Hummus on Steroids

-
Behold the hummus as an entree:

(Hummus Place: mushrooms in the middle)

(Hummus Place: classic)


I admit that I didn't try that hard to find the best hummus in LA county. All I really wanted was a hummus that was on par with the hummus I had at Hummus Place in NYC (pictured above). If I even found hummus that was considerably better than the supermarket-bought Sabra brand that I have sitting in my fridge, I would have been okay with that.

One of the most annoying things about me is that I will search for something until I find the exact ingredient or taste I was craving for, and then eat it continuously, almost like an addict, until I get sick of it. I've been eating hummus non-stop since I got back from NYC and I couldn't stop because I was still searching for a hummus that beat out the ones I had in NYC.

So I asked some yelpers and researched chow hound for a place where they served hummus as more of an entree than as a side. I didn't feel like driving all the way to Glendale or the valley (I'm not lazy, it's just the economy) and asked for locations around LA. Some people pointed me to some hummus on steroids that were served at Sunnin Lebanese Cafe. Are you kidding? This place is across the street from where my BF lives. We could have easily walked there (but we didn't cuz we live in LA).

(Sunnin Lebanese Cafe: Hommos-Kawarma)

We ordered the HOMMOS-KAWARMA, which is basically hummus with beef filet chunks and pine nuts, and spices for toppings. This was the most delicious thing ever. No, seriously. I think it beats some of the hummus combination even at Hummus Place. The beef chunks were smoky and a perfect combination with the creamy, nutty hummus. What a great choice for a low-carb diet.


(Sunnin Lebanese Cafe: Hommos)

This is the HOMMOS (rushed chick peas with sesame paste, garlic, & lemon juice). This was delicious but I think I'm in love with the Hommos Kawarma and I'm sure this will be my go-to Hummus combo. Sunnin also had delicious Shawarma:



The Shawarma comes with marinated layers of tender beef cooked on a vertical broiler, served with tarator, rice, & Lebanese salad. The only real issue I had with Sunnin was all the styrofoam they use. Everything comes in styrofoam regardless of whether you eat there or not. I know some people find this convenient but hello, there are other alternatives that are not as bad for the environment.

Sunnin Lebanese Cafe
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
1779 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 477-2358
www.sunnin.com

Hummus Place
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
109 St. Marks Place
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 529-9198
www.hummusplace.com

Comments

Anonymous said…
this... MUST be jin's blog..

yes it must...
November 17, 2008 at 10:04 AM
sdfafsadf said…
hahaha yes you found me.
November 17, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Gar said…
so glad you found this awesome restaurant. I haven't been back for a looong time...too afraid I would inhale the entire plate and regret it afterward, lol. I prefer the fava foul hummus.
February 3, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Food GPS said…
Hummus Place is a good spot, but clearly out of range for Angelenos. Westsiders flip out over Sunnin, but there's much better Lebanese food in L.A., and infinitely better Middle Eastern food. The West Valley has some excellent Israeli spots. You should be able to find top hummus at Hummus Bar and Itzik Hagadol Grill. Elena's in Glendale is terrific for hummus, especially when it's spooned over their top-flight falafel. Better yet, a plate is only $3.
August 4, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Black Sesame - the food trend I love

-
Image
Black sesame ice cream, black sesame cake, black sesame creme brulee, black sesame mochi, black sesame mochi ice cream, black sesame sauce, black sesame paste, black sesame soup, black sesame dim sum, black sesame gelato.... Is it just me or is this the new trend in desserts? Especially among Asian (or Asian-inspired) restaurants, the black sesame could be the new red bean! According to Betty Hall from LA Times , not only is the black sesame taking America by storm, it's wildly popular in Europe as well. Growing up, I've always had black sesame in my food. Many Korean dishes call for it, but never had I had it in a delicious dessert until I tried the Sesame Bean Sensation ($7.50) at Royal/T cafe , located in Culver City, CA. It was a layered cake with gray sesame cream filling. The nutty and sophisticated taste of the black sesame with the girly sweetness of the fruity cake got me hooked. Ever since then, I've been on the look out for black sesame anything. When I went to L...
Read more

Cuñape

-
Image
"Cuñape" is the best cheeseballs in the world, and it’s from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. These gooey and addictive cheese balls are similar to the Brazilian "pão de queijo" or the French "gougères" or the Colombian "pandebono" but all of these are different from each other as well. Gougères are lighter and more airy while the Brazilian ones are chewier but drier on the outside. I would say the pandebonos are closest in taste and texture to the Bolivian cuñape but it is slight more bready. In Bolivia, we use mennonite cheese (farmer's cheese) for this recipe and honestly without that cheese it will never be exactly like the original but you do what you can. I've been hunting down a similar cheese in the U.S. for ages but the closest I can get to it is to use the queso blanco or fresco and add some more salt (or even mix some feta into it). The history of the cuñape is very interesting. It is a Guaraní word that means "a woman's b...
Read more

Making Mocochinchi

-
Image
I get really excited when I can think of a food or drink that is solely Bolivian. I admit there isn't too many Bolivian dishes that are not influenced by the many countries that it borders. Even the Saltena, Bolivia's most famous empanada looking pastry comes from a woman who came from Salta, Argentina, to Tarija, Bolivia.  So when I'm researching Mocochinchi, my favorite childhood and now adulthood drink, made from dehydrated whole peaches, sugar, and cinnamon, and I find that it's a "Bolivian"drink , I get really really excited. Bolivia Bella  goes on to describe regional favorites.  In Santa Cruz, you can buy the dehydrated peaches in the open markets. I snag a pound of dehydrated peaches because you really can't find these in the U.S. except maybe in Miami or Virginia, where there is a huge population of Bolivians. Using sliced dehydrated peaches don't really work for this particular drink because the fun is eating the reconstituted pe...
Read more