Hummus Lebanese Café in Guwahati

In the last few years Guwahati has evolved into a food lover’s paradise. No longer limited to the Indian or Chinese cuisines, restaurateurs have dared to experiment with flavours. As more locals travel or live abroad, the city’s taste buds have learned to crave for international dishes.

Evolving from the “Indianised chowmein” and the pizzas and pastas, people are now looking for the more authenticate versions of international cuisines. Simultaneously, the look-out for healthy eating options are also increasing.

Well… ticking off all the above mentioned boxes there is one restaurant in the city. Awarded the ‘best restaurant for healthy food’ at the Guwahati Food Awards 2022, ‘Hummus Lebanese Café’ promises to give you the authentic Middle Eastern cuisine ride.

Abhijit Borkotoky who has spent over 17 years of his childhood in Kuwait has been returning to Hummus time and again. He said, his search for the authentic tastes of his childhood ended here. “I have tried the so-called Lebanese cuisine in many restaurants of Guwahati. But Hummus serves the actual. Even my mother loves it from the very first bite- be it the falafel, the mutabal or the others in the menu.”

Located in one of the city’s all-time favourite location, SK Baruah Road, Dighalipukhuri, Hummus has bought to the plate all the “Instragammable dishes” that Guwahatians have been only watching on social media and drooling over until now.

Hummus Lebanese Café in Guwahati
Hummus Lebanese Café in Guwahati

It is the courtesy of Afroz Mohammad, a foodie passionate about Lebanese cuisine. Co-owner and brand chef, Chef Meeraz, who has years of experience in some of the leading star-hotels of the country and abroad had returned to Guwahati to share his knowledge and love for international cuisine.

“Since 2004 I have worked with world class chefs in the best of hotels. My speciality has been continental, Latin American and Mediterranean. But when you have seen the world you wish to share your experiences with the people back home. Retuning, I found people loving the shawarma and the hummus. But there is much more to Lebanese then just these two… and so Hummus Lebanese Café was introduced,” said Chef Meeraz.

Speaking of world cuisine, while most restaurants and even chain brands have diluted the authentic taste to keep up with the Indian taste, Hummus is determined to maintain the original taste. “I am a student of world food and have been amongst the few youngest Executive Chefs in the country. I have to do justice to the dishes I have painstakingly mastered and help my customers in understanding and appreciating it.”

The café has been treating Guwahati with tastes from the Middle East since 2021. Started at as small joint, it has now boomed into a full-fledged restaurant, giving the customers an absolute Middle Eastern dining experience in its vibrant décor.

“We knew people would love us, the food is fresh, most ingredients are procured from the best markets outside Assam. We have not limited ourselves to just the food. The décor- the chandeliers, the tiles, and the furniture are handpicked to match the actual. We want to give the diners a wholesome experience,” he said.

Hummus Lebanese Café in Guwahati
Hummus Lebanese Café in Guwahati

Plating a delicately chosen menu, the recipes are not limited to just the commercial ones, but experiments with the variants of the different countries, be it the variants of Egypt, Yemen, UAE, Lebanon or Turkey. “There are varieties of hummus, and the Middle Eastern are very particular about their breads – pita, khubz, etc. We make these fresh in-house. Middle Eastern cuisine uses just three main spices mixtures- Za’atar, Sumac, and lots of dried fruits and olive oil. We get the best from abroad.”

Visiting Hummus Lebanese Café, their grilled chicken, salad, varieties baklava pastry are a must try. Keeping up with the authentic Middle Eastern menu, Hummus is majorly non-vegetarian. But they have not left out the vegetarian crowd; the assorted mushroom platters of shiitake, gucci with hummus dip, falafel, are equally amazing.

Oh! And all these cooked by a trained chef hired from outside the state.

Journalist Maithilee Bhuyan, in her words of praise for Hummus, said: “On my first visit, the first thing that struck me was the décor, a very Middle Eastern vibe. About the food, I have tried quite a few places in Delhi serving Middle Eastern cuisine, but I must say Hummus is far better. It is very brave of them to serve authentic recipes rather than the ‘Indianised’ version. Authenticity is their USP (unique selling proposition).”

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Avatar photo
About TNM QuickNews

-

Quick News Desk at The News Mill