Hummus Hacarmel 11

Nestled in the eye of the beast lies a prize for the daring challenger. No, this is not The Hunger Games, but rather the always-busy Shuk Hacarmel in the heart of Tel Aviv. One would be forgiven for easily missing Hummus Hacarmel 11, with the strum and drum of the merchants and hustling customers eager to fill their bellies and bags with the spoils of the market. Walking into this labyrinth of a store, you find yourself enjoying a reprieve from Ido shouting “Eser Shekel tootim” or Tzvika screaming “caparah, boa Lapoah, Arak Chaser b’chinam.” I do the usual dance where I’m unsure whether the gentleman behind the register is the proprietor or a worker. In either case, I decide on the hummus basar, hold the falafel (trying to be healthy and sticking with my 1,200-calorie hummus snack). While those in the peanut gallery are getting ready to club me over the head for ordering my hummus with meat, I’ll caveat that my rating is on the NMC (no meat contact) portion. As with every Hummus Street review, the rating is based on plain, blue-collar working hummus. Now time for the review. The hummus has a rounded, nutty depth to it. There’s a butteriness to it, but after tasting, you realize the creaminess is only at 80%. Fairly smooth hummus with a touch of texture. No sourness to be found (Todah Aba!!). This is a solid hummus. The meat actually distracted heavily from the hummus, and if I ordered it again, I would stick to my guns and go plain, forgoing the extra protein. A solid Tel Aviv hummus.