Hell's Kitchen's Hummus Kitchen is a restaurant focused on dip

Hummus Kitchen in Hell's Kitchen

When I first stumbled upon Hummus Kitchen, I was in disbelief that a restaurant could be entirely based on hummus. Since hummus is one of my favorite spreads, I was entirely intrigued by a menu centered around chickpeas and olive oil. But hey, it’s New York, right? And in New York the sky’s the limit; no idea is too big or too small. Hummus is typically classified as a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean food. Made of ground chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon, it’s ingredients offer iron, fiber, and vitamin C. Often considered healthy and packed with protein, it’s a perfect pre-exercise snack with vegetables yet is tasty enough to suffice as a cocktail party appetizer served with pita chips. Since I eat hummus for all occasions, it was as though Hummus Kitchen was made just for me.

Mazze of falafel

I visited Hummus Kitchen during lunch and got the $8.95 lunch special, which featured the option of one appetizer (mazze) and either a salad, Mediterranean wrap (laffa), or main dish. I went all out with the Hummus Kitchen main dish, a sampling of hummus with four varieties of toppings served with two whole wheat pitas. The hummus varieties included traditional chickpea, mushroom, Egyptian which featured fava beans, and eggplant (not to be confused with baba ganoush). For my mazze, or appetizer, I ordered the falafel, a Mediterranean favorite. It was rich in flavor and texture and served with a delicious green tahini dip, which made this a definite appetizer winner.

(clockwise from top left) chickpea, mushroom, Egyptian, eggplant

Typically, I enjoy my hummus with some texture. Some are offered extra smooth or creamy, but I like mine a little rough around the edges. The Hummus Kitchen hummus was smooth, but the various toppings eliminated this concern altogether.

My favorites by rank:
Mushroom This one won by a landslide. With sautéed mushrooms and onions on top, it was the most flavorful and texturally pleasing.
Chickpea The traditional hummus garnish came in second only due to a slight lack of flavor.
Egyptian Fava Beans Though it was bursting with flavor, the fava beans could be a bit bitter leaving an intense aftertaste.
Eggplant This one was my least favorite. While I love baba ganoush (pureed eggplant dip), Hummus Kitchen has yet to master deseeding the eggplant before serving, which is a big no-no in my book.

In the end, it was a low key and enjoyable dining experience as the four types of hummus were served on a big platter, making it sharable, casual, and fun. For a lunch totaling under $10, I got more food than necessary and was able to take the rest home for some pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres. Hummus Kitchen is definitely a lunch venue I’ll be visiting again – as soon as I need my next chickpea fix.