A press release from the mayor’s office on Friday afternoon reveals some activity in Four Embarcadero Center: international Chinese restaurant chain CRYSTAL JADE has signed a lease on a long-vacant space in the center. Crystal Jade… Nope, it’s not an ad for a spa at the back of a weekly, nor is it an ultra-lounge, tranny, nor the latest starlet at the AVN Awards. It’s a restaurant, and the new location is huge, with 16,000 square feet of interior and 4,000 square feet of outdoor space, and the plan is to “create more than 100 jobs during their first phase of operations,” according to the release. This is the first foray into the United States for the Singapore-based Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holding, and local restaurateur Gus Murad, formerly of Medjool, has also signed on to the project, though the extent of his involvement is not clear. The restaurant is slated to open in spring 2014.
One of Crystal Jade’s Singapore locations. Photo from website.