Uma Nota Manila: Elevating the Dining Experience Through Collaboration
"It's a win-win for us and for our customers," Uma Nota Manila co-owner Alex Offe tells us when asked why they're regularly collaborating with international restaurants and bars.
The Brazilian-Japanese restaurant recently concluded its limited, two-night collaboration with Singapore’s modern urban izakaya, Neon Pigeon. In the kitchen were Uma Nota Manila's Chef Andrés Rendon, whose dishes blend Nikkei and Japanese traditions with Peruvian influences, and Neon Pigeon's Chef Sean Mell, a former protégé of Nobu Matsuhisa and an alum of multiple Nobu restaurants worldwide. Behind the bar was Neon Pigeon's Mario La Pietra, who's known for vibrant cocktails.
Uma Nota Manila x Neon Pigeon
The event featured an eight-course degustation menu that's priced at a relatively affordable P3,900 per person. It began with Neon Pigeon's Tokyo Hummus, a creamy edamame dip that set the tone for the evening with its rich flavors. This was followed by a series of expertly crafted dishes, including the Coffee Cured Hamachi, Scallop Ceviche, Smoked Wagyu Roll, Black Garlic Miso Cod, Crispy Duck Leg, and Wagyu Katso Sando.
Smoked Wagyu Roll:Â Smoked wagyu MB5, caviar, homemade BBQ sauce, crispy sweet potato
Coffee-Cured Hamachi:Â Watercress miso, wasabi yogurt, pomelo, pickled shallot
Wagyu Katsu Sando
Each course was a testament to the chefs' dedication to quality and innovation, with flavors that ranged from bold and spicy to sweet and umami-rich. Capping it all off was a delightful dessert, the Abacaxi Churrasco, featuring coconut ice cream and burnt pineapple.
Japanese Loafer:Â A refreshing mix of Don Julio Blanco, Midori, yuzu ume, lemon, egg white
The cocktails, too, were a highlight of the evening, with creations like the Japanese Loafer, which stole the spotlight with its green glow. A quick best-seller was the Singapo-riesling, a mix of Tanqueray No. 10, curacao, Riesling, cherry, pineapple, and coconut-whey-peanut aerosol. Banana Republic has a sweet and smoky flavor, while the Pornstar Martiki was refreshing with its shot of sake. Drinks were sold at P600 per glass.
Singapo-riesling: Tanqueray No.10, curaçao, riesling, cherry, pineapple, and a coconut-whey-peanut aerosol
 Pornstar Martiki: Zacapa 23, vanilla, clarified passion fruit, falernum, Moët & Chandon Brut NV served with a cheeky shot of sake?
"Mario La Pietra, behind the bar, I've known him for a very long time, and he actually did a guest shift in our first Uma Nota [Hong Kong]. If I'm not mistaken, it was back in 2018 when he was still a bar manager in Australia. And at the time, I think his bar was 25 on the 50 Best or something like that. He then moved to Hong Kong, and we stayed in touch. At the time, he was a brand ambassador for the cachaça that we use, Yaguara. So we stayed in touch, and then he moved to Singapore, and I was like, 'Oh, let's do something together.' And I've known [Chef Sean Mell] for a while," Offe revealed about how the group got together.
Bringing International Bars and Restaurants to Manila
Uma Nota Manila first opened its doors in Hong Kong in 2017, with brother and sister duo Alex and Laura Offe envisioning a space that brings together Brazilian and Japanese influences. This comes from the historical context of Japanese immigrants leaving for the fertile lands of São Paulo in the early 20th century. Uma Nota went on to open in Paris in 2018, then an outpost at Shangri-La the Fort in BGC in early 2024, bringing this rich history.
So it doesn't come as a surprise that Uma Nota's team has a penchant for collaborating with other culinary players, most of whom they've met in their travels.
"It's either restaurants or bars that we enjoy going to. Or have some sort of culinary angle that could be very fun to collaborate with. Because these days sometimes, obviously like this one, it's very similar in terms of the approach to the cuisine. But I think we are definitely trying to also collaborate with restaurants that are very different in terms of the culinary identity so that the mix between chefs or the bartenders kind of creates this thing that is really unique. And people are like, 'Wow, we never thought that could come in together really well.' That's also another way of collaboration," explained Offe.
He sees collaborations as a way for diners living in Manila to discover other flavors. "Because otherwise you've got to go to Singapore, you've got to go to Tokyo."
It's also an opportunity for cross-collaboration and cross-promotion, "for people in that city to hear about us," he said.
Third, and most important: "It's especially very fun for us." Offe says it's a chance for their chef and bar team to learn from "super high-pedigree chefs and bar managers." This is priceless for them and for their customers. "It's a great kind of learning curve."
The Uma Nota Manila and Neon Pigeon night was titled Uma Nota and Friends Vol.1, so we're expecting more collaborations to come this year.
"We've got one other one confirmed for mid-May. I won't disclose absolutely everything, but it's one of the top 50 bars in Tokyo. This one will only be a bar. Another one will only be food. So we're just playing around. So that should be very fun. I'm very excited about that," Offe revealed.
Uma Nota Manila is at Shangri-La The Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Taguig. It is open from Sunday to Tuesday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.; from Wednesday to Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.; and from Friday to Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.
