For chef Michael Long, the perfect kickoff to the Year of the Dragon would have meant opening the doors to his much-anticipated Four Kings restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown this weekend, the start of the celebratory Lunar New Year.
After all, that Chinese zodiac sign has been especially lucky for him. It’s the astrological sign that his wife and business partner was born under. It also was the zodiac animal on the calendar 12 years ago when the couple first met.
But when it comes to opening your first restaurant, financing it on your own with help from friends and family, and doing as much of the remodeling yourself as possible to save money, delays are inevitable.
As such, diners will have to wait a little longer — likely until March — for Long and co-owner Franky Ho’s novel izakaya-style establishment that will showcase Hong Kong-inspired casual fare enjoyed with beer and wine.
Eager to introduce their playful yet refined takes on iconic Cantonese dishes to a wider audience following their series of buzzy, sold-out pop-ups last year, they promise it will be worth the wait.