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.
San Francisco, CA
50 Beagles Rescued From Wisconsin Lab Arrive in Bay Area, SF Activist Faces Felony Charges
Animal rescue groups persuaded a Wisconsin breeding lab to sell 1,500 beagles after activists worked for a decade to free them, and 50 of the dogs arrived in the Bay Area Sunday. Meanwhile, an SF activist faces 12 years in prison for rescuing some of them prior to the deal.
Last month, several animal rights activists attempted to free 1,500 beagles at Wisconsin-based Ridglan Farms, the second-largest breeder of beagles for laboratories in the US, as KGO reported last week. Four activists, including Dean Guzman Wyrzykowski of San Francisco, were arrested during the rescue operation and charged with felonies, with up to 12 years in prison, according to a post by Wyrzykowski on social media.
“There are thousands of dogs just like her in laboratories across the country,” says Wyrzykowski, while holding the dog he’s accused of stealing.
Last week, animal rights group Big Dog Ranch Rescue, which is based in Florida, and DC-based Center for a Humane Economy made a confidential agreement with the lab to purchase the animals to be adopted out by rescue groups. Per KGO, well-known Berkeley activist Zoe Rosenberg, who brought one beagle named Chester home with her, was among the volunteers helping the dogs in Wisconsin after they were rescued.
As KGO reports, the Northern California Beagle Rescue Group brought 50 beagles to the Bay Area via school bus Sunday, and they’ll be adopting them out to homes in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and nearby cities once they’ve received veterinary care.
The dogs had likely never touched grass until after leaving the lab, and they’ve been slowly acclimating to their new lives. Some were reportedly malnourished and most had bad teeth and were in need of dental work.
“It was very emotional,” says Wendy Lansdon, a volunteer with Northern California Beagle Rescue, speaking to KGO about when the bus full of dogs first arrived in the Bay Area. “Some of them were really quiet when we got in there, some of them were happy, and the other ones were terrified.”
Prior to the dogs’ arrival, the Northern California Beagle Rescue Group announced on social media it was seeking foster home volunteers in Fremont, San Jose, and Sacramento — near where the beagles will be receiving veterinary care. The group is also requesting donations to help fund the dogs’ vet care.
According to the site Save the Dogs, activists had been pushing for the closure of Ridglan Farms for almost 10 years, as investigators, whistleblowers, veterinarians, and others worked to spread the word about the inhumane conditions of the lab, which stayed in operation for decades, despite being hit with hundreds of state-level cruelty violations.
“The dogs born there were treated as inventory: bred, confined, sold to research, disposed of,” says Save the Dogs.
Save the Dogs notes that activists are now targeting Marshall BioResources, the largest breeder of dogs for laboratories in the country, which has operations in New York and the United Kingdom.
Image: Northern California Beagle Rescue/Facebook
Division-leading Dodgers aim to snap home losing trend as they open series against the Giants in a matchup of NL West foes
After dropping their second straight home series over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers head into Monday night’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants sitting atop the National League West Division standings, aiming to avenge a series loss to the Giants from two weeks ago. San Francisco has lost nine of its last 12 games overall and have dropped seven in a row on the road as they begin a 10-game road trip that will keep them away from home until Memorial Day Weekend. The Giants will start Trevor McDonald (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in his fourth start in the Majors while the Dodgers will counter with second-year Japanese import Roki Sasaki (1-3, 5.97 ERA) who has given up a home run in five consecutive outings.
How to Watch San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers:
Date: May 11, 2026
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: MLB Network
Location: Dodgers Stadium
Live Stream the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fubo: Start watching now!
Dodger center fielder Andy Pages, who has helped Los Angeles claim World Series titles in each of his first two years in the Majors, leads the team this season hitting .333, ranking the 25-year-old Cuban third among all hitters in MLB. Pages is hitting .371 so far in May with five extra base hits and 10 RBIs and has successfully reached base in 13 of his last 14 games.
With nine hits in seven games so far this month, Giants second baseman Luis Arraez is hitting a team-leading .310 at the plate in 2026 and is on pace for his eighth career 100-hit campaign. Arraez is one of only two active players with a career batting average above .300, hitting .316 for his career and leads Houston’s Jose Altuve by 15 points.
What time is Giants vs Dodgers?
Coverage of the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers starts Monday, May 11, at 10:00 p.m ET. Tune in to see if the Dodgers can beat the Giants for the fifth time in the last six games at Dodger Stadium or if San Francisco can beat LA for the fourth time in the last five head-to-head matchups.
What channel is the Giants vs Dodgers game on?
Looking to watch the game? Subscribers can tune to MLB Network to catch the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup at home or on the go with the Fubo TV app.
Watch the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fubo: Start watching now!
Regional restrictions may apply.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the McCoven who hopefully have better things to do than watch this dreadful baseball team. But if this is your chosen way of spending the day, then welcome, and may the Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the series for you.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle takes the mound for the Giants, as the veteran makes his eighth start of the year. He’s 1-4 on the season, with a 5.00 ERA, a 4.91 FIP, and 34 strikeouts to 18 walks in 36 innings. He was very strong his last time out, pitching 5.1 shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the Pirates, it’s right-hander Bubba Chandler, a 23-year old in his second season. In seven starts this year, Chandler is 1-4 with a 4.76 ERA, a 5.60 FIP, and 31 strikeouts to 26 walks in 34 innings. Chandler gave up two runs in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his last game. He has issued the most walks in the Major Leagues, so he’s probably foaming at the mouth to face the Giants, who apparently believe that drawing walks is a sin on par with murder.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Go Giants! Go moms!
Who: San Francisco Giants (15-24) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (22-18)
Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
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