Happy Boat

The Happy Boat is a remarkable piece of Pumpherston food history. The family behind it has been cooking Chinese food on the same Drumshoreland Road site since 1982 — originally trading as The May Wah before adopting the Happy Boat name in 1993 — and the business is now in its third generation. What sets it apart from most local Chinese takeaways is the kitchen's commitment to handmade everything: roast marinades, pancake dough, dumpling fillings, pastry, noodles, chilli oil, and soup broths are all made from scratch. The takeaway is also believed to be the only one in West Lothian with a traditional Peking oven, used for proper roast duck. Dim sum features on the menu alongside the broader Cantonese range. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. A genuine specialist in a trade that too often cuts corners.