This restaurant cannot be missed on Peel Street, with its green-coloured walls, the stadium seats at the entrance all giving a big contrast to the old neighbourhood in the Soho area. I have been trying to come for a while but has not found the occasion. Knowing they are going to close in June, I come on this Friday evening to Uma Nota.
Seated at a table beside the entrance, there is a nice vibe here, with strong music, many ‘greens’ decorating the ceiling and windowfronts, offering a fun, casual and vibrant energy for customers. Very soon the restaurant is all packed, testimony to the popularity. It is also nice to see a good mix of locals and overseas customers within the clientele.
We order the Chef’s Menu for 7 courses ($458 each), including five starters, one main course from a list of four, and one dessert. First it is Crudo Amazonico. The sliced salmon sashimi is very fresh, seasoned with some acai ponzu for acidity, together with cashew nuts cream dressed with a bit of garlic chili oil. Flavourful and appetizing. Good.
The second one is Uma Nota Caesar Salad. Using some charcoal grilled gem lettuce as the base, which has a good smokiness added to the crunchy bite, the salad is dressed with katsuobushi mayonnaise with a nice umami taste. On top there are plenty of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese for additional texture and flavours. Very good.
The third one is Truffle Cheese Buns. Freshly baked and with a wonderful chewy bite, I like its texture, with substance and filling. The truffle cheese is not too powerful or dominating in flavours, and even my wife who is not a fan on both truffle and cheese has good feedback on this one. Very good.
The fourth one is Roasted Cauliflower. The large piece of cauliflower is seasoned with Amazonian rub and then roasted, fragrant and nicely done. With a vegan herb mayonnaise to provide creamy texture and some herbal notes, the chef further drizzles kombu oil to increase the umami flavours to good effect. Very good.
The fifth and last starter is Chicken Okonomiyaki. Inspired by Japanese fried chicken, the chef has added tonkatsu sauce to the tender chicken pieces to give further flavours from the signature Worcestershire-type sauce. Together with mayonnaise and katsuobushi, it is a great dish to go with icy beer.
Coming to the main course, we have chosen Roasted Salmon. Marinated in saikyo miso in a traditional Japanese manner, the salmon has rich umami and sweet taste that is delicious, though a bit salty. Roasted well to retain the moisture, there are some broccolini on the side, paired with a miso cream sauce. Quite good.
For the other main course, we pick Grilled Grass Fed Tenderloin. The charcoal grilled tenderloin is not fat, with good flavours after minimal seasoning, allowing one to enjoy the authentic original taste. With potato foam underneath and yakiniku sauce on top, we both love this beef more than salmon. Very good.
Finally, it comes to the dessert. The Uma Nota Dessert is essentially a dark chocolate mousse, with some chocolate nibbles on top for additional texture. Sandwiched between the two is passionfruit sorbet, and further on top is the marshmallow that has been torched to give some caramelized notes. Good balance of acidity and sweetness.
Along with two mocktails, the bill on the night is $1,217. Food quality is good, service is nice, and the overall ambience is fun and lively. A good spot to enjoy Brazilian cuisine and with such good business on the night I do not understand why they have to close but perhaps there are many other reasons behind. Anyway, it is a pity.
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