Kosher Cuisine Is Reinvented At Hummus 21 In New York City's Midtown

In the middle of bustling Midtown East lies Hummus 21 — a new innovative Kosher Mediterranean restaurant that is changing the way New Yorkers think about Kosher cuisine. At the helm of the restaurant is head chef Safone Ahmed (Sam), who after moving to New York from the United Kingdom, developed a deep love for Middle Eastern cuisine.

Ahmed set out to create a Kosher restaurant that exceeded expectations from food quality-obsessed New Yorkers and made it his goal to ensure that those who keep Kosher and those who don't can have an awe-inspiring meal at his unique restaurant. All of the ingredients utilized in the recipes in the restaurant are top quality beef, lamb, poultry and fish that are Glatt Kosher under IKC guidelines, which is an Orthodox Kosher Supervision process.

Hummus 21 showcases for its customers a plethora of menu items that also cater to those who are vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. A few vegan dishes, that are indicated on the menu, include the daily house-made hummus, soups, salads, laffa (a Middle Eastern flatbread), and shakshuka (a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chile peppers, and onions), among other exotic blends.

A few traditional dishes worth trying include the kebab sultani made with mixed 50:50 ratio of ground beef to lamb, mixed with onion and fresh parsley, and the Parigot, created with dark meat chicken thighs marinated in fresh herbs and spices. For the lunchtime crowd, the laffa Mediterranean gourmet wraps can be assembled with falafel, shawarma, or kebab, among other ingredients.  

On Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, the restaurant is BYOB with free corkage. Hummus 21 also has an extensive Kosher wine list that spans offerings from Israel, to California, to Italy. The Israeli wines that they carry include pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and chardonnay. The space also boasts an exquisite private dining room in the back of the restaurant for events, parties and social gatherings.