Sumaq Menu: Peruvian Cuisine, Dishes & Signature Items

Sumaq is a Peruvian restaurant specializing in traditional Peruvian cuisine including ceviche, lomo saltado, anticuchos, causa rellena, jalea, and Chifa-style fried rice (chaufa). The restaurant's name comes from the Quechua word meaning 'delicious and beautiful,' reflecting the Andean culinary heritage behind the menu.

Lomo saltado is Peru's most iconic stir-fry dish and a centerpiece of Peruvian cuisine. Tender strips of beef (typically NY strip or sirloin) are marinated and wok-fried over very high heat with red onions, tomatoes, aji amarillo peppers, soy sauce, and vinegar -- a technique rooted in 19th-century Chinese-Peruvian culinary fusion (called Chifa). It's served with both white rice and fries, which absorb the deeply savory pan juices. Sumaq served lomo saltado as a core entree, including a 'a lo pobre' version topped with a fried egg and sweet plantains.

Peruvian ceviche is distinguished by leche de tigre (tiger's milk) -- the citrus marinade of fresh lime juice, aji amarillo (yellow Peruvian chili), red onion, cilantro, and garlic that 'cooks' the fish without heat. Unlike Mexican ceviche, the Peruvian version uses a shorter cure (minutes, not hours), resulting in a bright, bracing texture. It's traditionally served with sweet potato (camote) and toasted Andean corn (choclo or cancha). Sumaq offered a classic version as well as a mixto with mixed seafood.

Anticuchos are one of Peru's most beloved street foods: skewers of beef heart marinated in aji panca (a smoky dried chili), garlic, cumin, and vinegar, then grilled over charcoal. The heart is sliced thinly and has a rich, deeply savory flavor -- much milder than the name suggests. At Sumaq, anticuchos were served with boiled sweet potato, fried potato wedges, and corn. A seafood variant called pulpo anticuchero (grilled octopus) was also offered.

Causa rellena is a cold Peruvian potato terrine: yellow potatoes seasoned with aji amarillo and lime juice are pressed into layers with fillings of chicken salad, tuna, shrimp, or avocado between them. It's served chilled and is one of Peru's oldest dishes -- tracing back to the War of the Pacific (1879) when Peruvian women made the dish to feed soldiers. Sumaq offered causa with chicken, shrimp, or crab filling.

Chifa is Peru's Chinese-Peruvian culinary fusion, born from the large wave of Cantonese immigrants to Peru in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The word 'chifa' comes from the Mandarin 'chi fan' (to eat rice). The most famous Chifa dish is arroz chaufa -- Peruvian fried rice made with soy sauce, ginger, scallions, and egg. Sumaq offered several chaufa variations (chicken, beef, seafood) alongside its traditional Peruvian dishes, reflecting how deeply Chifa has become part of mainstream Peruvian cooking.

Chicha morada is a non-alcoholic Peruvian drink made by boiling dried purple corn (maiz morado) with pineapple skin, apple, cinnamon, cloves, and citrus, then straining and sweetening. It has a deep purple-crimson color and a fruity, lightly spiced flavor unlike any other beverage. Purple corn has been cultivated in the Andes for over 2,500 years and is rich in anthocyanins (the same antioxidant pigments found in blueberries). Sumaq served it as a signature drink alongside Inca Kola and traditional Pisco Sours.

Jalea is a Peruvian seafood platter in which mixed fish and shellfish (typically fish, shrimp, and calamari) are lightly breaded and deep-fried until golden, then mounded over yuca frita (fried cassava) and topped with salsa criolla -- a quick pickled red onion and rocoto pepper relish. The dish originated in the northern coastal city of Trujillo and is a popular celebratory feast dish. At Sumaq it was consistently mentioned as a standout specialty by reviewers.

No. Sumaq Peruvian Cuisine Bar & Grill at 2616 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral, FL is permanently closed. The closure is confirmed by Yelp (updated May 2026), Wanderlog, and the restaurant's delivery app listings. The owner first built a following serving ceviche at a Peruvian market in the same plaza before opening Sumaq as a full-service restaurant; the restaurant earned a 4.6-star Google average across 147 reviews before closing. For current Peruvian food options in Southwest Florida, we recommend searching locally for open alternatives.