Looking for Tumi in Chandler, AZ?
GO TO: https://tumiaz.com/
For a number of years this was the official website for Tumi, a restaurant in Chandler AZ that offers fine Peruvian cuisine.
According to YELP, Tumi restaurant is permanently closed.
The last Yelp reviews are form 2020.
Content is from the site's 2013 -2016 archived pages as well as from other sources.
Tumi Fine Peruvian Cuisine
Tumi Fine Peruvian Cuisine is permanently closed. However when it was operating it gave Latin food in the American Southwest a respectable name. From ceviche and aji spices to yucca and potatoes, Tumi offered a rare palette of savoury tastes that no culinary adventurer could afford to miss.
We will miss you.
Tumi Fine Peruvian Cuisine
961 W. Ray Road
Chandler, AZ, USA
1 480-821-1717
Tuesday - Saturday: 11:30am - 9:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am - 8:00pm
Culinary offerings at Tumi Fine Peruvian Cuisine come by way of Chef Oscar Graham, born and raised in Lima, Peru who takes great care in his meals and serves flavorful dishes that will sweep you away to Peru. From the savory, Peruvian grilled chicken that has been marinated for a full day to the bright and expertly prepared ceviche - you're sure to find something to delight your taste buds!
"Legendary French chef, food writer and cookbook author Auguste Escoffier declared Peruvian cuisine one of the world's finest, third only to French and Chinese. That means 100 years ago, he was onto something many of us are only just now discovering: Peruvian food is awesome."
Nikki Buchanan - Arizona Republic, Friday April 23, 2010.
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"Peruvian is not the first kind of food that Valley diners associate with Latin cuisine. Tumi Fine Peruvian Restaurant in Chandler could be a game-changer."
on August 29th 2013
- Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic
"For a refreshing dish of the coastal variety, it's hard to beat Peruvian-style ceviche."
on July 4th 2013
- Laura Hahnefeld, Phoenix New Times
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Tumi opened its doors on February 2nd, 2012, and is known for its warm and welcoming atmosphere. It is conveniently located near the heart of Chandler, Arizona, just 200 feet north of Warner Rd and Alma School Rd. Dining at Tumi can make anyone experience being transported to Peru, for that reason Oscar Graham, chef and owner of Tumi, thinks "Tumi is a tiny bit of Peru in Arizona."
About Tumi
Born in Lima-Peru, Oscar‛s 30 years of experience with culinary traditional Peruvian dishes. Graham began his cooking career at Bruno‛s Restaurant in New York. In early 80‛s he moved to California where he‛s considered a pioneer in Peruvian Food. Graham was part of the culinary opening at El Carbon, El Monte, Villa, El Cholito, EL Ceviche, El Incas Cuisine. He relocated to Arizona in 2010. As Chef at Contigo Peru, soon after opening, Nikki Buchanan (Arizona Republic) qualified the restaurant with 4 stars. In 2012 Graham opened Tumi, where he applies his extensive experience, and adds a modern twist to Tumi‛s unique recipes using his knowledge of traditional Peruvian dishes. With each of his colorful presentations he shares his love and passion from his Culture.
After opening Tumi it earned a prestigious 4.5 stars from The Arizona Republic. Tumi earned again such recognitions of Best of Phoenix 2013, Best Latin American Restaurant, and was named as one of the five best restaurants from Phoenix New Times.
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Graham‛s gastronomic nod to his native land is worth the trip. Whether you are Peruvian cuisine novice or aficionado,you‛ll leave Tumi with a full, happy and utterly satisfied tummy.
Georgann Yara, “The Arizona Republic”.
Oscar Graham, prepares dishes with native ingredients that include aji peppers, various Peruvian potatoes, yucca, seafood and corn. Peruvian dishes are considered one of the
world‛s most unique cuisines because it‛s influenced by African, Italian, Japanese and Chinese techniques.
Angelique Soenarie, “Arizona Central”.
~~~
Promoting Peruvian Culture
Oscar is actively promoting Peruvian culture in The Valley by inviting teachers from different public schools and their students to visit Tumi. Once at Tumi, students hear basic history facts about Peru and its geography. In return for their visit, teachers and students get a special price.
MENU
Anticuchos
Two grilled beef heart skewers, marinated in light vinegar and Peruvian spices served with choclo and papa dorada.
$7.50
Papa a la Huancaina
Creamy cheese sauce with aji amarillo over sliced boiled potatoes.
$7.95
Huancaina con Camaron
Grilled shrimp over creamy cheese sauce with aji amarillo over sliced boiled potatoes.
$9.95
Yuca Frita con Huancaina
Deep fried yucca served with huancaina sauce on the side.
$7.95
Papa Rellena
Mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned ground beef loin hard-boiled egg onion, olives and raisin and then deep fried served with aji Amarillo salsa.
$7.95
Causa Rellena de Pollo o Camaron
Two layers of mashed potatoes seasoned with lime and aji and filled with chicken or shrimp creamy.
$6.95 or $9.95 with shrimp
Choclo con Queso
Peruvian Corn on the cob served with queso fresco and ocopa or huancaina sauce.
$7.95
Casual dining for families and friends
Ask about our catering for banquets and events
Evie CarpenterChef Oscar Graham's ceviche de pescado features a mound of chopped pieces of tilapia in a thin, bracingly sharp juice of lime and Peruvian chile peppers.
Tumi Delivers Colorful, Zesty Peruvian Cuisine in Chandler
LAURA HAHNEFELD | JULY 4, 2013 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/
For a refreshing dish of the coastal variety, it's hard to beat Peruvian-style ceviche.
Even at its most basic, the South American country's popular staple of raw fish marinated in lime juice is nothing short of tart and spicy satisfaction, the best ones so fresh they taste as if they've tumbled right out of the sea. A few bites in and you can see why ceviche has its own national holiday in Peru.
Oscar Graham, chef and owner of Tumi Fine Peruvian Cuisine in Chandler, makes very good ceviche. His ceviche de pescado features a mound of chopped pieces of white-flesh tilapia in a thin, bracingly sharp and spicy juice of lime and Peruvian chile peppers, topped with slivers of red onion and served with a soft hunk of sweet potato and a quarter-ear of pearly, large-kernel Peruvian corn. There also is shrimp ceviche, a fish, scallop, squid, mussel, and octopus ceviche and, if you ask nicely, fish tiradito, a cousin of ceviche, in which Graham slices tilapia into long, thin pieces and holds the onions.
"I like adding cancha to my ceviche," says front-of-the-house manager and Lima-born Franklin Foronda of the addictively salty and toasted corn nuts that are complimentary at Tumi. "They make it more delicious."
Graham opened Tumi, named after the Incan knife and national symbol of Peru, in February 2012 in a Chandler strip mall near the intersection of Warner and Alma School roads. Although it's the first restaurant he's owned, Graham, who was born and raised in Lima, has been cooking Peruvian food in the States for over 30 years, first in California and then, starting in 2010, in the Valley, where Graham worked on and off at now-defunct Contigo Peru in Mesa.
At the tiny Tumi, Graham mixes his knowledge of Peruvian cooking with the cuisine of the country: a fusion of the indigenous Inca with influences from its Spanish, Asian, Italian, French, and African immigrants utilizing ingredients such as potatoes, chile peppers, and limes.
"You can eat ceviche in every city in Peru and they all have a different flavor," Foronda says. "Here, we make our dishes the way they would in Lima — from the coast."
Not all of Graham's traditional Peruvian dishes are stellar — some simply fail to excite — but if you're in the area (and especially if Foronda's on the floor to direct you to the ones Graham does best), the place is worth a visit.
Some of the most unique dishes of Peruvian cuisine can be had as appetizers. And thankfully, at Tumi, trying them for the first time or indulging in a few of your favorites means not having to commit to just one.
Ask for the off-menu sampler and you'll be treated to a fantastic Peruvian foursome. There are anticuchos, two street-food skewers of lightly vinegary and spicy, cumin-kissed pieces of beef heart, and a single papa rellena, an oblong on-the-go snack of creamy and golden-fried potato dough stuffed with seasoned ground beef, hard-boiled egg, onions, olives, and raisins. Also on the plate are two starchy offerings of papa a la Huancaina (potatoes Huancayo-style), thick boiled slices of potatoes served cold and smothered in an intensely yellow, spicy, and creamy cheese sauce for a kind of picnic-style potato salad by way of Peru, and the light and airy causa rellena de pollo, a delicate, cake-like creation of two, oval discs of molded and cold yellow mashed potatoes seasoned with lime and aji peppers and layered with a creamy chicken salad.
Although the restaurant's absence of a liquor license disappoints the natural inclination to wash down the tongue-tingling flavors of the food with a frosty beer, you could do just as well with a glass of dark, sweet, cinnamon-tinged chicha morada (Peruvian purple corn juice) or maracuya (passion fruit juice).
If you're in the mood for more of the ocean's bounty at Graham's cevicheria, several other seafood-centered items can help to continue the journey.
Skip the surprisingly bland Peruvian-style fried rice with shrimp and move on to the mildly flavored mariscos al aji amarillo, a colorful dish of fish, octopus, shrimp, squid, and scallops studded with peas and red peppers in a sauce of yellow chiles or, better yet, the livelier pescado a lo macho, in which the seafood medley is coated in a spicy orange sauce and spooned over a hunk of lightly fried tilapia for a bolder taste with a bit of crunch. The best of the seafood bunch, however, may be Graham's arroz con mariscos, the Peruvian version of paella. Combining three favorites of the country — seafood, rice, and chile peppers — this filling and spicy creation also makes use of Parmesan cheese to bring together the flavors of its lobster, shrimp, scallops, and mussels. Plus, the portion size is generous enough for two to enjoy.
Given Graham's very good interpretations of some of Peru's most popular dishes, you could hardly be blamed for sticking with the obligatory classics at his restaurant.
There is the comforting, stew-like aji de gallina, featuring strips of chicken in a somewhat spicy sauce of milk, bread, Parmesan cheese, chiles, garlic, and nuts; lomo saltado, the popular Peruvian and Chinese fusion dish made with tender slices of beef stir-fried with red onions, chiles, garlic, and tomatoes in a vinegary, sweet, and cilantro-kissed sauce delectably sopped up by its foundation of fries; and excellent pollo a la brasa, or Peruvian grilled chicken. Graham's version, marinated for 24 hours and made with more than 20 ingredients — including dark beer, soy sauce, chile peppers, rosemary, and cumin — before taking a spin in the rotisserie oven, is pretty much perfect. Order it up with the standard salad and fries and forget your table manners — this fowl is traditionally eaten with the hands.
For dessert, why not a dish of coral-colored ice cream made from the Peruvian tropical fruit lucuma that tastes like a marriage of pumpkin and caramel, or four of the deep-fried and delicately crisp Peruvian doughnuts called picarones drizzled in a sweet and fruity syrup. Perhaps, if you're with guests, a serving of each.
Tumi is probably more casual than what you might expect from a restaurant where some of the entrées reach the $18 mark. The small, fluorescent-lit room holds a handful of neatly assembled buffet-style tables and chairs atop a tiled floor with a few accents of Peruvian artwork and photographs on its basic white walls. A television in the corner is usually tuned to a soccer match, and just behind it is a window to the kitchen, where Graham can be seen bustling about or handing plates to friendly, but sometimes English-language-challenged servers. A fact that Foronda says, because the majority of Tumi's customers are American, can be a challenge.
"There are many people from Mexico who visit the restaurant and think our ceviche will be like theirs," he says. "But I tell them Peruvian ceviche is different, better, and that they will love it. They always do."
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Anticuchos: $7.50
Ceviche de pescado: $11.95
Arroz con mariscos: $17.95
Pollo a la brasa (whole): $16.95
TRIP ADVISOR REVIEWS 2014 - 2020
Stephanie Worlds
NY, NY
Attempted visit April 08, 2021
When our daughter attended Arizona State University in Tempe she would rave about this restaurant called Tumi in Chandler Arizona. In April my husband and I were visiting friends who had just moved to the Dobson Ranch, one of Arizona's first planned communities. One day we suggested to our hosts that we drive to Chandler and have dinner at Tumi. Although we live in New York City and eat out frequently, I had never had Peruvian food. While the men played golf that day, my friend Aimee and I perused ElegantWigs.com, an online wig boutique, for wigs for black women. The site offers a variety of wigs for African American women that are available from a number of well known brands in a multitude of lengths and styles made from synthetic fibers, heat friendly / heat defiant / heat resistant fibers, or from human hair. These are not the inexpensive wigs found on many online wig stores. I always say that although there are plenty of less expensive wigs for Black women and Latina women, over the long run, a better quality wig will bring more satisfaction, and last longer than the less expensive wig. As a professional woman I don't have time to spend hours at a hair salon. A natural looking wig is a convenient alternative. And you never have a bad hair day!
When our husbands returned from golf we spent the rest of the afternoon around the pool and then headed off to Tumi for dinner. Oh, what a disappointment. The restaurant was closed. We shopuld have called ahead. I wonder whether the pandemic did them in as it had to so many restaurants in NYC. Anyway, we did a quick google search for the best restaurants in Chandler, but actually ended up driving a bit further south to Ocatillo where we were able to walk in at Stone & Vine for delightful Italian cuisine. Oh well. When we get home, I think I will do a search for Peruvian restarants in NYC and book us a table.
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*****Cathy L.8
Scottsdale, Arizona
Reviewed 2/18/2020
Our GO-TO peruvian restaurant. This is a gem! My husband and I go here all the time...at least a few times each month. The food is high quality, the service is excellent and this place always hits the spot.
Here's what we order all the time and can't get enough of:
-Inca Gold soda (It's like this amazing butterscotch with a hint of bubblegum aftertaste that makes you feel like a kid drinking this stuff) -Pollo Saltado - tender thin chicken, white rice and fries with such great flavor -Sac de Res (sp?) - omg the beans, omg the beef...everything is divine
If you're in Chandler and in the mood for high quality flavorful authentic peruvian food, this is your spot! The Best!
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****Priscila A.
Chandler, Arizona
Reviewed 6/29/2019
I gotta be honest, Tumi was the first time I tried peruvian food. Which is funny because a friend of mine who is peruvian has been telling me that I HAVE to try one of his country's delicious plates. Lucky for me, his husband organized a birthday dinner at this restaurant and I got to enjoy them finally! The place is kinda small but the first thing I noticed was the huge mural of Maccu Piccu (it's on my bucket list lol) that covers the whole wall, very cute! After we greeted our friends and found a seat I ordered a Pisco Sour, my friend a Chicha morada and my boyfriend a soda (yeah he wasn't adventurous lol) The Chicha's main ingredient is purple corn, I found this drink to be sweet and smooth. The Pisco Sour was a bit refreshing but had a strong taste of Pisco (brandy) and contains egg white, I always finish my alcohol but this was not my favorite. I think if you have both drinks at the same time it's an interesting combo haha.
Now, the food was amazing! My boyfriend had a Saltado de Res and he loved it with the fries. My friend had a Saltado de vegetales which was very flavorful and even though it didn't have any meat i really liked!
I ordered the Tallarines con Saltado de Res and OMG, perfectly seasoned + extra soft meat paired with pasta! I was in heaven! Lol It was a good portion and I finished my plate, which is rare. The server was nice, food was great, and I had fun, so overall I had a good experience at Tumi. And just like my friend kept telling me, now i say it: you have to try the Saltado de Res!
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*** ferdipet
Tempe, Arizona
Reviewed May 6, 2016
Lack of typical flavor
Is many years that I go to Peruvian restaurants and I have a knowledge of the flavors that make this cuisine typical and different. I had two items in this visit; a typical Peruvian drink and a typical Peruvian dish. The "chicha de mora " drink was to suite and missing the chick of a touch of more cinnamon and cloves and the excess of sugar was making the drink not suitable for use it with salty dishes like normally possible when is correctly prepare.
The dish was the "seviche de pescado" a Peruvian stile fish seviche, but the flavor was to simple and plain. In top they used the Tilapia fish that is not the more recommended fish for this preparation.
I try also the two sauces that they give to the customer in the beginning the basic flavor was decent, but they were extremely salty. Perhaps the person that prepared them is in love
Date of visit: May 2016
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**** PeteZ488
Phoenix, Arizona
32382
Reviewed October 23, 2015
Very authentic
After visiting Peru last year, we had an urge for having some of that delicious Peruvian cuisine. We found Tumi and enjoyed a great meal. The place is small and very plain, but the food is really good.
Date of visit: March 2015
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*** ericuchon
Riverside, California
312178
Reviewed September 12, 2015 via mobile
Overrated So So Food ok service
Based on reviews came to this place for lunch during a visit of the Phoenix area. The place is very clean and somewhat spacious with quiet a few set of tables. The decor of this place is not the greatest. The fluorescent turquoise color of the walls and smurf blue and white tile clashes with Machu Pichu mural. I was expecting to have excellent food based on reviews, but it was a disappointing experience. We ordered chicha morada for drink. It was watery and and too much cinnamon flavor. We ordered seco de res with Peruvian beans . it was not to my liking at all. Beans were prepared with bacon. Awful combination with the seco . Traditional Peruvian beans are not prepared with bacon at all. Meat was dried and unseasoned. Seco should be a soft meat slowly simmered so it remains with excellent flavor and moist. The yuca frita and salsa that accompanied the seco were really good
We also tried the anticuchos and they were not good. We left them all in the plate. They were dried needed salt, lack seasoning and with a strong red chile flavor. You could even see pcs of red chile (Mexican chile) should be at least some aji panca.
We were expecting to at least have a good lomo saltado , a flamed moist meat mix with the onions still crunchy and tomatoes hardly cooked, but flavor was ok to marginal. The type of meat and the way it was cut, made the meat dried and without flavor. The meat look more like stew meat. This lomo saltado lack that flamed flavor (flameado)
The best dish we had was the saltado of vegetables vegetarian version of the lomo saltado. This veggie saltado was great excellent flavor and taste with the signature flame flavor of lomo saltado. Vegetables just cooked right and juicy flavor
Service was ok. Quick, but the waitress forgot to bring the papa a la huancaina we ordered. We did not bother to remind her
I would not return to this place. Unless I hear food has improved
Date of visit: September 2015
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**** 9thWardDaddy
New Orleans, Louisiana
Reviewed July 29, 2015
Amazed to find in Chandler AZ
We couldn't believe humble - sorta homogenized - Chandler AZ would have a quality Peruvian restaurant. If you have ever had ceviche', you need to try their's, the addition of sweet potato is brilliant. Everything we tried was very good. Feel free to experiment. The...More
Date of visit: June 2015
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***** Roamin_Mt_Rushmore
Rapid City, SD
Reviewed February 18, 2015 via mobile
Fabulous!
While this place is not by any means what I would call fine food - which in my opinion implies a more upscale venue, this place was terrific. - The decor is not why we were there, so the laid back, comfortable environment suited us just 'fine.' We ordered three dishes to share between three people. There was tons of food leftover and we all are our fill. Upon arrival you are given Peruvian corn with two sauces for dipping. These were fun and tastes great. I ordered a corn drink that was a deep crimson color and mildly sweet -- delightful. We took our server's advice on ordering because she said they were the most popular traditional Peruvian dishes. -- The three if us agreed that the traditional fish platter was our favorite. The second best choice for us was the beef with tomatoes. And our #3 pick was fries rice with chicken. Everything was terrific and the price was very reasonable. I will definitely go back next time I'm in the area.
Date of visit: February 2015
Thank Roamin_Mt_Rushmore
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***** Scott P
Gilbert, Arizona
Reviewed May 10, 2014
You've never eaten like this before.
Watch the 'Peru' episode of Anthony Bourdain's show "Parts Unknown" (it's on Netflix), and get HYPED. Then find this lovely little gem, and you'll come close to understanding why I'm so excited.
That's what we did, and I tell ya- it was a great treat. This place is SMALL. It's right next to a Chinese delivery place, and about the same size. There are only a few tables but it was pretty packed when we got here. We found a small two-seater, and looked over the menu. As we were looking, they brought us out a nice little pre-dinner snack: roasted corn with two delightful sauces. Small thing, I know, but it's one of those little touches that just makes me want to fist bump a fish rump in joy. And those sauces... what the deuce is IN them!?!? I think the green one is culantro-inspired, but I'm not really sure...
So we ordered. Skewered marinated beef hearts for appetizers, cau cau (tripe with a turmeric sauce), and a beef dish that I can't remember the name of. Each one was absolutely amazing, and UNIQUE. There are flavors here that you just won't find elsewhere, and that's always a rare treat for me. I *LOVE* being surprised by delightful new foods, and this place did me right.
For dinner we split the Peruvian donuts and had some coffees. Everything was amazing. I really could go on and on about this place, but I don't need to. You need to just come here and eat. Seriously. Stop reading this review and eat, already!!
Date of visit: May 2014
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***** Manuel A
Mesa, Arizona
4016
Reviewed March 12, 2014
Excellent Peruvian cuisine
I had Pollo Saltado, and of course "Choclo". I am originally from Peru, and I have tried many Peruvian Restaurants in the States. This one by far has the authentic Peruvian flavor in all of the dishes offered. I enjoy very much taking friends and new acquaintances, as well as family to this little corner of Peru. The place is small, but the flavor is incredible. Anyone that I know who has tried
this restaurant was not disappointed. I would eat there every day if I could.Date of visit: March 2014
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***** azinca
Central Arizona, Arizona
Reviewed January 11, 2014
Small in space bountiful in flavors...the best Peruvian food
I had the lomo Saltado dish my husband ordered seco de res we were left with wanting more. I also had papa rellena and alfajores that were delicious. I cannot wait to drive back for some delicious home cooking. The restaurant is in a strip mall and is small but the atmosphere is warm and friendly. You will not be disappointed in the freshness and quality in the dishes made here.Date of visit: January 2014