Search Results for "Hapa Food"

Few things get Phoenicians riled up like a good plate lunch does, which is ironic because most of the plate lunches in Phoenix come from lousy Hawaiian barbecue chains. But that probably explains why Hapa Food Co. is a zoo — a tiny little restaurant that always seems to have a line of customers four or five deep, patiently waiting for crisp fried chicken smothered in a sweet garlic sauce and juicy, smoky kalua pig. The poke is exceptional, a welcome throwback to when poke was poke and not a fast food “concept.” And the kalbi — saturated with a deep, sweet soy marinade — is seared on the grill to order, tender and succulent and charred around the edges. Recurring specials such as garlicky hoisin pork ribs or a whole pulehu ribeye are always great, but the biggest draw might be the malasadas — rich, eggy doughnuts fried fresh and filled to order with custard, coconut or neon purple ube. However many you think you’re going to eat, double it.

This South Scottsdale eatery, opened by Palestine-born Mustafa Hasan, offers a sprawling list of Middle Eastern delights. Homemade hummus and baba ganoush? Of course. Baklava and kabobs? You got it. Chapati wraps and za’atar? Yup. Pizza topped with shawarma? Actually, yes, and don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. While it’s difficult to choose a best “Middle Eastern” restaurant — a label lazily applied by Americans unable to differentiate the incredibly diverse cuisine east of the Mediterranean — Golden Restaurant & Bakery’s broad menu and tasty dishes make it deserving of the title. Its status as a comforting home away from home for a wide array of Arizona State University’s international students has also earned it a critical spot in the north Tempe community.

There are those days when nothing will satisfy your culinary cravings like oyster omakase. You know the feeling. Hey, when that mood hits, head for Hapa Sushi Lounge. Omakase, of course, means a multicourse chef’s choice dinner (in Japanese). And at Hapa, depending on the bounty of the day, it can be an upscale orgy of mollusks exquisitely paired, if you like, with wine, sake, sparkling wine and champagne. Perhaps the selection will include a trio of Washington State oysters, served in-shell on a long sushi-style tray. Different varieties are presented hot, in a sauce of sake, soy, grape seed oil and chives; or cold as palate refreshers, in varying baths of ponzu, spicy daikon and green onion or lime and chile. Playing the perfect partner is wonderfully smooth Kurosawa Daiginjo sake. In this Valley’s shell game, Hapa Sushi Lounge is a guaranteed winner.

“Hapa” is Hawaiian slang for “half.” This describes the Japanese-American background of chef-owner James McDevitt, who — along with wife Stacey — brings us American classics infused with Asian electricity. Asian fusion is everywhere these days, with one local place we know of even mixing French foie gras with Chinese five-spice — how weird is that? But Hapa knows when to exercise restraint, from its simple, refined decor to dynamite delicacies such as seared California squab with kabocha squash purée, Chinese broccoli and Thai basil oil, to New York steak dressed simply with caramelized Chinese mustard and served with Japanese sticky rice and Chinese long beans. For dessert? Sweet dim sum such as chocolate parchment pot stickers, and banana crème brûlée with toasted coconut. Both have us hapa to be alive.

The Desert Oasis makes a mockery of the term “starving student.” This restaurant showcases the skills of students enrolled in Scottsdale Community College’s Culinary Arts Program, and it offers complete five-course meals for a mind-boggling bargain of just $17.50 per diner.

So maybe the students aren’t being treated to the multicourse feasts they prepare, but we’d bet there’s a whole lot of tasting going on in the school’s kitchen.

This is no cafeteria food. Faculty includes three full-time chefs and three part-time chefs. They take their work seriously, leading students through rigorous training on cooking, presentation and white-tablecloth service.

Hey, we’re happy to help the kids with their homework. Especially when it means we get to gorge on dishes like mussels with mango citrus salsa, spinach vichyssoise, poached Seckel pears with prosciutto and wild rice, oriental petrale sole en papillote, daube of lamb, coffee cinnamon flan and pistachio citrus cheesecake.

The dog ate the homework? Hardly. It was us.