Uma’s New Menu Looks Beyond Peru To Draw Influences From Across South America

Uma entered the market with little fanfare. It was never intended to be on-trend, and because of that, it has never gone out of fashion. Six years later, the restaurant is so well-established that the team is looking to push boundaries by expanding into other South American cuisines.

“Uma has now evolved beyond Peruvian food into other parts of South America,” executive chef Xerxes Bodhanwala tells Broadsheet. “By drawing on influences from Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil, and using local ingredients, the team believes Perth is ready for a broader flavour profile.”

Uma was developed in consultation with Peru-born Alejandro Saravia, who helped pioneer Peruvian cuisine in Australia with restaurants like Morena in Sydney and Melbourne but, according to Bodhanwala, “Uma has never been a traditional Peruvian restaurant”. This is because the idea of “traditional” Peruvian cuisine is inexact, with its heavy influences from Spanish, African, Japanese and Chinese immigrant communities.

Bodhanwala was recruited by Saravia, after the former was trained by the latter in Sydney. Bodhanwala moved to Perth in 2018 to lead the Uma team, where he works alongside head chef Javiera Gomez, whose Chilean roots have also influenced the new menu.

The new menu includes an extensive ceviche selection, which is dressed in yellow Peruvian chilli, lime juice, coriander and shallots. “Our ceviche is a replica of what you’d find on the streets of Peru. White fish is brined to firm up the flesh and is always diced. We often use snapper as it’s not overpowering and has a good texture,” says Bodhanwala.

Also new to the menu are mains such as market fish, Amelia Park lamb, O’Connor Black Angus beef and Shark Bay seafood. For carb lovers, there’s a dish of assorted tubers, which is inspired by the thousands of varieties of potatoes grown in Peru.

A new set menu also launched in June 2025. It’s called Journey Through the Amazonas, and is served in four stages. The first selection focuses on seafood, the second leans towards street food with skewers and sausage, the third is a meat course, and the final phase of the dinner offers a sweet finish.

It’s priced at $139 and includes dishes such as ceviche Peruano of lightly cured Shark Bay snapper with a dressing of leche de tigre; charred sweet corn; and caramelised sweet potato. Also outstanding is the buttery O’Connor Black Angus striploin with stir-fried sauce, wok-tossed vegetables and crispy potatoes.

Uma
Pan Pacific Perth, 207 Adelaide Terrace, Perth
9224 7773

**Hours
Tues to Sat 6pm–10pm

@umaperth
www.umaperth.com.au/