From the house of the French ambassador to Humusia in south Tel Aviv.
Erlenco (Photo: Rotem Drov)
If you experienced the Israeli rock scene in real time in the 1990s, you may remember the "Hummus Bar" located on Karlibach Street in Tel Aviv, an illogical combination of a rock club that hosted bands and bands such as Zakani Safet and Subway Soccers (if you are still a rock fan from the nineties and don't know the Savoy Soccers, search on YouTube) when the guests would combine this whole rock experience, instead of dancing and jumping off the stage like decent rockers, with a portion of hummus at a crazy hour like midnight, alongside a draft beer.
I have no idea how the scene dealt with this unique culinary experience, but I can testify for myself that I like to eat my hummus in the morning, or early afternoon.
And why did I return to the nostalgic past?
Because, surprisingly, there is a new hummus in Tel Aviv, which for weeks has been causing strong and positive rumors among mesbahah and hummus Paul addicts, and even more surprisingly, it is located inside a concert club that has been leading the Israeli indie scene for 17 years, "Labontin 7" of course, which, as its name suggests, is located in On a street in the south of the city, in a complex that has since finished being renovated in honor of the light rail, is probably going to be the next hot area.
"Knows what Julia is worth."
Hummus 7
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Rotem Drob (@rotemdrob)
"When I arrived in Israel, I didn't realize that it was a dish in itself. I thought it was some kind of addition, or a spread and that's it"
If the location wasn't surprising enough, "Humous 7" is led by 42-year-old Julia Orlenco, a French chef who went through the most prestigious kitchens both in France and here in Israel (Cucina Tamar and Menta Ray, for example) and then worked as a sous chef at home The French ambassador for about eight years.
So what do we have so far?
Hummus on the bar floor of a concert club that operates only from morning to afternoon, led by a chef who did not grow up here, and one who testifies to herself that she once did not know what hummus was at all.
"When I arrived in Israel, I didn't realize that it was a dish in itself. I thought it was some kind of addition, or a spread and that was it," she explained.
Trust us, come early
The difference between Paris and Tel Aviv, in 5 painful minutes
To the full article
A selection of salads that go beyond the template of fried cauliflower and finely chopped salad.
Hummus 7 (Photo: Rotem Drov)
"In my opinion, there is no good hummus in the center of Tel Aviv that is light and tasty and such that you can eat it and continue the day and not want to go to sleep."
Asif Tzahor, a musician himself and the proud owner of Labontin 7 for the past 17 years, is responsible for the management side.
"I love hummus," he testified himself, "and Julia is a good friend of my wife. I turned to her and asked her if she would like to open a hummus shop with me, because in my opinion there is no good hummus in the center of Tel Aviv that is light and tasty and the kind that you can eat and continue today and not wanting to go to sleep. I know Julia and know what she is worth, she is at the highest levels, but nevertheless we set out on a little journey of tasting hummus at the considered hummus shops in Israel and they willingly revealed a lot of secrets to us along the way, in order to understand where we want to take the place ".
According to Erlenko, "It's very pleasant to work here. I have children and I have no desire to work in the evenings and on holidays at a chef's restaurant. What do you need to serve hummus? Not much, not expensive equipment like hoods or a grill that costs tens of thousands of shekels."
Dishes that come in two sizes and at very attractive prices.
Hummus 7 (Photo: Rotem Drov)
Somewhat surprisingly, this whole business works - and in a big way.
In addition to the classic dishes such as grain hummus and Paul hummus, the menu contains unusual departures such as a fennel salad with green apple, rocket, radishes and onions, or a black lentil salad with tomatoes, celery, onions in blush and tahini.
"When we did a tasting" Tzhor explains, "suddenly she already brought out great salads and such precise dishes. It was a pleasant surprise, she brought her part which is a little different, I didn't think in that direction at all."
Erlenko adds that "Precisely because I supposedly don't come from this culture of hummus, I don't feel like making a regular chopped salad, which also requires a lot of work. I feel like making pleasant and convenient salads that are also delicious. Everything here is operated by me, I prepare the food, I I serve, without other employees, just me. Sometimes I prepare dishes as I feel like, tomorrow for example I will prepare a root salad with pickled lemon, and there is always a dish that changes."
without a "hard business plan"
The diners will find in the menu (which is vegan by the way) two sizes of dishes at uniform prices - NIS 15 for a small dish and NIS 25 for a large dish.
Cheap by all accounts.
"Today, restaurants come with a tough business plan," Tzhor explains the place's attractive prices, "and even before the first customer enters the business, they are at a loss that they must cover. Certainly in Tel Aviv. I don't have all that. My place has been in business for 17 years, it is It just wasn't open when there was daylight outside, I didn't even have to buy tables and chairs", he smiled, while promising that "it will always be cheap here and it will always be delicious here".
Indeed, the combination of two portion sizes gives a refreshing option to eat a meal that is not just hummus, and to combine a salad or two for less than NIS 50 (that's fine, even a normal hummus dish for NIS 25 will satisfy you like any other hummus in Israel), and to munch on coconut milk Excellent with citrus syrup and candied pecan pieces, also at a price of NIS 15.
Hummus 7, Levontine 7,
Food
Food reviews
Tags
Hummus
Levontine 7
