country – it’s been a struggle. We put all of our savings and energy into opening the business, and we have a newborn baby, too. We couldn’t walk away from the business even though we’ve incurred major losses - we tossed out a lot of food because we had no customers. One day we served one person. Another day, two people. Each day we talked about surviving. Mostly it is Albert all day at the restaurant. He cooks food to order, packs the orders and delivers it curbside. In May, I returned to the restaurant on weekends, along with our baby Victoria, to help.
Q: Why the name Young Man?
A: No one could remember Albert’s name when we moved to NYC. Everyone – chefs, dishwashers, food distributors – called him "young man." It stuck with us and helps us remember how far we’ve come in meeting our goals.
Gado Gado Supreme
Nasi Goreng
Q: Tell us about your food choices at Young Man.
A: The cuisine is a modern fusion of Hawaiian and Balinese fare. We cook from scratch, using fresh vegetables and fruit, and there are a lot of grilled items. You’ll find Indonesian dishes like satay and Gado Gado, with mixed vegetables and sauce. Hawaiian-style offerings like Nasi Goreng, a fried rice dish served with chicken and vegetables, are available; and old favorites from the food truck, like gyoza and takoyaki, are on the menu too.
Q: What are your hours?
A: We’re open M-F, 4-7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1-7:30pm. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Come visit us!
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About Becky Fillinger
I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.
One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.
