BEST HUMMUS IN NEW YORK CITY ( NYC) 2012, Based on Village Voice

BEST HUMMUS IN NYC 2012

The Village Voice a publication that's always ahead of the pack published it's list of 10 best Middle Eastern Restaurants for 2012. 

The Village voice - is one voice I always listen to so I wondered what all of you think also of their taste buds not just their voice?  Their article got only 10 comments which might mean that their readers might love hearing a strong voice - but sadly aren't strong on their love of Hummus.
 I didn't want this voice forgotten - so I decided to help and share their conclusions:

Here's the link to the full article:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2012/03/our_10_best_mid.php

Here's their top 10 and the reason they'v chosen it:"

1. Kabab Café -- Not only does this Egyptian café in Astoria offer an outstanding meze platter, it's one of the most intimate, relaxing spaces in the entire city. If you come during the day, there will be no written menu to choose from, the owner and chef of the restaurant's minuscule kitchen, Ali El Sayed, will simply ask you what you'd like to eat. Your order must absolutely include baba ghanoush, made with intensely smoked eggplant and lime, stuffed eggplant (if available), and the place's truly distinct fava falafel -- the daintiest, crispiest fritters you could ever hope to find outside the region. 25-12 Steinway Street, Queens, 718-728-9858

2. Cedars Meat House -- The juicy meat skewers at Cedars will make every other kebab you've had in this city pale in comparison. Order the platter so you can really taste the deep seasoning and perfect char of the lamb shish kebab and the spicy beef kufta kebab. They come with plenty of accoutrements: two dipping sauces -- a potent garlic sauce, and one with hot pepper flakes; a fresh chopped cucumber, tomato, and onion salad; hummus; and baba ghanoush. Then cool down your palate with some ayran, a sour yogurt drink often consumed with meat for digestive purposes in the Middle East. 41-08 30th Avenue, 718-606-1244

3. Tanoreen -- You can find some fantastic meze -- snacks meant for nibbling on while lounging for hours at an outdoor café -- at this Bay Ridge restaurant. Try some Arab classics: kibbeh -- raw, if available (fear not, it's like steak tartare), baked, or fried -- crispy lamb-filled sambousek, and tabbouleh salad. 7704 Third Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-748-5600

4. Taïm -- This Israeli vegetarian carryout gets some serious points for boldness -- it serves three different flavors of falafel, a move that would be considered heresy in some purist circles. My favorite one features house-made harissa, a chili pepper paste common in North African cooking, which turns the balls' interior a vibrant orange color. The great thing is that when you bite into the harissa falafel you're not inundated with heat; instead you taste the flavoring's zest playing off the low, earthy notes of the chickpeas. 222 Waverly Place, 212-691-1287

5. Ilili -- A little more pricey and swanky than most other Middle Eastern restaurants in the city, Ilili serves some outstanding lamb -- made into makanek, a typical Lebanese sausage, or simply seared as chops and served with a sauce made with za'atar -- which makes putting up with the loud music and weird décor worth it. 236 Fifth Avenue, 212-683-2929

6. Taboon -- The kitchen of this spacious Hell's Kitchen restaurant riffs on classic Middle Eastern dishes using Mediterranean -- often Greek -- flavors. It's a great place to go for brunch, especially for its freshly baked, crusty bread stuffed with feta cheese and soft-boiled eggs, or ground lamb and tahini. 773 Tenth Avenue, 212-713-0271

7. Alfanoose -- This restaurant got its start as a food truck that quickly won over the lunchtime crowd in the Financial District, where the street food competition is fierce. Here the falafel, which is not always super crispy but has a lively cumin-coriander flavor, is at its best when bundled up tight in a large pita (for tidy eating) with beets, tahini, lettuce, and tomato. 8 Maiden Lane, 212-528-4669

8. Tripoli/Damascus Breads & Pastry -- Located on an Arab restaurant-dense strip of Atlantic Avenue, Tripoli has an endearingly old-school feel -- the walls are covered in dark wood, the ceiling is painted to look like the sky, and the menu specializes in Lebanese home cooking. Make sure to try the wara'anib, tight cigars of grape leaves stuffed with ground lamb and rice served warm with a bit of lemony broth. Then for dessert, head across the street to Damascus Breads & Pastry, a Syrian bakery, and pick up some first-rate walnut or pistachio baklava for the road. Tripoli (156 Atlantic Avenue, 718-596-5800), Damascus Breads & Pastry (195 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-625-7070)

9. Moustache -- Much has been written about this West Village restaurant's flatbreads, but the best dish on the menu is also the most ordinary sounding -- grilled chicken over lentil puree. These are no ordinary lentils: They're softened and mashed until velvety and spiced with plenty of garlic and a drizzle of potent olive oil. Though it might be hard to resist the lamb sandwiches and fancy pitzas, this plate won't let you down. 90 Bedford Street, 212-229-2220

10. Gazala's -- At this Druze Israeli restaurant, located on the Upper West Side, you'll find the kitchen staff hand-rolling kibbeh at tables hidden in the back of the dining room, and freshly made bread that's stretchy, thin, and more like South Asian roti than the pita found in most Middle Eastern restaurants. Use it to scoop up lemony tahini and thinly sliced grilled lamb -- one of the best entrées on the menu. 380 Columbus Avenue, 212-873-8880"

Hummus: the ultimate guide for beginners

So I found this interesting article online when I googled the word Hummus. This is an article from the blog I Googled Israel giving a brief history of Hummus and top 10 places to eat Hummus in Israel:

Hummus: The ultimate guide to beginnings - article

They also have an interesting video about Hummus in Israel:

THE BLASPHEMY OF MEXITERRANEAN FOOD !

"East is East and West is West and Never the twain they meet"

So wrote the poet awhile back, and his words are so accurate - especially when we are looking at Hummus.

The success of food trucks in LA has led to a fusion of various cuisines - including Asian and Mexican.

And while some of these fusions do work and create a new hybrid that is interesting -

The combination of middle eastern and Mexican cuisine doesn't work in our opinion on any level.

There is no need for a Burrito - cause Middle Easterns already have the Pita.

There is no need for hot peppers - cause middle easterners already have Garlice

And there's no need for Guacomole sauce- cause we already have Hummus.

Thus I don't understand why people love this new cuisine and the fact that it's becoming so popular proves that at the end of the day - people don't really want to eat great food - but prefer eating dilluted food as long as it has a catchy name!

Both Mexican and Middle Eastern foods are wonderful - both are spicy both are unique both are very popular and both are healthy.

But the combination of both creates such a cacophony of different strong tastes that it becomes something incoherent and chaotic.

The texture of Mexiterranean is also a travesty as that too is inconsistent with either one of the two original cuisines that created it.

TO CONCLUDE:

Mexiterranean to me is like a TIGON or a LIGER - a combination of a Tiger and Lion. Can it be achieved thanks to modern science? Yes. Is it good for the new hybrid animal? No. Does it create a totally deformed new animal? TOTALLY!! Is it dangerous? YES. It breaks the heart of anyone that loves Tigers and Lions and sees what science can do to destroy both breeds.

So perhaps the question of the day isn't COULD THIS HYBRID BE DONE but rather -

SHOULD THIS HYBRID BE ALLOWED?

And to that my answer is a simple and very loud - NO!

WE FOUND LOVE IN A HUMMUS PLACE


Another cool Hummus themed project we wanted to share. A  Hummus music video shot in a Hummus bar in NYC.

The video is called : We found love in a Hummus place.

It's already gotten over 16,000 hits on Youtube.com








To learn more about the project go to HUGE MISTAKE's WEBSITE:

http://huuugemistake.com/



The music video was created by talented film maker Shen Liberman - a filmmaker to watch and the video is a spoof of Rihanna's song: :"We Found Love".
The music video has that 80's retro feel and it's a really fun video to watch.

The video was shot as an ultra low budget project and that forced the creators of the video to replace their lack of money with a lot of creativity.

Hopefully as art will deal more seriously with Hummus, like in this wonderful video  -
Hummus bars and restaurants will start treating their Hummus with more respect.

It's sad that such a fine dish is still given so little respect and especially in the US  - Middle eastern restaurants - put so little energy into really fine tuning the recipe and so many of them serve bland and uninspiring hummus that is hurting it's acceptance by the public as a high end treat.

In the middle east chefs study for years the fine art of making it.
And for those smiling as they read this - FYI - making great Hummus is just as complex as making great Sushi,  Pasta or complex fish sauces . The  basic idea of making Hummus is simple. Mastering how to make it exquisite is complex.
Many Middle Eastern friends have complained to me that American Hummus - is to a cake lover - like eating a Twinkie. Something that tastes like a plastic commodity - not like a baked good.

Hopefully as Hummus enters the pop culture more and more - with film and music videos like the one's we've covered - chef's will realize it is something they need to pay more attention to.

After all - Hummus based on this video - can help you find love.

Bon Apetite lovers of life, lovers of people and lovers of hummus.

Thanks Shen for making this wonderful video.
We're looking forward to see your future projects.

HUMMUS WARS - NOW THE MOVIE!

Awhile back we reported to all of you about the Hummus Wars between Israel and Lebanon.
We even followed up on that funny story that kept developing like a true Middle Eastern Soap opera.
(For all those who forgot -

Click here for the AP story reported by the NYPOST

Well, like all real life soap operas - Hollywood eventually comes knocking - and this story is now being made into a film by gifted Los Angeles director - Avital Levy.

The project already has a trailer that can be seen and they're raising money for it on Jewcer.com - A Jewish kickstarter.
And for those who have been living under a rock for the last six month and have never heard the name Kickstarter -
Kickstarter.com has become the premiere destination for many filmmakers and all other visionaries to raise funding for their various projects.
But while Kickstarter has endless projects and thus it's easy for fund seekers to get lost in the shuffle -
Jewcer aims at catering to a more specific crowd and for more focused projets and hopes that will make it easier for those interested in Jewish themes to find the right project they'd like to fund.
Here's what I found on them online:

"Jewcer is a crowdfunding platform for projects, ideas and causes benefiting the global Jewish community and Israel. Jewcer innovators and funders make a positive impact on the world by sparking innovations and turning ideas into reality."

Here's the link to the Hummus War's Jewcer page
Their goal is to raise $8000 and they've already raised $345

Here's what they write about the project:

"Hummus Wars is a documentary about national pride through food and by breaking a world record. Each country has the intention of winning and remaining steadfast about their superiority, ownership and historical connections to hummus. The goal of the documentary is to shoot the battle from the perspective of each country - Israel and Lebanon while capturing the events and points of view from within these countries which have been neck to neck to win since 2007. Ultimately, this is the story of people, community and two little countries attempting to reach a form of self-determination through their status with hummus."

Directed by Avital Levy
Cinematography by Aner Moss + Avital Levy
Edited by Orly Shuber + Avital Levy

So for all you Hummus lovers - I hope you help them out, cause I think the world needs more Hummus themed films.

Good luck to the filmmakers and we can't wait to see your Hummus film.

If you want more info here are the links both to Jewcer and to the Hummus War's page:


And for those wanting to pursue their own project on Jewcer, Click here for Jewcer

SABRA HUMMUS - ES TU BRUTE?

ES TU BRUTE are the last words of Casear, in Shakespeare's Casear.
The idea that you've been betrayed even by your closest friends.
Not just betrayed. Stabbed in the back. Killed by a friend's painful dagger! That's what I felt lately with Sabra's Hummus.
Sabra has been an old friend.
With all the chaos and instability in the world - Sabra Hummus has always maintained a high level of consistency and while it's never been a spectacular Hummus- it's always been good enough that it could serve as the go to Hummus when there was no other alternative around.

But the love story's gone.
The little magic their hummus used to have is lost.
I've tried several of their Hummus variations in LA and while initially I tried to give every justification in the book as to why I'm not loving their hummus.
Finally I had to admit.
The Hummus tastes different.
It tastes more bland.
It tastes more artificial.
It tastes more generic
It tastes like there's more preservatives in it and yes... it even tastes a little bit more plasticky than before.

It's sad when denial ends and you got to face the mirror and say to yourself - I've been dillusional for so long.

I have no idea why after all those years - Sabra has decided to move on from it's loyal base of Hummus lovers and fans.

But that's life.
Nothing stays constant.
Sony used to rule the music world with their walkman.
But there's a new king in town. Who remembers walkman today - it's all about the ipad...

So goes the glory of the hummus world.

Good bye Sabra.
I love you -
But now I must find another hummus to love.

Best Hummus in East Jerusalem

This article was taken from Globes, the Israeli Wall Street Journal

http://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000622158

And their selections are:

Little Abu Shukri
Abu Hassan of Salah A Din
Sultani Restaurant or Abu Hassan El Bagdadi
Acramawi of Shehem Gate

And for those who want to read a little more and know Hebrew - here's the full article titled: ZEN AND THE ART OF EATING HUMMUS: The guide to Hard Core Hummus in East Jerusalem

זן ואמנות אכילת החומוס: המדריך לחומוסיות "הארד קור" במזרח ירושלים
הסיור "בין הגרגרים" שעובר בין חומוסיות סודיות במזרח ירושלים הוא בדיוק מה שהרופא המליץ לכם לחורף הזה ■ בסיור תאכלו תתענגו על הטעם ועל אנקדוטות היסטוריות ■ ניגוב נעים
13/02/2011, חגית אברון


ראשית סיפור המעשה הוא במייל תמים שהועבר לתפוצה אקראית של גברים ונשים, שעליו כותבו מנהלים בכירים, אנשי היי-טק ומספר שפים שאולי יגלו עניין כלשהוא בסיור חומוסיות בירושלים. "הסיור יעבור בין מספר חומוסיות סודיות במזרח העיר", כך נכתב במייל, "והוא מיועד לאוהבי חומוס אמיתיים ולבעלי קיבה חזקה". התגובות הנלהבות לא איחרו לבוא, בעיקר מצד הגברים בחבורה שהכריזו חגיגית שלא מאיימים על חומוסולוג בחומוס, ובכלל למה רק חמש חומוסיות? "הבו לנו עוד" תבעו בהתלהבות גברית אופיינית, ולבסוף, כצפוי, אכלו ברעש גדול שתי צלחות חומוס כמו גם את הכובע ונדמו.
וכך יצא לו הסיור "בין הגרגרים" לדרך. את הסיור מדריך דורון יושע, טיילן נלהב, חוקר ירושלים ומורעל חומוס, שהגה את הפרויקט. התוצאה - מפת חומוסיות אותנטיות ומשובחות, רובן בגומחות זעירות, שאותה שרטט דורון בעמל וקפידה. ואנחנו, בני מזל שכמותנו, ניווטנו בעקבותיו במשך יום שלם, טועמים, מגרגרים, נושמים ואוכלים חומוס מתובל בסיפורים, באנקדוטות היסטוריות ותרבותיות מרתקות, חשופים לפסיפס מרהיב של צבעים וריחות ומרגישים הכי חו"ל בארץ. להלן סקירה לא ממצה של החוויה.
"בין הגרגרים" סיור חומוסיות בירושלים -דורון יושע. טלפון: 052-4673663. כ-100 שקל לאדם כולל טעימות והדרכה. ניתן לארגן סיורים לקבוצות בתיאום
אבו שוקרי הקטן
רבות הן החומוסיות הנושאות את שם המותג היוקרתי "אבו שוקרי" ועל כן יש להיזהר מחיקויים. "אבו שוקרי" הקטן, קרוב משפחה של "אבו שוקרי" הגדול (והמשובח שלעצמו), ממוקם בלהב הרובע השוקק, לא רחוק מכנסיית הקבר, וכמה מטרים מחומוס לינא המפורסם.
שוקרי הקטן, סירב לתיעוד העיתונאי, ואף דחק בנו לקחת את קערית החומוס ולאכול אותה מחוץ למסעדה. לא נעלבנו, החומוס היה שווה את היחס המעט מנוכר. בשלב הזה, חשוב לציין, פרשו מרבית גברברי הקבוצה לאנחות, אוחזים בבטנם וממלמלים דבר מה אודות פגישה חשובה. וכך נותרנו אנחנו, דבקים במשימתנו העיתונאית, עם דורון , נציגות שפים וקערית החומוס האחרונה לאותו היום.
תגובות הקהל: חומוס נפלא, בעל טעמים נהדרים של טחינה ומקרם אוורירי.
דבר השפים: חומוס גברי, טחינה גסה, טיפת חמיצות ובעל טעמים עזים ומודגשים.
הסוד: פטרוזיליה טחונה בתוך התערובת, המעניקה לחומוס מרקם אוורירי.
אבו חסן של סלאח א-דין
יורדים ברגל לרחוב סלאח א-דין שוקק החיים - השפים עוצרים להתפעל מעלי רקפות למילוי, מכרוביות ענק ונבלעים בתוככי חנויות תבלינים. מידי פעם מצביע דורון על פינת חמד נסתרת, גן חבוי מעין, בניין יפה או מציין עובדה היסטורית מרתקת. קפיצה קטנה לחו"ל, כבר אמרנו.
החומוס של אבו חסן הוא חומוסייה ותיקה בת יותר מ-50 שנה. כוך קטן ללא שולחנות ישיבה, המגיש לסועדים המקומיים מבעד לדלפק קטן. יושע מאלתר עבורנו כמה ארגזים הפוכים ועליהם מניח את קעריות השילוש הקדוש של החומוס, חומוס פול ומסבחה. בעל המקום מוסיף גם רוטב ירקרק של פלפלים חריפים, לימון ושום שאותו מוסכים על החומוס, גלדי בצל וכדורי פלאפל.
תגובות הקהל: חומוס מעלף! פוסקת החבורה, קריאות עונג נשמעות עם כל טבילה.
דבר השפים: חומוס בעל מרקם עדין וטעם לימוני, טחינה מעולה באיכותה ופול נפלא וחמצמץ.
הסוד: עקביות. במשך 50 שנה ברציפות נפתח המקום ב-02:00 לפנות בוקר, אז מתחילה מלאכת הכנת החומוס המדוקדקת, שמתכונה לא השתנה מאז ועד היום.
אבו חסן אל בגדאדי (מסעדת סולטאני)
נכנסים לעיר העתיקה מבעד לשער הפרחים ונבלעים בתוככי סמטאות הרובע המוסלמי, בינות בתי המקומיים שניחוחות ארוחת צהרים וצהלות ילדים השבים מבית הספר בוקעים מחלונותיהם. אנו פוסעים בעקבות דורון במקומות שאין בהם רמז לתיירים, או כפי שהיטיב לנסח זאת אחד ממשתתפי הסיור, "מקומות שלא הלכו בהם מאז מלחמת ששת הימים".
ובכל זאת, באותה שעת צהרים של יום חול, הסכסוך נראה רחוק מתמיד, הסמטאות שלוות ותושבי הרובע עסוקים בענייניהם.
החומוס של אבו חסן הבגדאדי נמצא בעיבורה של שכונת מגורים בה מתגוררים צועני הרובע. את החומוסייה הנפלאה הזאת גילה דורון במקרה, עת נמלט מהגשם אל תוככי המסעדה הקטנה, שם הוא נפגש לראשונה עם החומוס של הבגדדי. נפגש ונפגע.
אבו חסן, דמות משופמת ותיאטרלית להפליא, מכין בפנים חתומות חומוס אלוהי במכתש ועילי, עבודה ידנית הניכרת בטעם. מלבד החומוס הנפלא, שולף הבגדאדי מנצ'טה אימתנית ופוצח בקיצוץ דתי של ירקות לסלט אותו הוא מערבב בטחינה ומגיש בשתיקה לסועדים.
וכן, יש להודות שזה היה הרגע היחיד בסיור שבו השתתקו גם המאצ'ואים שבחבורה, מאימת התרחיש הפוטנציאלי אודות קבוצת ישראלים הכלואה בכוך שבעליו אוחז בסכין בנבכי הרובע המוסלמי.
תגובות הקהל: "הארד קור" של החומוס. טעם עז ומודגש של חומוס אסלי. החומוס הכי אותנטי עד כה.
דבר השפים: חומוס בעל טעם דומיננטי המושג בזכות המכתש והעילי, כמעט ללא תיבול וללא טחינה, מרקם משיי.
הסוד: לאחר הבישול עוברים הגרגרים תהליך של סינון והוצאת נוזלים באמצעות שקית בד ורק אז גורס אבו חסן את הגרגרים ידנית.
עכרמאווי של שער שכם

בין הטעימות - חומוס גרגרים, חומוס פול ומסבחה, בה הגרגרים משתכשכים במיצי הטחינה והלימון. בגלל השעה המאוחרת (11:00 בבוקר) פספסנו את ה"פאטה" - חומוס ובו פיסות של פיתה מבושלות יחדיו. החומוסייה של עכרמאווי (שמקורו בעין כרם), החלה את דרכה בשנות ה-50 ומאז ועד היום היא משרתת את המקומיים שבשעה בה אנחנו הגענו כבר סיימו את ארוחת הבוקר שלהם והביטו בקבוצה הצפונבונית במבטים משועשעים.
את המתכון לחומוס הביא לארץ פועל מסוריה ומאז ועד היום מוכן החומוס על-פי מתכון זה.
תגובות הקהל: התגובות היו נלהבות אם כי מתונות. מדובר בחומוס ערבי אותנטי וטעים.
דבר השפים: מרקם משחתי מדויק עם מעט חספוס בלשון, שמן זית נהדר וחריף שמתחבר לחומוס בשלמות.
הסוד: שמן זית מאיכות מעולה, המופק מעצי זית שגדלים בהר ומושקים רק באמצעות מי גשמים. יחס משתנה של לימון-מלח בהתאם למזג האוויר, מה שמייצר הבדל גדול בטעם.
טיפ 1: תשכחו מתנועות סיבוביות
בניגוד למנהג המקובל של ניגוב החומוס בתנועה סיבובית עם הפיתה, את החומוס למעשה טובלים בתנועות מעודנות. ובכלל, יש המאמינים כי הטובלים בחומוס באופן קבוע הם אנשים רגועים יותר, בשל העובדה שהחומוס מכיל רמות גבוהות של טריפטופן, חומצת אמינו המעובדת במוח לסרוטונין - חומר המופרש במוח האחראי לתחושת הרוגע והאושר. הלאה הציפרלקס, מהיום איכלו חומוס.
טיפ 2: לא להגיש את החומוס חם
שימו לב! חומוס לעולם אינו מוגש חם. הגרגרים הינם הדיירים היחידים בקערת החומוס המורשים להיות חמימים. אם המשחה עצמה חמה, דעו לכם כי חיממו את החומוס, אקט ברוטלי המנוגד לאמנת החומוס הבינלאומית.

YELP's LIST OF 10 Most recommended HUMMUS RESTAURANTS IN LA

One of the interesting things I noticed in Yelp's list of Hummus restaurants in Los Angeles is that many of the names on the list I never even heard of.
I asked friends and they didn't hear about them either and they're just as big Hummus Connesseurs as me.

I don't know if it says something about Yelp or about those who judge the Hummus. But since we aim to be fair and unbalanced Hummus critiques - we'll give all these places the benefit of the doubt. Also, many of the places don't neccessarily have the best Hummus but are located in a place that has heavy traffic and so gets lots of reviews. ( Remember those who said in the restaurant business it's only about 3 things: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!)
What the list clearly shows is that Zankou chicken have truly positioned themselves to be the most talked about online Middle eastern restaurant and that Glendale and Pasadena have become a true alternative for middle eastern food to Los Angeles.
While I do like their food - their Hummus - is their weakest link and I'd grade it only as barely a 6 (Out of 10) And that's on a good day... Zankou is to Hummus what Mcdonalds is to Hamburgers. Clean, fast but far from special!
That said, in the coming month's check out the rest of the top ten Yelp list and if anyone else has experience with any of the places to send us your thoughts.

!. Hayat's Kitchen got 205 votes and overall 4.5 stars (out of 5)
11009 Burbank Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 761-4656

2. Mini Kabob got 200 votes and overall 4.5 stars (out of 5)
313 Vine St
Glendale, CA 91204
(818) 244-1343

3. Mediterranean Cafe got 389 votes and overall 4.5 stars
273 Shoppers Ln
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 793-8844

4. Skaf's grill got 184 votes and 4.5 stars
6008 Laurel Canyon Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 985-5701

5. Sultan's chicken got 79 votes and 4 stars
311 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 236-0604

6. Zankou Chicken got 253 votes and 4 stars
1415 E Colorado St
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 244-1937

7. Zankou Chicken got 505 votes and 4 stars
5065 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 665-7842

8. Sunnin Lebanese cafe got 471 votes and 4 stars
1776 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 475-3358

9. Kabab way got 90 votes and 4.5 stars
919 S Glendale Ave
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 242-3150

10. Zankou Chicken got 481 votes and 4 stars
1296 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 405-1502

Hummus on CNN

For those who didnt notice Cnn had a story about hummus
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/16/one-appalachians-guide-to-hummus/

One Appalachian's guide to hummus
Editor's Note: Rick Morris is a web developer and volunteer firefighter from Canton, North Carolina. He is one of seven CNN viewers selected to be a part of the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge program. Each athlete receives all the tools necessary to train for and compete in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon this September, alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The seven athletes met up two weeks ago in Atlanta for the official kickoff of the program, where Rick developed a new taste for humm


Hummus. The very word, for those like me, not in the know, sounded like a foreign term for something gross. Globular pustules on a teenager's face. A backwoods verb for singing under one's

breath (“hummus a song, Cooter”). Perhaps a brand of automobile.

Until recently, I can honestly say that I had never heard of hummus. In fact, I was somewhat taken aback when it was placed in front of me at a recent restaurant gathering. It evolved something like this...

“Want some hummus, Rick?” they asked.

“What's hummus?" I inquired.

Atlanta's crowded Flying Biscuit restaurant went near silent for a moment that day, my friends. A myriad of eyes in disbelief angled my direction. I'm pretty sure the winds outside got angry and old-man winter was preparing a cold blast of disdain to lash at me the moment I walked out the door.

I was quickly rescued by those sharing the same table. “It's similar to a bean dip,” one said. “You're going to like it,” boasted another. “Give it a try.”

It clearly didn't appear to have tomato in it (I can't stand tomatoes), and hey, I was pretty hungry so I grabbed a triangle of pita bread, spread a generous amount of hummus on it, and sent it down the hatch.

What happened next was comparable to a high-speed ride on the autobahn in an Italian sports car! My first kiss! Winning the lottery! Skydiving! Releasing the rope swing and plunging into the clear, cold water of the mighty Pigeon River on a hot summer's day...

Well, maybe not as exciting as all that. But, clearly I had found a new food that was truly like a party in my mouth. It was delicious. Better yet, I've since learned it is very healthy. Amazing! Something that tastes great and is good for you.

For someone whose Sunday dinners generally consisted of fried chicken, corn-field beans, smashed taters (if you must ask, you need to visit my area) and sweet iced tea, I had written-off ever discovering new foods satisfying both requirements.

As a member of this year's CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge, I was already in the market for good nutrition. So I decided to delve deeper into this hummus thing. I wanted to know exactly where it comes from, what it consists of, and how I could make my own.

My research into the wonderful world of hummus began online. Not to be confused with “humus," an organic matter or compost, I discovered hummus is a Middle Eastern bean dip made from a few basic ingredients: cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans, olive oil, tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, salt, and garlic.

For someone who prides himself in whipping up the best tzatziki around – a recipe given by a Greek friend while in Europe – I'm now fully confident I can create hummus. Just gotta see if my local grocery store has chickpeas.

The origin of hummus comes from “himmas” or chickpeas, leading to the Arabic “hummus," then the Turkish word “humus," and finally settling in the West back in the Arabic style of “hummus."

As I said earlier, hummus is spelled the way we Americans see it so as not to be confused with the aforementioned English term for dead dirt. Did you get all that?

Now that I know what it is made of, I checked out the nutritional information on hummus. Rich in vitamin C and iron, hummus also provides high amounts of vitamin B6 and folate. There is plenty of protein and dietary fiber courtesy of the chickpeas. The tahini (again, ground sesame seeds) contains a healthy amino acid. And, depending on the oil used, you get a nice portion of monounsaturated fats, which improve cholesterol levels – both LDL and HDL.

So... how to eat hummus? Apparently, it can be pasted to just about anything – bread, crackers or celery, for example. My initial dish came with feta cheese sprinkled on top. Mmmmmm! I like hummus so much that I think I'll just spoon it until I have more time to ponder the varying recipes and uses.

In the West, hummus is typically served cold as an appetizer or dip, and transported to drooling taste buds via a piece of pita or flat bread. In the Mediterranean, you'll almost always see hummus served with a small assortment of dishes precluding the regular meal. That's called a “meze."

Fish, eggplant, chicken, and just about any lunch or dinner menu is complimented with hummus. Palestinians and Israelis typically serve it warm, with bread before, during or after any meal. Exotic spices such as cumin, paprika, parsley, excellent olive oil, and mint leaves often garnish hummus in Palestine.

I asked a number of my “kin folk” and local residents here in the Canton area and discovered few had even heard of hummus. A couple of them were well versed, but most had no idea what it is. Evidently, we rural, small-town people are the last to know when it comes to international cuisine.

Thankfully, this eases my feelings of embarrassment from my initial encounter with hummus. However, it bothers me that so many of us are missing out! Unlike Middle Eastern countries that battle each other for the world's largest hummus dish, Americans are just beginning to discover its succulent taste and various uses. Lebanon, by the way, holds the current record, at 23,000 pounds - set one day in 2010!

I've learned that Americans only recently began consuming hummus, with about 15 million eating it regularly by 2008. If my math serves me correctly, that means about 300 million of us were not partial to this simple, delicious dish.Probably because we had never tried it.

But, the popularity of hummus has skyrocketed over the past four years and it's safe to assume that about ten percent of Americans now partake in its consumption weekly. Maybe I'll start a chain of hummus-oriented restaurants, introducing this wonder food to all of America. At the very least, a town hall focus group.

From what I've discovered, hummus is a miracle food. I can't find anything negative about it. It tastes great, can be fabricated quickly and inexpensively, and contains plenty of nutrient rich ingredients.

My endeavor to uncover the mysteries of hummus has me feeling like I just completed a ninth-grade research paper. But that's perfectly fine with me. I've learned enough to confidently rescue the next lay person who asks, “What's that?” In fact, I'll take any moment of culinary humiliation in exchange for the opportunity to discover a delicious new food.

In contrast, plenty of visitors to my neck of the woods have frowned at the site of squirrel dumplings. But for those who try them, they are usually hooked. Well, some are just being social. I mean, it is prudent to show appreciation when a moon-shining, outhouse-using, up-the-holler-living Appalachian tosses their finest culture at you, right?

Back to that restaurant in Atlanta... as my glorious moment of hummus introduction came to its climax, our waiter was busy inquiring about our libation for the meal.

“I'll have a Pepsi,” I requested. Strike two!

“Don't you know this is the Coca-Cola capital of the world?” she asked, as the ground settled to a minor rumble. “The Coke Museum is just a few blocks away!” another proclaimed.

“Coke please,” I declared. “And, another platter of that hummus stuff!”

P.S. – If you have a good hummus recipe, comment about it below.

Post by: Rick Morris - Fit Nation Participant
Filed under: 2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge • Kickoff Weekend • Rick Morris

Israel 2012

The Israeli Hummus scene is exploding. There's a lot of new players opening daily and there's a lot of the classic places still there.
One of the most popular Tel Aviv Newspapers - MOUSE - ( Kind of like the NY VILLAGE VOICE or the LA WEEKLY - had their readers rank Hummus joints. Here's their ranking:
http://hummus.mouse.co.il/
For those who can't read Hebrew - here's the list:
1. Abbu Hassan - Jaffo
2. Sayed - Acres
3. Abu Adehem - Kfar Yassif
4. Abu Adehem - Tel Aviv
5. Hummus Ashkera - Tel Aviv
6. Bahadonness - Ramat Gan
7. Pinati - Jerusalem
8. Halil - Ramleh
9. Hummus Lina - Jerusalem
10. Abu Gosh Hahadasha- Derech Hashalom 65 Abu Gosh


We also decided to check a few places - and here's our conclusions for 2011/2012

1. Ali Karavan (or) Abu Hassan - Tel Aviv - Jaffo
Still considered by may Tel Aviv residents as the top tier Hummus joint. Opens early and closes in the early afternoon. Always crowded. Cramped seats. No frills but great Hummus. THUMBS UP!

2. 206 - Moshe Sneh 54 - Tel Aviv
A very popular place that's always packed. They have great food and wonderful service but their Hummus is mediocre. They also have a wonderful fish restaurant next door. Hummus is their major flaw. THUMBS DOWN!

3. The Lebanese Restaurant - Hashalom 88 Abu Gosh:
Abu Gosh has a huge culture of Hummus and so many legendary rivalaries. We've checked a few places there. The Lebanese - one of the most popular places there - has great service and wonderful prices -but their Hummus is mediocre. Thumbs down!

4. Mifgash Karavan - Derech Hasalom 27 - Abu Gosh:
This place used to have great hummus. Then it deteriorated for many years. We decided to recheck even thought we had very little expectations after all the times we were frustrated by it. But today their Hummus has greatly improved. While it's not a top tier restaurant like it used to be. They still serve very good Hummus and are located in a beautiful location. THUMBS UP!

5. Hummus and Tehina: Outskirts of Kfar Shmaryahu:
This is a small Hummus joint on the outskirts of one of the richest neighborhoods in Israel. The Hummus used to be really good but this year in our random test - relative to the past it deteriorated - so unfortunately for this year we'll have to give it a thumbs down - but we do like this place and it feels intimate and local and are so hoping next year when we check it again it'll prove us wrong and improve their hummus like it used to be - fresh and tasty. THUMBS DOWN!

6. Hazaken Vehayam ( Old Man and the sea) - Jaffo.
One of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in Tel Aviv - a huge cultural phenomenom. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for their wonderful service. Huge salad offerings and their extremely colorful serving of food. This is a must for every tourist coming to Tel Aviv. It's truly amazing.
That said - their hummus is only mediocre and sadly while we truly love this place and hope it'll continue it's unique style and offerings - in terms of Hummus - it's a THUMBS DOWN!

7. Ahmed and Salim - Herzlia
Good Hummus. This place also used to serve much better hummus but something happened. It's hummus quality has deteriorated. THUMBS DOWN

8. Sabich Florentine - Florentine 36 Tel Aviv
Great Hummus - THUMBS UP.

9. Mifgash Gesher Hayarkon - Derech Namir 136 - Tel Aviv
Used to be one of the best low key Hummus joints located in a gas station. The place is still fully packed - but their prices have skyrocketted, their service has gone down, their quality and their quantity of hummus has also deteriorated. Bummer. It was such a great place. Please come back to what you were. Please? THUMBS DOWN.

10. Abu Yussuf - Kikar Paris - Haifa
A legendary restaurant - located in a renovated and historical place in downtown haifa. The food was of extremely high quality and they were extremely generous with the portions but the Hummus wasn't the stuff legends are made of and we were highly dissappointed. THUMBS DOWN!

Pitaway on Melrose, Los Angeles

I entered Pitaway on Melrose after seeing the huge sign of grand opening outside. Everyone loves grand openings So I had to enter, hoping for a new love affair with this new place. I learned it’s the second Pitaway in Los Angeles – which might hint they’re hoping to become a franchise. Everything in the look of the store shouts FRANCHISE. It doesn't look like a fast food place but rather like a modern fast food restaurant. That said, the middle eastern restaurant that was there before them - Muma, which was reviewed in this blog in the past - also shouted Franchise – and yet apparently it didn’t make it into a franchise- so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for this one. I think LA does deserve a middle eastern restaurant chain with good and fast falafel. This place is new – so I’ll revisit it in a few month after they solve some of their opening quirks. Wanting this place to succeed – I’ll give my own humble opinion what they need to work on in order to succeed in a very competitive street like Melrose. But would love to hear what other people think of this new place:

FAST FOOD FRANCHISE LOOK:

This restaurant has the logo of a fast food place, the décor of a fast food place, the overall energy of a fast food place, and yet extremely slow food service. The secrets of a fast food franchise is that they nailed down a way to serve their food fast. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Chipotle, Wendy’s, Subway, Fat Burger… Each one has their own method of ensuring that the food is served fast. To me it seemed like this place didn’t have any real organized and institutionalized plan how to ensure the customer gets their food fast and it wasn’t a priority for anyone in the place. It took over 15 minutes to get a falafel in a lafah breah. I appreciated the falafel being fresh but having to wait in a nearly empty restaurant for 15 minutes showed that there’s no respect for the customers time. Since this is the second restaurant with the same name and concept in LA – and the other one already exists for several years – it proves there’s no real plan how to make sure customers don’t spend too much time in the restaurant before getting fed.

PRICING:

The pricing is decent for middle eastern restaurants. Plates are about $11, Pitas $8-9 While it’s not expensive – I think they’re still 10% more than what will make them really competitive and allow them to take of. The woman at the cash register boasted on the fact they’re Kosher which indeed is a huge plus being close to La Brea and the Jewish ultra Orthodox district – but for the general audience it’s not a deal breaker. With so many options on Melrose – and even a highly competitive Indian lunch buffet almost across the street – I believe that $10 is the limit most people will pay for most fast meals. They might get people to come once and try them out – but in order to get repeat business – they need to lower their prices.

PICKLES:

I was highly disappointed they served pickles made in brine and not Pickles in salt. For the non middle easterns reading this blog - to illustrate the difference - assume you're going to a Mexican restauran and instead of corn chips they serve you Cheetos and the waiter tells you it's the same...
Or assume you go to a Chinese restaurant and instead of fried rice they serve you french fries and tell you it's the same...
Get the point?
Every cuisine - has some elements that are a make or break and salted pickles are a must for an authentic middle eastern cuisine.

For many middle eastern food lovers- not having pickles in salt is a deal breaker and that’s why many middle eastern restaurants serve their customers unlimited pickles in salt with each order. Moreover – what made matters worse is they have a free pickled vegetable salad that doesn’t have pickles. I noticed everyone who purchased food after me took the plastic plate they give you to the pickled salad bar and noticing the lack of pickles – joked about it angrily and threw the plate to the garbage without taking anything. Hopefully that’s not the plan – but why would a restaurant want to anger it’s customers on something so trivial and so obvious? It’s a great way to lose customers who are fans of middle eastern food. Portions: I ordered a falafel in a lafah – a middle eastern version of a burrito. It usually costs more than a pita and is supposed to hold much more food. Perhaps other middle eastern restaurants have spoiled me, or perhaps it was just chipotle that made me aware of how much food can really go into a burrito. The falafel in a lafah I got was mostly rolled lafah bread and very little in it. Very few falafels, I didn’t feel the hummus and very few vegetables that made very little impact. The meal costs nearly $10 and for that price I felt cheated. Taste: The overall taste is good – but not spectacular and yet I must give them credit that everything tasted very fresh. The Falafels were hot and fresh, the pita was fresh. The hummus didn’t make any impact and they need to work on it and find a way to give it a much stronger point of view.

Final words:

I want to love this place. I ‘d love for Melrose to have as many middle eastern restaurants as possible – it would be great and I’ll be their biggest fans. Maybe I’m totally wrong – but based on my experience – I don’t think their target audience can only be ultra orthodox Jews who might or might not show up because of their Kosher sign. I think they need to cater to everyone. Families, hipsters and the many young people walking Melrose that are looking for healthy and cheap food. In order to get the general public’s attention this restaurants need to come down to earth and start making cheaper food, in larger quantities that’s in a family price range or else they’ll end up closing like other middle eastern restaurants in that area that have come and gone. Like any other new restaurant on Melrose at the beginning there will be a honeymoon between the locals and this place – as everyone always want to try out the new restaurants on the street. But whomever owns this place needs to show that his vision is not just graphics that present a large corporate style middle eastern restaurant but also the vision of a large corporation – with a big vision and real care for the smallest details. I hope they succeed and will keep all of you posted!

Taeem on Melrose

A few people have been asking why I haven't updated the Hummus blog for awhile and sadly, I must admit it's not because I haven't eaten Hummus - it's because all the Hummus restaurants I've tried lately have been awful. Truly awful. A few have even cause me to feel sick afterwards.

More and more new restaurants are popping across Los Angeles and yet it seems that their owners don't really have any love or respect for Hummus.

A relatively new place on Melrose Ave, Los Angeles is a small hole in the wall Israeli place called TAEEM- which means tasty.

They have cheap Shawarma Buritto deals for about $6 for a chicken Shawarma which is sweet.

But this blog isn't about Shawarma it's about Hummus ( and sometimes Falafel) as well.

I've tried this place a few times and as much as I wanted to like it - I didn't.

Both the Falafel and the Hummus were extremely bland. The Falafel had a very generic taste and the Hummus didn't taste fresh.

Moreover, the garbage bins were filled beyond full and the restroom I entered was dirty and disgusting.

I know a Hummus guide shouldn't be criticizing the garbage and the toilets - but I think that it is all connected.

Hummus is a passion and to make great hummus one needs to have a lot of discipline to continue striving for the stars and get the recipe just right.

Same with running a business and part of that - especially with a food business is to make sure it is all clean.

I talked for a few minutes with the owner of the place. He is very likeable and so I did visit this place 3 times to make sure I didn't fall on them on a bad day.

I visited them both during different hours of the day with always the same results.

It's a pity. 

I really am rooting for this place. I liked it's vibe. I liked it's pricing. I liked it's location. I loved it's low key attitude. I even liked the owner.

It's a new place and it can succeed cause there are a lot of people that would love great hummus in this area.

But to make great hummus - they need to invest more passion into the fine details.

They need to clean their act- as well as the store and need to try out more to get a much better hummus.

That said, unlike the various places I've gone to lately - I didn't become sick afterwards from the Hummus. So with the benchmark being dropped so much - I guess that's one point in their favor.

I am rooting for this place. So I will revisit it in the future and hopefully it'll get it's act together. It has the potential for greatness. Now all it needs is the Hummus ( and the Falafel)!

The new Sunnin

You can't go home again...

Or so they say.

Sunnin is an old institution in LA that's been around for nearly 20 years.

They used to be a hole in the wall place that had cheap pricing and gave a lot for that money.

But now they've grow. They've built a new much fancier place across the street and unfortunately while you do get more of a seating experience in the new place - in terms of food they seemed to have deteriorated.

I don't know what changed. I really don't. But something of the old fashioned magic is gone.

I ordered Hummus as a take away and for $6.00 - which is their basic price they gave me a tiny portion of Hummus in a take out box. 

What was that about? 

For $6.00 take away you can't just get the same amount of Hummus you'd get on a place if you were sitting there. 

Also, the Hummus itself was good but not great. It didn't taste that fresh and it didn't have that extra punch that the old Sunnin used to have.

I don't know what the story is. Maybe I just came there on a bad day - but the fact they moved to a bigger and nicer place should have motivated them to be better than the old Sunnin. They should have given more food for a cheaper price rather than give less food for a higher price - cause that's always the best way to eventually lose your core audience of Hummus lovers like myself that hate to feel they're cheated.

Since the Old Sunnin had such a good reputation I'll be back to the new Sunnin and hopefully they will improve. I'm hoping they will but one never knows.

Sunnin Restaurant:

1776 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024-5646
(310) 475-3358

http://www.sunnin.com/

Great Hummus in Israel: Kibbutz Einat

In recent years a lot of new Hummus restaurants have emerged in Israel in a lot of new and untraditional places.  Here's one of the underground places that is known only to Hummus connesseurs.

Who would have thought that a great Israeli Hummus joint would be found in a Kibbutz. 

The "Jingi" - the Hebrew word for red haired - or freckled one, depending on how you understand it - is located in a tiny little joint on the outskirts of the Kibbutz.

The Jingi opens at around 8:00 am and closes at around 1:00 pm - or as his banner states - when the Hummus he made in the morning ends.

He wasn't joking. I came at 12:55 to get the last plate and at 1:00 pm a few people came and were told that they were too late. The Hummus joint is closed as he's run out of Hummus.

Funny that a Hummus joint closes exactly when people are starting to come out to eat Hummus. But that's the rule in this really great little place.

I asked the owner about this and he told me that he makes the Humus himself and has no aspirations to hand over his recipe to anyone else.

Not because he's afraid they will steal his recipe but because he thinks they won't make it as good as he does.

"You can double your money" I tell him - and he smiles and says - "So? " and continues " That's the problem with todays society. Everyone is so hungry for more. More land, more cars, more bling. More everything and at the end - only the drug companies make money - cause we're so depressed we can't eat everything we want that we take anti depressants to conquer our frustrations. I've only wanted to make Hummus" he tells me  and continues " And I sell only what I can make. Not one ounce more"

Looking at all the people who drove to Kibbutz Einat especially for his Hummus and were a few minutes too late - I realize he isn't kidding. He's not going to make more Hummus than he does.

The Hummus is wonderful and so is his Falafel but what was annoying to my colleague that came with me is that the options in this little joint are so limited. She wanted Hummus with Mushrooms but they didn't have it. They basically have Hummus and Falafel.

They didn't even have pickles on the side.

For those loving good Hummus - I highly recommend this place. 

The Hummus is awesome. Their Pitas are fresh and tasty. The falafel is superb and the owner is a great person to talk to about life and Hummus.

For those wanting more than just a basic Hummus plate and crave for all the extras of a full middle eastern restaurant - I think you need to look elsewhere.

BEST and WORST HUMMUS IN LA

End of the year, and so it's time to make a list of the best and worst Hummus places in LA and how did they hold up this year.

BEST HUMMUS:

AND THE WINNER IS...

The winner for this year is Chapa on Wilshire and Crescent. Their Hummus might not be magical like I would want it to be but it is good working man's Hummus that is always fresh and always served in large quantities with free pickles and lots of olive oil. All for a logical fit for all price that makes this my winner for best hummus in LA.

That said, in my last two visits I've noticed they've reduced the amount of Pitas they serve with the plate from two to one which is very annoying and disrespectful to their Hummus loving customers. 

I hope they will not try to immitate their competitors that lowered the quality of their Hummus while raising prices and giving less for more $$$.

I also recommend their Falafel which is amazing and gets my two thumbs up easily beating many of their competitors.

WORST HUMMUS

The list for awful places is long and plenty. Sadly both Israeli and Arabs from all nations in the middle east have no problem opening places that serve awful Hummus  that doesn't taste fresh, is served in small quantities and is extremely expensive. 

It's sad that so many middle easterners feel that they can con their brothers and sisters in LA with Hummus that's expensive and simply disgusting and they are helping give middle eastern food an awful name.

I guess Hummus is a very personal thing and to each person there's his own taste buds. But that said, talking to my friends - there's quite an agreement among them that the winner for the WORST HUMMUS RESTAURANT in LA for 2010 is AROMA CAFE.

Aroma wins not just because of it's awful Hummus but for the overall experience. Expensive food, disgusting waiters and waitresses that treat customers like dirt, are mean spirited, slow, unhelpful and seem to have the backing of their bosses to be as evil to their customers as possible.

For those going to Aroma, all I can say is that you deserve the attitude and high bill you'll get there.  Aroma brings out a lot of negative emotions from me.

So even before their awful Hummus is served - the overall attitude of everyone around makes me sick.

Happy holidays everyone and enjoy the Hummus of the new year!!!!

AND THE WINNER FOR BEST ISRAELI HUMMUS IN LA IS... CHAPA

A friend took me to Chapa, a new place a few months ago in a small strip mall on Crescent Heights and Wilshire.

For those not familiar with LA, Wilshire is one of the hubs of the business area in Los Angeles and so finding a small Israeli place there is kind of wierd.
That said, the Israeli consulate, the Jewish federation and Nu Image, the Israeli owned production company that has already produced hundreds of successful features with many Hollywood stars are all located there so it's an area that has a lot of Israelis that will appreciate a great hummus place.

The place looks uninspiring. I went back there with an American friend to see how a local will react to the food and ecor and he didn't understand it.  But for Israeli's this place reminds them of many famous Hummus places in Israel that have that grundgy run down atmosphere.  It's like for a New Yorker to come to Los Angeles and enter Canters or Jerry's deli... and be reminded of Carnegie Deli or 2nd Avenue deli.
It feels authentic and real. For others it might just look run down and greasy...

The food is really tasty. Try their Falafel, it's superb. The Hummus is very Israeli style.
They give large portions and are very generous with all their food. The pitas were fresh.
The chicken Shawarma, according to some is a little too greasy.  I didn't try it - but an Israeli friend who tried it claimed it's just like in Israel in any Shawarma Joint.

Prices were great and unlike many of the other places I've reviewed - were logical and made me want to come back.

If I have one complaint about the place it was that because it's so packed during lunch- you have to stand in a long line and wait and also it takes awhile to get the food.
Guess, I'm not the only one that discovered how good the food is here.

Since in past reviews of new places, after the initial newness of the place faded and the owner started serving small portions of unfresh food - this time I waited and visited the place three times before writing this review and it was always great - only the lines to buy the Hummus got longer and longer - proving that some people can be suckered some of the time- but most people- especially middle eastern food lovers can't be suckered all the time.
A lot of people are fed up with the expensive price of mediocre food they get in other places and so the rumor of Chapa's wonderful food and cheap prices has spread fast and people are going there to curb their Hummus craving.

This place isn't meant for a romantic middle eastern place for a date. But if you already have love and want to treat her to good food or ...
If you're on a love break and just want great Hummus in the meantime -
This Hummus place will do the job perfectly.

I wish Chapa a lot of success and hope they won't be influenced by their competitors and raise prices and lower the quality and quantity of the food once they get a little more established.

In the meantime - all I can say for lunch: CHAPA IS FIVE FALAFEL BALLS in my blog!

6256 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Neighborhood: Mid-City West

(323) 936-2460

www.chapagrill.net

Itzik Hagadol - Encino, California

OVERALL RATING: * ( 1 star out of 5)
PRICE: ULTRA EXPENSIVE
TASTE: * ( 1 star out of 5)

Itzik Hagadol is an Israeli restaurant across the street from the Encino Town Center shopping mall. A great location for a restaurant in Encino that holds so much potential. It shares the same name as a popular middle eastern restaurant in Israel.  From their website it seems that the two restaurant are connected:  http://itzikhagadol.com/

Currently this is the most expensive Middle Eastern restaurant I've eaten in the united states - and unfortunetly the price doesn't justify the experience.

Even their lunch menus are super expensive. 

An average meal is between $30 - $50 per person and when you think what you get in return - some  Hummus and a little bit of middle eastern food -you ask yourself are people crazy for agreeing to pay that price?

As for the taste:

The Hummus is mostly bland and uninspiring just like most of their salads.
That said, their Pitas are baked on the premise and are wonderful and fresh. 

Their lunch 10 salad special is a scam. It's not only expensive (about $10 per person as a main dish and about $6 for a side dish and everyone at the table is forced to pay it regardless if only one person orders it or if everyone orders it) They bring to the table those salads that are the least inspiring. They don't give Hummus, Tabulleh or any of the salads that are what people usually desire and expect when they crave for middle eastern salad.

During lunch when I was there, the place was packed which proves that perhaps some people don't mind paying a lot and getting very little. 

Nearbye there are a lot of middle eastern restaurants. One of them even advertises a full buffet meal for $9.99. So it make one wonder about the logic or rational of Hummus lovers.

Here is their address for those not caring about price or taste. 

17201 Ventura Boulevard

Encino, CA 91316
(818) 784-4080

What the...Hummus?

After Lebanon broke the world record with the largest Hummus plate ever, it seemed that it was just a matter of time before an Israeli would try to retaliate with his own Hummus world record.
It's the middle east, after all, and everyone wants to retaliate - right?
An eye for an eye, a hummus plate for a hummus plate...

So now, Hummus101.com, a Hummus blog reports that they themselves had decided to take the challenge and created the...

Yes you read it right - the smallest Hummus plate.

Yes. It does sound kind of bizarre, but then again perhaps not more bizarre than the largest hummus plate. Here's the official link:

http://humus101.com/EN/2009/11/13/new-guinness-record-the-smallest-hummus-plate-ever/

hummus101.com claims that :

"39mm hummus plate, containing 14 grams of hummus. 300 Lebanese chefs were needed to break the record for the largest hummus plate. We only needed ONE!"

Based on images on their blog it seems that the hummus plate was smaller than a quarter.  Check their website for pictures. Guess, We'll have to wait for the official Guiness confirmation to see if their claim is legit.

I'm delighted that Lebanese and Israeli's have found a positive area in which to compete.

Maybe instead of a war, they could just create a Hummus olympics. It will probably be cheaper, tastier and I'm sure the people on both sides will enjoy it more.

Go Hummus teams, go!

Bruno and the World’s Best Hummus

    Here's an interesting article I recently stumbled upon in the Jewish Journal. It's about Bruno and the World's Best Hummus.It's a great article and I urge you all to log on to the newspapers original article that also has pictures and all..

This article was originally writen in the LA Jewish Journal.

I know some of you may raise eyebrows about the source and wonder what could a Jewish American newspaper know about Hummus.

But I must say that in recent years under the leadership of Rob Eshman this old publication has truly reinvented itself.. The free LA JJ has become a hip LA newspaper read by both Jews and Non Jews dealing with issues that are relevant to all Angelenos about food, love, dating, politics, enviroment and yes... Also Hummus.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/foodaism/item/brunos_hummus-hamas_insight_20090717/

"If you can get past the thousand swinging penises, bare bottoms and endless dildos that fill most of the screen in Bruno, you can appreciate creator Sacha Baron Cohen’s genius for wrapping biting social commentary in fully-realized comic moments.  What I’m talking about is hummus.
About 100 naked penises into the movie,  fabulously gay Bruno decides he must do something major to become famous.  So he jets off to Israel to make peace in the Middle East.  Cut to Bruno/Baron Cohen sitting between former Mossad officer Yossi Alpher and Palestinian negotiator Ghassan Khatib.
Bruno takes advantage of their kindness by purposely confusing hummus the dish with Hamas the Palestinian terrorist organization.
A lot of stories quote a line or two from the exchange to show how Cohen duped the former Mossadnik, but the entire scene, in context, shows Cohen managed to make a much more important point.
“Why are you so anti-Hamas?” Bruno asks. “I mean, isn’t pita bread the real enemy here?”
“You think there is a relation between Hamas and Hummus?” Khatib asks.
“Hummus has nothing to do with Hamas,” Alpher responds “It’s a food. We eat it, they eat it.”
“You think there is a relation between Hamas and Humus?” Khatib asks.

Bruno looks confused. “Was the founder of Hamas a chef? He created the food and got lots of followers?”
Alpher begins to lose his patience.  “Hummus has nothing to do with Hamas. It’s a food, okay?  We eat it, they eat it—”
—“It’s vegetarian, it’s healthy, it’s beans,” Khatib says.

Then Cohen goes in for the kill: “So you agree on that,” he says.
Underlying these cultures,  both locked in a vicious war, is a commonality that is perfectly symbolized by a bowl of “healthy, vegetarian” beans.
Cohen, you have to understand, has an Israeli mother. (His dad is from Wales, which I guess doesn’t lend itself to as many funny food scenes).  When I met him two years ago, we spoke almost entirely in Hebrew.  He lived on a kibbutz for a while, and he has a degree in political science from Oxford.  I’m going to posit that in a serious conversation about the Palestinian Israeli conflict, he would astound Alpher.
But by playing the hummus card, he made one of the most powerful points he could about Jews and Arabs, and about food.  People who share the same food usually share the same fate. That’s true whether they know it or not, whether they act as if it’s true and learn to cooperate, or strive to ignore that truth, and turn their knives on one another.
The columnist Tom Friendman has famously written that countries with McDonalds never go to war with each other.  His point is that spreading democracy and free markets spreads peace. But Friedman’s McDonald’s theory begs a question: how can people who eat the exact same foods kill one another?
They can and do.
On an unmarked street in the Christian Arab part of the Old City of Jerusalem, find Lina’s.  I go there on every visit to Israel.  Seven tables, no fan.  The owner stands in an alcove by the entrance, pounding a wooden pestle into a simmering vat of garbanzo beans.  He pours in fresh ground tehina, he sprinkles in lemon salt and garlic, and all the time he keeps moving that stick-sized pestle,  until the mixture is smooth and almost white, and fluffed with air. There’s no menu.  You sit, a young man puts a slice of onion, a pickle and a tomato wedge in front of you, some warm pita, then the owner ladles some warm hummus onto a plate, drizzles it with olive oil, and sends it over.
It’s not 100 percent safe for anyone who looks too Jewish to get there—Jews have been attacked walking the Old City alleys, and Israelis will tell you it’s too dangerous—but there are always Israeli Jews inLina’s.  If you want the best hummus in Israel—I believe it’s the best I’ve had in the world—you have no choice.  So what does that mean?  Israelis will risk their lives to eat hummus with Arabs—they just can’t seem to make peace with them.
When I returned from my last trip to Israel, I decided I needed to recreate Lina’s hummus, or a close facsimile, in my kitchen.  Rule number one is: no canned chickpeas.  To make good hummus, you need to soak your own garbanzo beans.  For great hummus, make it and serve it warm.
Almost Lina’s Hummus
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1/2 cup good quality tahina
2 cloves garlic
1 T. plus 1 t. baking soda
1 t. cumin
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 t. salt
1/4 c. olive oil
Paprika and Chopped Parsley
1. Rinse beans well and cull any dark, broken ones, and any pebbles, too. Soak beans overnight in water with 1 T. baking soda.  Drain beans, soak in fresh water for an hour.
2. Put in saucepan with water to cover by two inches, with 1 t. baking soda.  Bring to boil, skimming foam, then simmer and cooking til very soft, about an hour.
3. Remove from pot (do not drain away cooking water) and place in blender or Cuisinart with a 1/4 cup of the liquid, the garlic and cumin. Blend until smooth.  Let cool 5 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and enough of teh cooking liquid to make a very smooth mixture, the consistency of soft sour cream (it hardens as it cools). Taste for seasoning.
4. To serve, pour onto plate, drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley, and serve with warm pita bread.
5. Now go make peace."