Hapa Food Co.

Considering the plate lunch’s popularity, you’d think the local Hawaiian scene wouldn’t be so overrun with chains. Standout independents in Phoenix are few, and Hapa Food Co. is a tremendous recent addition. Wildly popular, the menu at Hapa is short, and the lines are long. Load up your plate with popular favorites such as sweet, smoky kalbi that’s heavy with char, pitch-perfect ahi poke seasoned just right or fried chunks of chicken smothered in a sweet, garlicky sauce that’s the best kind of over-the-top. Stalking Hapa’s Instagram page for daily specials is a pro move. And be sure to save space for dessert. Plump malasadas, fried to order, are stuffed with thick vanilla custard or a sultry purple ube cream, and occasional specials such as long johns or coconut snow puffies make Hapa Food Company one of Phoenix’s standout purveyors of fried dough.