If you look at James Yeun Leong Parry’s resume, one interpretation is that things start to go off the rails around 2018. That’s when, after stints at fine-dining restaurants helmed by celebrity chefs in Hong Kong, London, Tokyo and San Francisco, he left Benu for a position at Palette Tea House.
San Francisco, CA
This eagerly awaited S.F. restaurant won’t ever earn three Michelin stars — and that’s a good thing
No disrespect to Palette, a high-volume restaurant in Ghirardelli Square that traffics in newfangled dim sum, such as taro puff swans, their lacy bodies blackened with charcoal, and har gow skewered with pipettes of lobster butter sauce. But a certain breed of ambitious chef would note that it has three fewer Michelin stars than Benu. (Which is to say, none.) Parry’s pivot is the equivalent of a violinist leaving the symphony to take up the fiddle with a bluegrass band.
Now, with three years as head chef at Palette under his belt and several more running successful tasting menu popups, Parry has struck out on his own. After months of frothy anticipation, the Happy Crane opened in August in Hayes Valley. A modern Chinese restaurant, it sings the greatest hits from Hong Kong (where Parry spent much of his youth), Beijing, Chongqing and beyond with a California accent. It’s the opening salvo of a chef with a point of view, and a welcome addition to the city’s contemporary Asian culinary scene.
Patrons dining at the bar, where half the seating is reserved for walk-ins, at the Happy Crane.
It’s possible to engage with the Happy Crane’s menu on multiple levels, depending on your familiarity with — or desire to be educated about — Chinese cuisine. An appetizer of a split bao, griddled in brown butter and topped with chicken liver mousse and thinly sliced coppa ($11 per piece), could conceivably be at home in a New American restaurant serving deviled eggs and an heirloom tomato salad. But the curious might ask about the name of the dish, “golden coin,” which is a reference to the esoteric Cantonese snack gum tsin gai, or gold coin chicken. Originating as sustenance for the working class, it was a way for roast meat specialists to sell char siu offcuts, pork fat and chicken livers, all stacked on a skewer, glazed with sticky-sweet sauce then served sandwiched in a bun.
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The staff at the Happy Crane, while gregarious, are not walking encyclopedias. They might mention that an entrée of fish-fragrant fish featuring local lingcod ($48) is a cheeky nod to fish-fragrant eggplant, a dish that contains no fish whatsoever, but they’re far from pedants. Unless you drive the conversation, you might not learn about the braising technique applied to the beef shin ($18), or jiang niu rou, a process whereby the meat is babied for nine hours in master stock. This flavor-packed liquid, a sweetened mix of soy and shiaoxing wine infused with spices and aromatics, shares common ground with a sourdough mother or sherry aged using the solera method: After each braise, the master stock is saved and topped up, a never-ending continuum of flavor that will, presumably, only get better as the Happy Crane gets older.
The Happy Crane’s “golden coin,” made with chicken liver mousse and thinly sliced coppa, is a reference to the esoteric Cantonese snack gum tsin gai, or gold coin chicken.
The beef shin and celery root, left, and a pair of drinks, right, at the Happy Crane.
Photos by Santiago Mejia/S.F. ChronicleThe beef shin and celery root, above, and a pair of drinks, below, at the Happy Crane.
Photos by Santiago Mejia/S.F. ChronicleWhat results is an impossibly tender and savory cut of beef that, thinly sliced and still rosy in the center, is what roast beef wishes it could be. Parry then gives it a mala xiang guo treatment, dressing it with a Sichuan peppercorn vinaigrette and plating it with some vegetables that are commonly found in dry hot pot (celtuce, fried lotus root) and some that decidedly aren’t (last month, creamy confited artichoke hearts). It’s a masterpiece.
The same consideration for balance — crunch meeting softness, acid tempering richness — is evident in the char siu pork jowl ($43). Glistening with its maltose glaze, the sweet, fatty roast pork begs for something sharp and structured. Parry pairs it with shaved raw fennel — mirroring the licoricey notes in the five-spiced marinade — and intense, translucent crescents of green apple that are infused, under vacuum pressure, with lime juice and ginger. I’d like to keep a jar of those pickled apple slices in my fridge to munch on whenever I need to feel alive.
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The char siu pork jowl with raw fennel and thin slices of green apple that are infused, under vacuum pressure, with lime juice and ginger.
Parry’s attention to texture is so dialed in for his most successful dishes that the ones that fall short come as genuine surprises. A saucy crab rice roll ($32) made with steamed rice noodles that are milled in house should have been a triumph, but the cheung fun was frail, lacking chew and integrity. And the main crunch came not from the celery but, unfortunately, bits of crab shell.
Whether fair or not, diners will want to know where to mentally situate the Happy Crane among San Francisco’s other titans of modern Chinese cuisine; I look forward to a time when, like Cal-Italian restaurants, there are so many excellent examples that we no longer have to play them off one another. On the casual-to-swank spectrum, it falls solidly in between Four Kings and Mister Jiu’s — both on our list of the top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area. It’s a date night or pre-theater spot where the service is informal and, although a tasting option exists ($120 per person), the menu does not aspire to fine-dining pageantry.
Parry’s time in exacting, three-star kitchens is evident — the knife work, the plating, the wink-wink cleverness — even in humble stir fries and smacked cucumber salads. Kate Moss without makeup still has cheekbones. But I, for one, am grateful he chose a less buttoned-up road. I don’t dislike a tasting menu, but that $18 beef shin deserves to be eaten by everyone.
A staffer is seen waiting at the pass at the Happy Crane.
The Happy Crane
451 Gough St., San Francisco. thehappycranesf.com
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Hours: 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, no outdoor seating
Meal for two, without drinks: $125-$240 (for the “happy as a crane” tasting menu, which is $120 per person)
What to order: Ginger scallion scallop ($18); beef shin ($18); golden coin ($11 per piece); oyster pancake ($28); char siu pork jowl ($43); Peking duck service ($110, by preorder); mango sago sorbet ($14)
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Meat-free options: Smacked cucumber and smoked figs ($14); snap pea dumplings ($7 per piece); maitake biang biang noodles ($36)
Drinks: Spend some quality time with the drink menu, which features gorgeous original artwork by Parry’s sister, Yolande Lui Parry. Creative cocktails ($17-$20) with housemade cordials incorporate Asian flavors; try the Serpent’s Kiss, which layers miso and hot mustard atop an agave base, but skip the too salty non-alcoholic Flying Nimbus. A couple Taiwanese beers and a dozen or so wines by the glass, with Advanced Sommelier Justin Chin on-site to assist with bottle selection.
Best practices: The blazing hotness of the Happy Crane currently makes securing a reservation challenging, but eventually this will become an excellent pre-opera/symphony option for the Civic Center crowd. Half the bar is reserved for walk-ins, if you’re striking out on Open Table.
One of San Francisco’s busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.
All eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 just before the Bay Bridge are closed as crews work around the clock to rehabilitate the roadway. The 55-hour shutdown, which began on Friday night, is scheduled to last until Monday morning in time for the commute.
The closure has forced drivers onto detour routes, leading to heavy congestion for those trying to reach the East Bay, including Oakland and Berkeley.
The impact is being felt beyond the roadways.
At MoMo’s, a restaurant across from Oracle Park, staff found business noticeably slower.
“A little bit more mellow than usual. We usually see a little bit more foot traffic, a little bit more people on Saturdays,” said Daniel Bermudez, executive chef at MoMo’s.
Bermudez believes the freeway closure may be discouraging visitors from coming into the city this weekend, despite favorable weather.
“The weather is beautiful today. It’s nice and sunny. So we have plenty of tables outside,” he said.
With the San Francisco Giants playing an away game, the restaurant had hoped fans would still gather to watch, but turnout during game time remained light.
“This is kind of like our off-season Saturday. A lot slower than our baseball weekend,” said Casandra Alarcon, general manager at MoMo’s.
Other small businesses in the Mission Bay and South of Market neighborhoods reported similar trends, saying most of their customers are regulars who live nearby rather than visitors.
“A little bit slower for sure. Before, we had tourists come and walk to the baseball park,” said Ajaree Safron, manager at Brickhouse Cafe & Bar.
Caltrans has shut down eastbound lanes between 17th and 4th streets to repave the 71-year-old roadway. The goal is to extend the life of the Bayshore Freeway by another decade.
City and transportation officials said the timing of the closure was intentional, noting fewer major events scheduled in San Francisco this weekend, aside from the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Westbound lanes remain open, and officials said traffic heading into San Francisco from the East Bay has not been significantly affected.
“Getting into the city, it wasn’t too bad. Regular [traffic], what we expect on a Saturday morning,” said visitor Andrea Inouye.
While the closure has posed challenges for businesses, some workers said they are taking it in stride.
“Hopefully, it’s not for too long and we get past it, and get back to our normal routine,” Bermudez said.
Despite early concerns about widespread gridlock, transportation officials said the region has avoided the worst-case scenario. Traffic remains heavy in areas near detours, but the anticipated “carmageddon” has not materialized, in part because many drivers chose to avoid the area or take public transit.
Bay Area High School baseball fans are treated to a rare opportunity Saturday (April 18) with three games at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, including the famed Bruce-Mahoney clash between West Catholic Athletic League rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The first pitch of the 20th annual Dante Benedetti Baseball Classic starts at 11 a.m. and pits two more San Francisco private schools as University (9-7), winners of four straight, taking on Riordan (5-11).
That will be followed by the Bruce-Mahoney game at 2:30 between St. Ignatius (12-5, 4-2 WCAL) and the Irish (7-10, 1-5) and finished off with a North Coast Section clash between North Bay’s Marin Catholic (9-7) against Acalanes (7-6-1).
The Benedetti Classic, founded by Dante’s Boys Foundation board member Tom Lounibos and Giants president Larry Baer, benefits the DBF which honors the spirit of Benedetti who for nearly 40 years owned San Francisco’s Mr. Baseball nickname for his kindness and generosity to baseball-playing youth in the area.
Among their philanthropic efforts are glove and baseball equipment drives, field renovations and contributions to scholarships and sponsorships.
After starting the season 0-4 — three of those losses were by one run — University, under head coach Andrew Suvunnachuen, has found its way, winning the last four, all in Bay Counties League play, by a combined 51-6 count over Lick-Wilmerding (16-1 and 11-3) and San Domenico (13-2 and 11-0).
Senior catcher and pitcher Jett Messenger leads the way with a .447 average, while getting on base at a .638 rate. He also leads the team with 20 stolen bases. Junior third baseman Tate Gebhart is hitting .419, while Leo Felder and Behbart share the RBI lead with 15 each.
Junior Matthew Foley is 3-2 on the mound with a 2.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
Riordan, under second-year head coach Craig Sargent, was 5-5 in nonleague games but lost six straight in the rugged WCAL, losing two tough games this week to Mitty (3-2 and 7-4). Junior third baseman and pitcher Santiono Williams leads the team in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.488) and stolen bases (nine). He’s also been the team’s top pitcher at 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA.
The teams have split two previous games in their history, with Riordan winning 2-0 in 2023 and University prevailing 5-0 in 2021.
St. Ignatius, led by ninth-year head coach Brian Pollzzie, has already secured the Bruce-Mahoney trophy with four straight wins — one each in football, girls volleyball, boys basketball and girls basketball — but this rivalry is always spirited.
The Wildcats, who are ranked fourth in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle, are coming off a tough 3-0 home loss to No. 2 St. Francis on Friday after beating the host Lancers 10-6 on Tuesday.
The team is led by Stanford-bound Archer Horn, who is hitting .486 with four home runs and a .604 on-base percentage. The shortstop and pitcher also has not allowed an earned run in three pitching appearances while registering one save.
Pitching is a team’s strength with a 2.59 ERA, led by a brigade of strong arms including Leo Rhein (2-0, 2.38), Tycco Giometti (2-1, 2.62), Charlie Stecher 1-1, 0.72) and Chase Gordon (1-0, 2.80). The team is missing standout Finn Demuth, out of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, led by fourth-year head coach Gregg Franceschi, has scored 60 runs on the season and given up 61. The Irish are coming off two losses to eighth-ranked Valley Christian (5-2 and 10-1).
They are led offensively by junior outfielder Brody O’Sullivan (.381) and senior infielder Jacob Vines (.378). Johnny Nepomuceno and Max Nylander are other run-producers. Zach Stallworth (37 strikeouts, 29.2 innings) and Cooper Rogers Lewis (0.25 ERA) have been the team’s top pitchers.
The series has been remarkably close since 2005 with Sacred Heart Cathedral holding a 27-20 edge, though St. Ignatius won both games last season (5-0 and 6-3) after the Irish won 9-7 and 1-0 in 2024.
Marin Catholic hopes to get back to winning after starting the season 9-1, but have since lost six straight, four in Marin County Athletic League play, including 4-2 to Novato on Thursday. Senior outfield Luke Martin is the team’s leading hitter at .478 while senior infielder and pitcher Cooper Mitchell is at .455. Senior infielder Walker Untermann leads the team with 15 RBIs.
Acalanes is at the other end of the spectrum, winners of five of six after a 2-5-1 start. Junior infielder Tyler Winkles, also a highly recruited quarterback in football, leads the team with a .383 average and nine stolen bases. Riley Gates (2-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 strikeouts) is the team’s top pitcher.
The teams have played three times, all since 2022, with Marin Catholic owning a 2-1 lead. Acalanes won last year’s game 8-7.
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Chinatown fatal crash victim ID’d, safety measures proposed
The victim killed in Friday’s Chinatown crash was identified Monday by the medical examiner as Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, 49, of San Joaquin County. At a meeting on Monday, city officials said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
SAN FRANCISCO – A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and speeding following a crash in San Francisco’s Chinatown that killed a man working in the area.
Zhuo Ming Lu, 76, is accused in the March 27 crash that left 49-year-old Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, of San Joaquin County, dead.
Suspect was trying to park
What we know:
Authorities said Lu was attempting to park near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street when his vehicle jumped the sidewalk and crashed into the landmark New Lung Ting Café, also known as the Pork Chop House. The vehicle also struck two pedestrians, including Zamora-Martinez.
Zamora-Martinez died from his injuries.
He had been working in the area, according to a GoFundMe page. A San Francisco Police Department source close to the investigation told KTVU the victims were carpet installers arriving for work.
The fundraising page described Zamora-Martinez as a husband and father who was the sole provider for his family and “a humble man who wanted the best for his family.”
Before his arrest, Lu had been cooperating with investigators. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the crash.
Some residents questioned whether the driver’s age or a possible confusion between the brake and gas pedals may have been factors.
“Maybe if people hit a certain age, you got to get retested for your driver’s license is something I was thinking about,” said Keith Hong, who works next door to the crash site.
Another case involving an elderly driver
Big picture view:
In an unrelated case, Mary Fong Lau, 80, was sentenced to probation after killing a family of four, two parents and their young children. in March 2024. Authorities said Lau struck the victims as they waited at a Muni stop on their way to the zoo.
Lau pleaded no contest to four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, and a judge accepted the plea. A Superior Court judge cited her age, remorse and lack of criminal history in the sentencing decision.
She was placed on probation for two years, banned from driving for three years and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
The Source: San Francisco Police Department, prior reporting
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