For my first foray into Peruvian food, I wanted to find something regarded as the country’s “national dish” — that’s not ceviche. Nothing against ceviche, but I’ve featured it in FFF before (and likely will again).

The AI machine led me to Lomo Saltado, a beef stir-fry that represents a cooking style called “chifa,” a Peruvian-Chinese fusion that emerged in the 19th century with the arrival of Chinese immigrants.

My two contestants are: La Mordida in Clearwater and Alpa Peruvian Cuisine in St. Pete.

LA MORDIDA

La Mordida (“the Bite”) sits in a strip center wedged into the junction of U.S. 19 and 66th Street. We arrived at 6:30 on Tuesday under brilliantly sunny skies. Inside, the large space was bright, crammed with tables and festooned with colorful streamers and other Latin-American signifiers.

The wall near the door had a shrine that included a picture of the halo’d, straight-haired Jesus, with candles beneath, next to a gilded image of the Virgin Mary. If we’d seen it upon entry, we would’ve crossed ourselves.

Uptempo Latin music played (a bit too loudly), accompanied by videos on a projection screen. The overall effect was … festive.

Our server, Santiago, was gracious and eager to please (I introduced myself and he thrust out his hand, which I shook).

La Mordida offers dishes that are specifically Peruvian and Colombian. We ordered Lomo Saltado ($18) to split and tried something new as an appetizer: Causa de Pollo ($12).

Appearance

Love your starches? Lomo Saltado includes both French fries and rice. In something of a scandalous twist, the beef strips, tomatoes and onions were placed over the fries instead of the rice. All told, the dish looked yum.

Taste and Texture

The first and most important criterion: Was the beef tender, or at least not chewy? Yes — not quite fork-cut tender tender, but easy on the jaws. The brown sauce was new to me — on the thick side, but not quite gravy, it had a subtle blend of savory and sweet. I could taste soy sauce, but it didn’t dominate.

I ate forkfuls of beef and fries, mixed with the sauce. The Asian-style rice (not sticky) proved a welcome sidekick. The hefty pieces of onion were crunchy, the tomatoes juicy.

The Causa de Pollo was, um, different. It consisted of layers of yellow mashed potato and a paste-like chicken salad. A wedge of hard-boiled egg and an avocado sat on stop and it was al drizzled with a pinkish sauce that looked like Russian dressing. We took a few bites.

When Santiago asked how everything was, we told him that we really liked the Lomo Saltado but the Causa de Pollo wasn’t our thing — although we were glad to have tried an authentic Peruvian appetizer. When the check came, he had deducted 40% from the price.

ALPA PERUVIAN CUISINE

Open about five months. Alpa is part of a small food hall called Edge Eatery, which includes two other counter-style restaurants, with shared tables. A cozy set-up. During our visit at 5 p.m. Thursday, the place was very Spanish. When we ordered a beer and glass of wine, I realized that the bartenders knew about as much English as I knew Spanish — un poco.

David was the exception. He co-owns Alpa, he served us, and he’s from Peru. He gave us dish descriptions and recommendations in perfect English.

Latin music played quietly, and then a sudden turn: The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.” It was the kind of incongruous moment that makes me smile.

We ordered Lomo Saltado ($25) and Salchipapa ($12), a Peruvian street food made of French fries and pieces of sausage.

Appearance

This Loma Saltado looked elegant and appetizing. The beef was cut in chunks more so than slices. The rice was basmati.

Taste and Texture

The first criterion: Was the beef tender? Not so much. I cut the chunks into smaller pieces, which mitigated the chewiness.

Instead of sauce, this version came au jus. The brown nectar enhanced the meat and sogged up the fries. The rice made more than a cameo — it became an integral part of the dish. The tomatoes and onions were spot-on.

The Salchipapa came as a plate of fries with what looked like slices of hot dog on top. (I think it was a different type of sausage, but not by much). Although Peruvian, the dish had a familair air.

And the Winner of the Peruvian Limo Saltado Scuffle Is …

I came so close to calling this a tie, but the FFF bylaws prohibit it. So …

La Mordida.

The decider was the beef. I preferred the juice at Alpa to the sauce La Mordida. Same for the rice. The fries tied. Alpa’s calm vibe, and its location on Central Avenue. appealed more to us. The service was terrific at both places.

I could certainly go for Limo Saltado again — especially if I’m getting low on starch.