The Place
Upscale Yunnan food is having something of a moment in Shanghai. First it was In & Out, the beautifully airy Yunnan spot in Xintiandi’s Hubin Dao Mall, and now it’s Gathering Clouds, a restaurant that looks more in line with upmarket Table No.1 than our erstwhile favorite Yunnan spot Southern Barbarian. 
Set in a new street development in Changning, on a street perhaps best known for being home to LGBT bar Lucca, Gathering Clouds sits alongside Pie Society, Anthologia and Lazie Bar. It is enormous inside, and looks entirely far too expensive if it weren’t for an enormous, effect-spoiling TV screen on the ground floor. Upstairs is a different ball game, think low lights, dark wood and stunning bamboo-flanked patios. 
The Food
As with every other Chinese restaurant on the planet Yunnan or otherwise, the menu is a lengthy brochure of near infinite choice. There’s also a heavy focus on regional cuisine from the Dai Tribe, a Yunnanese ethnic minority closely related to Thai and Laotian people. As such, a lot of the food has a vaguely Southeast Asian twist to it, think sweet, sour and often very herbal flavors.
Dai-style fish skins (RMB48) are a must for adventurous appetites, doused with a very good tangy sauce.
Dali-style bean jelly (RMB40) had a good, earthy spice to it, but the starchy texture of the bean jelly strips left us a little cold.
“Tropical-flavor” chicken with chili and green onions (RMB60) was deliciously crispy and juicy, and the sautéed green onions atop it very flavorsome and non-overpowering. 
Grilled Dai-style tilapia was another good value winner – you get the whole fish plus a dipping sauce for RMB78. 
Quite whether they enjoy such things as satay beef skewers (RMB68) in Yunnan remains elusive, but does it really matter if they’re delicious? 
Same with the Yunnan special stir-fried pork with leeks (RMB58), which is tasty but not markedly different from any other garden variety stir-fry dish. 
Back to the Dai tribe again, Gathering Clouds serves sticky rice cooked inside bamboo (RMB40), which takes a minute but is worth it for the pleasantly floral flavor. We found one was enough to share.
Food verdict: 1.5/3
Vibe
With its upmarket interiors and good value dishes, Gathering Clouds is a good place for more formal occasions as well as casual dining or dates. Servers are not bilingual, but the menu is, and also has large, shiny pictures to accompany the more opaque descriptions. 
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for Money
If it weren’t for the pretty interiors (and outdoor bamboo terrace) is Gathering Clouds still worth a visit? Yes if you’re into the more Southeast Asian-style Yunnan eats. You could eat here for around RMB70 per person if you’re in a group, which ain’t bad in our book. 
Value for Money: 1/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 3.5/5
Price: RMB70-110 per person
Who’s going: mainly locals
Good for: Yunnan food, casual and formal occasions, al fresco dining
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