The Happy Crane - Reviews

My experience at the restaurant was exceptional. My wife and I sat at the bar and had a great time with the staff. The chefs choice and wine pairing is definitely the way to go. Everything that came out was delicious. Specifically, the golden coin, pork jowl, and black cod were so good. Highly recommended. Thank you!

My experience at this restaurant was largely positive, especially concerning the food. I would definitely recommend making a duck reservation, as it was significantly better than the duck at Z&Y. However, the waiting time for the duck was longer than expected, taking 90 minutes from seating to arrival, exceeding the waiter's quoted 60-75 minutes. To compensate for this less-than-ideal experience, our waiter kindly offered free desserts. The highlights of the meal included the Tiger shrimp, Tofu skin salad, Golden baos, and the Duck itself, along with a refreshing sorbet. I would suggest skipping the ginger scallion scallop; while good, it wasn't a standout dish. The overall food and atmosphere were rated highly, and the service was also good.

I had a grand time gabbing with my friend and Antonio at the bar. Although I'm sober, my friend explored the cocktail menu and I wished I had more time to delve into its lore. She ordered the Serpent's Kiss and enjoyed it, but we suggested rimming the glass with the Sichuan spiced salt that accompanied our quail to give it more of a kick. My favorite dish was the oyster pancake, which she described as "pan East Asian. " The shrimp reminded me of a live prawn experience at noma, where I was too embarrassed to opt out. The quail was a solid substitute for duck, which I had forgotten to pre-reserve, and its skin was crackling greatness. Personally, I didn't love the biang biang noodles as I prefer them thicker and uneven. We skipped dessert, but I hope Ferraro doesn't pursue their mochi rocher 🤣.

It's rare to find Chinese fine dining, and this place does it really well. The experience was very filling. I would recommend the crab rice dish.

My experience at this restaurant was fantastic! We visited as a group of four and decided to order a la carte to sample more dishes, ending up trying about 75% of the menu. The pork jowl, quail, golden coins, doupi, beef shin, and biang biang noodles were definite highlights. The cocktails were also delicious and creatively incorporated nostalgic Chinese flavors. The ambience felt refined, and the noise level was moderate, which was a pleasant surprise compared to similar establishments. The service was very friendly, contributing to an overall wonderful experience.

My experience at the restaurant was largely positive, centered around some truly excellent Canto classics. I was particularly impressed with the roast quail, a childhood favorite that was cooked to absolute perfection. I would return for this dish alone. The pork jowl was another highlight; the combination with gingered pear was unexpectedly delightful and a great pairing. The pea dumpling was also superb. It was one of those meals where the flavors were so satisfying that I didn't even crave dessert, happy with the lingering aftertaste. We did try the fig tart, which was perfectly balanced – "not too sweet" – with a wonderful tea-flavored filling. On the less positive side, I found the pate medallion to be too rich. Additionally, the noodles seemed oily, though I understand this might be characteristic of northern cuisine.

My experience at this restaurant was truly exceptional, particularly with the tasting menu and wine pairing. While Chinese dishes are often challenging to pair with wine, our sommelier, Justin, masterfully turned this concept on its head. His unorthodox pairings were mind-expanding and significantly elevated the dishes, a testament to his trial-and-error approach, high level of precision, and attention to detail. The dishes themselves offer a modern twist on Chinese classics, with flavors and textures suggesting inspirations drawn from extensive kitchen experiences in Asia and back home. It's rare to find this caliber of craftsmanship in San Francisco, outside of a select few Michelin-starred establishments. The layout is a bit tight, requiring diners and staff to navigate carefully between tables, but it was manageable. I'm eager to return to explore the à la carte and cocktail menus. My prediction is that The Happy Crane will soon earn a Michelin star.

My experience was centered around trying to make a reservation. Unfortunately, there was no availability for any dates, even for a month in advance. This lack of accessibility made it impossible to dine at the restaurant.

My experience at this new Asian cuisine restaurant was largely positive. We opted for the tasting menu, which featured numerous delicious and artistically presented courses, including two desserts. The price for the tasting menu was a reasonable $120 per person (before drinks, taxes, and tips), bringing the total to around $200 per person. I particularly enjoyed the Happy Crane cocktail, a tasty gimlet-style drink, so much so that one of us ordered two. Each course was served promptly. While some of the wait staff appeared to be in training, likely due to the restaurant's rapid rise in popularity, they were eager to please and friendly.

We were a party of 5 who all drove from South Bay for dinner, and this experience was without a doubt time well spent. The restaurant offers a proper modernization approach to Chinese fusion. The food was excellent, earning a perfect score, as was the service. The atmosphere was also highly rated. We experienced no wait time and a moderate noise level.