The Hong Kong roots behind one of San Francisco’s hottest new restaurants, The Happy Crane

Even before its official launch on August 8, The Happy Crane in San Francisco was touted by local media as the city’s biggest restaurant opening of the year. Expectations are high, but chef-owner James Yeun Leong Parry is grateful for the support.

“I am proud to even have this opportunity, and excited that there are so many people that are supporting us and cheering us on, and just genuinely excited about The Happy Crane,” he says in a video call from San Francisco.

The crane symbolises happiness and longevity, and reflects the Chinese side of his family, while the “happy” part is a nod to his British heritage, where English pubs tend to have humorous names like “The Fat Fox” or “The Stumble Inn”.

The menu features what Parry describes as Chinese food through a modern lens – items such as gold coin chicken, fish-stuffed aubergine, rice rolls with crab, beef shin with artichoke, and even Beijing-style Peking duck.

Parry spent his formative years in Hong Kong, working in top restaurants such as Bo Innovation, Ta Vie, Tenku Ryugin and Happy Paradise. This is why many of the dishes at The Happy Crane are Cantonese, while others are inspired by his time spent in Beijing and Chengdu.

The menu is the culmination of a long and winding culinary journey that dates back to around 2006, when he would cook simple Chinese dishes for friends in London.