Drink & Dine: Uma Nota - Brazilian Japanese street food we love!
Nestled at the corner of Hollywood Road and Peel Street, Uma Nota is a Brazilian Japanese restaurant & bar which brings São Paulo’s Nipo-Brasileiro street food and cocktails to Soho.
The first thing we noticed about Uma Nota is the beautiful, colourful mural outside the restaurant of a woman laughing, which appropriately sets the scene for the atmosphere you’ll find inside. The stairs leading up to the entrance of the restaurant were colourful and doubles up as a seating area for those who want to enjoy a drink outside.
Offering a unique twist to a long heritage of Japanese migration to Brazil, the restaurant has adapted a menu to include local ingredients featuring dishes that combine Japanese cooking techniques with fresh, authentic and unique São Paulo flavours.
Everything on the menu, and cocktail menu looked intriguing to try. Whether you like it raw, skewered or to be shared, every item on the menu carefully reflected São Paulo’s favourite flavours. For food, we opted for Coxinhas de frango (Chicken and okra dumplings with homemade chili sauce), Croqueta de linguiça (Pork sausage croquette, wasabi & cucumber mayo), Ceviche, and Chicken Skewers. You could definitely taste influences of both Brazilian and Japanese culture in the food.
For drinks, the server recommended us to try a signature drink which was a Menina Geisha — a blend of gin, sake, elderflower liquor, lime, kaffir, cucumber syrup, and egg white. All these ingredients fused well together and it was the perfect, refreshing drink to start the night. Another cocktail also worth mentioning, and also another of the restaurants signatures was the traditional Caïpirinha which is Brazil’s official drink made of sugar cane rum, lime and sugar. Uma Nota also offers beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks as an option.
We also loved the vibe of the restaurant. The restaurant showcases vibrant South American-inspired murals, rattan wood furniture, and an unpretentious atmosphere which makes it a great lunch/afternoon spot too! For dinner, the lighting is dimmed and the ambience is upbeat and lively as it plays music that is a mix of both old school and modern Brazilian, Latin and International beats!
The food at Uma Nota is delicious and the drinks are adventurous and refreshing. The prices are very reasonable for what you get and the staff were also all very friendly! It is a great place to enjoy a romantic date, or simply a great night out with friends.
Uma Nota also hosts a monthly Carnaval Brunch which takes place the second Saturday of the month.
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday: 6pm till late
Saturday and Sunday Brunch da Rua: 12pm to 3.30pm
Signature Dishes: Ceviche (Tangy red snapper, prawn & calamari with aji amarillo & coriander), Coxinha (deep fried Brazilian dumpling with chicken & okra accompanied by a homemade chili sauce), Fraldinha (Grilled flank steak (300g) with farofa and feijão salad)
Price: HK$300-450
Uma Nota, 1/F, 38 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2889 7576
