Nana's Kitchen in metro Phoenix serves plant-based soul food

Vegan soul food? Those are three words I didn't expect to hear together, let alone drool over. But here we are.

State of play: My fiancé is a vegetarian, which means I have tried just about every fake meat product on the market. And as a meat lover, I think that leaves me uniquely positioned to discern which ones don't suck.

Driving the news: Enter Nana's Kitchen. The menu at this restaurant in a nondescript Chandler strip mall packs a giant plant-based punch.

What to order: The Best Crispy Chik'n Sandwich was truly one of the best real or fake chicken sandwiches I've ever had.

• The "meat" was encased in a delicious, crispy breading, coated in a spicy honey sauce and topped with coleslaw.
• I also tried a few bites of the plant-based ribs, which had great texture and a yummy BBQ sauce.

Don't forget the sides: The Twisted Corn on the Cob is deep-fried and covered in chipotle and cream sauces. It's delicious, if a little glutinous.

• The mac & cheese is awesome to the point that I really don't know if I believe it's vegan.

Pro tip: Pack your patience. Nana's tiny dining room can fill up quickly and the kitchen hasn't quite figured out how to speed up its processes during busy periods.