South Silk's Soho New Town location is a hidden gem. So what if the getting there is bit quirky, tucked behind a now defunct gym and smelling faintly of chlorine ? The view of traffic on Jian Guo Lu is mesmerizing, with a great backdrop of highrises and neon lending an ever-so-Blade Runner-ish feel to the experience. And then there's the food, ... from the lusty fish-root and mint leaf appetizer with chili soy sauce to subtle perch skewers with vanilla, the iron plate aubergine with a distinctly Italian flair, beef with lemon and chilis, and the fried cheese with sugar, the flavours are striking, the colours are vibrant, the presentation pleasing, and the menu's English translations are, well, inventive.

Waitstaff are attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, offering thoughtful suggestions: who would have suspected that chilled Pu'er tea with lemon could be so refreshing in the summertime? And the Noodles over the Bridge, with a cloudy broth and finely sliced condiments, served in a vast bowl which could feed the masses and produced with great flourish, beats the pants off the competition.

With lovely big wooden tables and chairs and stylish private rooms with a view to the buzz outside, this is a spot to return to with family or friends, great for out-of-town visitors who need to have their tastebuds wowed by what they could never get back home. Wherever that is.

Well,

To find this place (at least the CBD shop) is already some sort of adventure, like actually going to Yunnan. It's in the same floor of a gym and another restaurant.
Once you find it and take your seat a strange feeling starts to rise: this is a Yunnan restaurant, but going in the opposite direction of the majority of the Yunnanese restaurants in town. The owner didn't want to re-create the atmosphere of local minority ethnic groups, but he decided to set up this restaurant more in a "lounge" minimalistic style. It's not what you would expect but is also not a bad idea.

The food? Great, a bit spicy (but hey, is Yunnan food!) and a bit pricy (maybe due to the setting?), but in the end worth a visit.