08/10/17
Alpaca is a very small chain (5 locations) in North Carolina that serves Peruvian cuisine. They specialize in charcoal chicken, which sounds basic, but if you've ever had charcoal cooked chicken in a small country, then you know that there's just something special about it. This dish in particular is pretty basic on the surface; it's a Peruvian fried-rice dish with a Latin twist. It has fried rice, egg, sausage, chicken, and scallions which all sounds pretty basic, but their chicken and sausage are fantastic and bring their own great flavors. But, what really sets this dish apart is their green sauce. I don't really know what's in it other than cilantro, but it's a very spicy sauce that's available with any meal and when mixed with this dish, it really makes it a big time bite and truly sets it apart from just basic fried rice (not to hate; I love fried rice). This isn't the best dish of its kind, but it's a very trustworthy dish and when paired with the green sauce, it goes from a good fried rice dish to something more special, which makes this a go to dish. The restaurant itself has so many great things to offer as well. From the awesome native drinks like Inca Kola (a Peruvian made bublegum-esque soda which is so freaking cool) and their homemade Chi Cha Morada (a cold purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon, and clove drink reminiscent of a fruity horchata; it went perfectly with this meal) to their amazing sides like yucca fries, tostones, and maduros, there's a ton of stuff that makes this place worth a stop. I'd definitely recommend it for a good lunch, as their daily specials are reasonably priced for a good serving of food.