UMA NOTA Launches Cassava-focused ‘The Root of the Amazon’ Dinner

Hong Kong’s leading Brazilian-Japanese boteco, UMA NOTA, is introducing a new “Rare & Remarkable” dining series in celebration of native Brazilian ingredients that are rare in Hong Kong. The series kicks off with the launch of “The Root of the Amazon” dinner on July 31.

With a central focus on the Amazonian-native ingredient of cassava, guests are treated to an exclusive menu of the region’s popular carbohydrate in seven unique courses cooked by UMA NOTA head chef Gustavo Vargas.

The dinner begins with a traditional Pão de Mandioca, homemade cassava bread served with smoked butter, goat cheese and eggplant miso, followed with beef tartare with crispy sago and Baikal caviar — a delicate Carne Crua.

Two fresh seafood courses are available for diners, namely the Camarão na Tapioca, deep-fried prawns crusted in tapioca flour and açai ponzu and a Taco de Mandioca, which is crispy soft-shell crab in tapioca flour served with chayote pickles, yuzu-kosho mayo, and coriander.

Brazilian meats must be included in the celebration of native recipes and ingredients. UMA NOTA’s got you covered you with a special grilled lamb rack, Cuscuz de Mandioca, which is marinated in green miso with cassava couscous. This is followed by a Carne de sol e Milfolhas de Mandioca, two-day cured beef rump served with cassava millefeuille, roti juice, and a Brazilian vinaigrette.

To cap off the meal with sweetness, Vargas marries Black Tea Sago, Strawberry Sorbet, Berry Jelly with crispy sago crackers and edible flowers.

"The cassava is such a versatile root vegetable and I hope these exclusive menu items can give diners a wonderful introduction to a staple ingredient found in restaurants and households across Brazil,” he said.

The Root of the Amazon dinner will be available every Sunday to Wednesday throughout August starting July 31 for HK$540 per person, with an additional wine pairing of French, Italian, and Australian wines at HK$290 per person.