A Manhattan eatery that burst on the scene seven years ago is the latest restaurant to cross the Hudson River as South of the Clouds has officially brought their Yunnan-style dishes to Downtown Jersey City.
Situated at 313 Grove Street inside space that has been a revolving door for restaurants in recent years, South of the Cloud comes with a pedigree that hopes to make a lasting impact. The original location on 16 W 8th Street in Manhattan was launched in 2018 by Liheng Geng, who is the son of the owners of Brooklyn’s acclaimed Yun Nan Flavour Garden.
Since their Manhattan opening, South of the Clouds has focused on authentic Yunnan rice noodles and pastries. Yunnan translates to “Crossing the Bridge Noodles” in Chinese and is a rice noodle soup that is common in the Yunnan province in China.
Yunnan dishes separate themselves with their broth, which is made with an amalgamation of chicken, pork bones, ham, and duck. South of the Clouds is understandably heavy on the rice and noodle dishes, with highlights including their signature Braised Chicken Rice meal.
The restaurant also features chef specials like a steamed pot chicken soup, a mala stir-fried squid tendrils dish, or a Dai-style stir fried beef entrée. The long and narrow restaurant space is a BYOB experience, and online ordering is officially up and running through their website.
South of the Clouds is now open daily from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and can be followed on Instagram at the handle @sotc_nyc. The restaurant isn’t done expanding their empire in 2025, as they are slated to launch their third outpost later this spring in Manhattan at 1187 Amsterdam Avenue.
