Umana Yana

04/29/2026

Honor the Roots that Ground Us 🇬🇾

​From the shores of Guyana to the heart of Albany, the “Meeting Place” was built on the grace of our matriarchs. This Mother’s Day, we invite you to celebrate yours with a menu crafted to nourish the soul.

​Our featured Roots of Grace course captures the zest and rhythm of our heritage:
​🥣 Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup — A warm, velvet-smooth start.
🥗 The Crimson Bloom Salad — Tender beetroots, toasted walnuts, and pomegranate jewels accented by fresh parsley. Finished with a vibrant lemon Casereep reduction. A dusting of aromatic cumin and sumac.
🍞 Sweet Plantain Cornbread.

​Come for the flavors of the diaspora, stay for the melodies of love.

🎟Limited Seating Available! Visit the link in our bio to book your brunch.
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04/19/2026

Spend another year with us! It’s always unforgettable!

03/05/2026

.albany is honored to celebrate another day, and,another moment in women’s history.

Event: The Governor’s Reception-55th Annual Legislative Conference-Black Puerto Rican & Asian Caucus.

Location: New York State Museum, Albany NY.

4 Women: Governor Kathy Hochul. Governor of New York State.
Letitia James- Attorney General New York State.

Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins. NYS Senator.

Albany Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs

We thank you all for your leadership.

And, we thank you for giving team Umana the opportunity to serve you.

Happy Women’s History Month,and beyond.

Photography credit: Jayana Photos.

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

Umana Yana Restaurant welcomes the Black & Puerto Caucus to Albany this weekend!

Both of our locations will be open. Our Empire Plaza location from 10am to 4pm. Our Washington Ave location from 12 noon to 4 pm. We then re-open at 5 pm to welcome you to our Valentines night event!!

We are no longer accepting catering requests for the Caucus weekend. We thank you all for your support!

02/03/2026

02/01/2026

The Meeting Place. The Music of Love. A Journey of the Heart. 🏝️🎶💞

​This Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Feb. 14th, join us for a night where every detail is a love letter to heritage. At Umana Yana, we are pairing our bold flavors with the soulful, multilingual love songs of Taína & Gaetano (6 PM – 9 PM).

​Experience a curated culinary path through:
✨ The First Spark – Vibrant appetizers to ignite the evening.
✨ The Heart of the Feast – Soulful, deep-flavored mains from our roots.
✨ Sweet Confessions – A decadent finale to a perfect night.

​🍷 A Special Addition to Your Evening:
To complement your journey, we’ve curated a special Valentine’s wine selection. Inquire with your server to enjoy a complimentary pour on the house—our gift to you as you toast to the night.

​From the very First Spark to your final Sweet Confession, let us host your most romantic journey yet.

​📍 Reserve your seat: tableagent.com/albany/umana-yana
📍 Location: 240 Washington Ave, Albany

​ TainaAndGaetano

01/11/2026

Oh what a historic event!!

Then…

Date : January 1st 2014
Event : Swearing in Ceremony of Dorcey Applyrs as Council Person for 1st Ward.
Location: Albany City Hall
Celebration Brunch: Umana Yana Restaurant ( recently opened two months prior - first ever Sunday Brunch!!)
Expected Guests: 50.

Now….

Date: January 1st, 2026
Event: Inauguration of Albany’s first Black Mayor- Dr. Dorcey Applyrs
Location: Empire State Plaza Convention Center.
Caterer: Umana Yana Restaurant.
Expected Guests: 1000.

We began this journey with our Mayor, and First Gentleman 12 years ago!
This moment in time,is a classic example of when preparation, raises up,to meet opportunity.

My team and I had exactly one week to pull this off. Ideas came during the course of night, and wee hours of the morning. Ex*****on needed to be swift.

We used 14 reclaimed interlocking wooden shutter windows placed side by side from Historic Albany Foundation, power washed,and then wrapped in parchment paper to create a 36 foot long grazing board.

We curated jams, jellies, and chutneys. Baked over 600 Patties and Empanadas, and more than 600 cup cakes.

We carved fruit and cheeses, roasted cases of yams ,prepped and prepared 400lbs of Party Wings.

Berries were poured into baskets,woven by the indigenous Amerindians of Guyana ,South America. Carved calabash bowls,also filled with berries, highlighted the cultural continuity between Africa and the diaspora.

We also gave a nod to Haiti’s Independence Day- the first Black Republic in the entire world, which was celebrated the very same day, January 1st.

We used Haitian painted trays to display food , drum art candle holders, and littered the board with bowls,and bowls of Haitian Pikliz Cabbage Slaw. This mysteroius place also happens to be the ancestral land of our first gentleman,Dr. Don Applyrs.

Painted cigar boxes with black girls, created by local artist Yamaguchie, also adorned the grazing board. As Afro Brazilian ancestral fabric dolls held the rhythm of the entire celebration.

Congratulations to Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, Albany’s first Black Mayor!

We Live. We Learn. We Grow.

Our Mission Remains the Same: A Celebration of Culture through the lens of Cusine, Community,and Craft.

Grateful!

Photography Credit: Jamel Mosely.

12/31/2025

Join Us This Evening!!

12/25/2025

To Life. To Love.To Liberty.