Elite Event: Semsom

The Hunger Games is that movie and the newest installment finally came out but in thr world of Unilocal 3 or 4 months ago, we experienced The Hummus Games. Unilocalers battling by using their creativity and items available or home brought items in this competition. The main focus was to create your own hummus while you team with a fellow Unilocaler at the work station. There were two session 730 to 830, then 830 to 930pm. I had the latter session and enjoyed the vibe at Semsom.
This was a Manhattan elite event where you were actually put to work. We had to test out and try to create our own hummus. It was a two man or woman team and there was some sampling involved. It was time to pick a base then a protein, my teammate Justin and I picked cauliflower and in this 830 session you looked around and people had a serious look on their faces like saying my sauce is gonna beat your sauce’s ass. Whoa, friendly Unilocalers starting with the shots fired action.
We had to work in the stations, mixing the sauce’s and adding a dab of this touch of turmeric or something for flavor. Unfortunately, my creative juices were not really flowing, it was tough to work this fast but Ruggy the Manhattan CM kept everyone spirits up. He said this is not really a cut throat event, the elite event purpose is still to give you a fun day and overall time. The teams battled and winners were announced then it was time to chow down. A very healthy portion was given to everyone there to eat at the event or take home since it was getting really late. I loved the tumeric chicken and Lebanese meatballs and literally threw everything else under the sun in there. Hibiscus drink and pita chips were snacks to stuff in our mouth. The plate was so full, added cauliflower, Yogurt, carrots, and alot of white sauce. I have honestly attempted to go back to Semsom since the event but I must mix the hours up or the just don’t stay open late enough for me. Who says 1hr elite events can not be fun, this one surely was by a ton.

Cool awesome night with Elites. It was a night to remember as we teamed up with another Elite and made our own hummus creations that were judged in the first ever Hummus Games, sponsored by Semsom.
Two sessions were created to fit the volume of people planned for the event and it was really hectic. 20 minutes to create own taste, and create we did. We threw in a little bit of this, and that to the point where ours turned orange because it packed in some heat! Well, nothing too bad, but it was still tasty!
After this fun contest, we got to pick from the fast casual setup for which they will be known for here in the busy Astor Place corridor of NYU and Cooper Union. Bowl/​Wrap, protein, sauces, and toppings. Simple! They also had a drink to complement the offering and we were fun as can be. Thanks for a fun event team Unilocal NYC and Semsom for making it an worthwhile experience!

What an awesome event that worked well for vegetarians, thanks Ruggy and Semson for inviting us to participate in the Hummus Games, how clever.
So there were two Unilocal sessions and I made it to the early one. And who I see immediately when I walk in? The ever lovely Wing C., smiling and energetic as always. We get chatting and catching up and before you know it, we get paired up to be a team. Awesome!
Wing and I decided to make two types of hummus. One sweet and one savory. Now, I’ll be honest, I was skeptical about a sweet hummus recipe, but Wing made a fantastic dessert hummus. Go team!
After we all made the hummus (in teams of 2 for 20 minutes), Semsom also wanted to feed us, wow oh wow. First you pick a base (I chose rice), then you a protein (I chose the cauliflower), and then you get to add flavors and I got hummus, sweet and sour eggplant and had hot sauce and yogurt piled high! The bowl was just absolutely delicious! I really love the cauliflower, yummy! They also served a hibiscus tea, which wasn’t sweet at all and very flavorful.
I absolutely love Semsom. I will be back to have more Lebanese dishes!

Being back in the city for less than 2 weeks, one would find me of course in an Unilocal Elite event already.
Thanks Vivian V. for agreeing to be my fabulous partner in the hummus game! Although my sweet hummus (genius) creation did not win the grand prize, I couldn’t be happier to have had the opportunity to attend such fun, interactive, and delicious event!
Their hummus is out of the world — so creamy, so earthy. I couldn’t help but kept «sampling» away. We even had the chance to create on own bowl/​wrap as we awaited for the judges’ final decisions — my half rice, half salad with half pumpkin patties, half cauliflowers — yogurt sauce, eggplant salad, and hummus — every component was super delicious on its own and together as a whole! Can’t wait to return to sample the rest of the menu!
Couldn’t thank Semsom’s management team and Ruggy for the hospitality and generous treats! Another reminder why it’s so good to be back in the best city!

What a great night! Definitely one of the more unique Unilocal events I’ve attended!
Love that Semsom made our event The Hummus Games. We were put in pairs (shout-​out to my teammate Ron L.!) and given the task to create our own hummus with a table overflowing with tons of ingredients. We got so involved in making our hummus and meticulously mixing and tasting, that the time just flew by! I was proud of our creation, even if we didn’t win.
Sensom also treated us to dinner, inviting everyone to fill a whole plate of food. There was so much to choose from: meatballs, pumpkin patties, cauliflower, rice, salads, sauces, etc. I had already eaten prior to the event, so I ended up just getting samples of a bunch of things, but they were delicious and I can definitely see myself coming back.
Additional huge thanks to the good people of Semsom. Throughout the event they were so fun and friendly to chat with and make jokes. Definitely elevated the event. Also, somehow Ron and I missed the gorgeous gift boxes that were given out at the end of the event, and (after asking politely!) they invited us to stop by later and grab them! I really appreciated such a nice gesture.
Thanks so much Semsom and Ruggy for organizing this amazing event! I had a blast!

This was my first Unilocal Elite event in NYC! After coming over from West LA, I wasn’t sure what to expect… especially since there were no +1’s. But I had so much fun. The staff was so entertaining, I got to meet fellow NY Unilocalers (let’s just all be friends since I trust your restaurant opinions), and got to try to make my own hummus.
I’ll just list out the events for you: 1. Compete in the Hummus Games, no threats of death required. 2. Get a delicious meal on the house. 3. Bond with my fellow Unilocal elites.
Okay for the food and Semsom itself: That rose lemonade is amazing. It was honestly the memorable part of the food for me. It had a wonderfully unique taste and was so refreshing. And the delicious dinner that we got — with all the toppings and sauces my heart desired — just made a good event great. I’ll definitely be back.
The concept of event was so clever. I mentioned the puns to my coworkers and everyone approved. Just to be clear, the odds were not in my flavor. I loved all the Hunger Games related, friendly competition. The selection of mixes and spices for the hummus was definitely analogous to the cornucopia. And I absolutely love the gifts we got. It’s a decoration to my new place. Always got room for Unilocal love — even in my small Manhattan apartment.
Thanks so much Ruggy and the Semsom staff! I can’t wait for my next event.

So I was part of the second group for this event (8:30−9:30), the idea of this event was to team-​up with a other Unilocaler and created the most delicious hummus you and your partner can make, using a few ingredients that were in the table, each team also had to give a name for their team. The winners are going to represent New York in the Semsom’s international menu.
I team up with Justin L, and our team name was Tingo[Si] he did a good job mixing and add the all ingredients. Although we do not win, I think ours hummus was one of the best without any doubt.
While the judges were deliberated and making the hard decision on which team crafted the best hummus and who was going to be the one who represent NYC, we the elite were eating and making our on bowl with rice, meat and vegetables.
The staffs were so friendly, enthusiastic, they did a good job.
Shout to my friend Mardory and her teammate, for winning the competition.
Thanks to Ruggy and the Owners of Semsom for this wonderful and new way to do event.

I don’t even know what to say. Put a room full of Unilocalers together, throw in some spice and a little hummus and what you get is a whole lot of love.
I walked in at exactly 8:25pm to find that the earlier session was still bubbling over with good times. I said hello to the awesome-​sauce Unilocalers in attendance I was already acquainted with. However, when it came time to find a partner for the Hummus Games, I was lucky enough to meet the yin to my hummus yang: Scott M!
I can’t even tell you how much fun we had without it sounding weird so I’ll just say that you should read Scott’s review. Lol. Of course, there were other super duper awesome folks I met that I can’t wait to see again!
SEMSOM is amazing and with Carine and Christine at the helm I could really see this place becoming a strong competitor to many companies out there. Of course great leadership trickles down and Semsom’s staff could not have been more approachable nor attentive. Scott and I got to check out their wall of happiness which is an awesome thing to encourage as a company. I’m overly ecstatic that I was chosen to participate in this event and that I got to sample all of their high quality, carefully crafted and tasty ingredients. Thanks for giving us a sample of what you’re all about.
This was an awesome event and Once again I give the utmost shout out and thanks to Ruggy– thee best CM! Thanks for only choosing the best events for me! :)

I am a hospital data analyst by day, and a stealthy chef by night. (If you don’t follow me on Instagram already under «seeksatiation», you’re missing out. Ha!) I love to cook and love to work on my food blog. Chopping vegetables and whisking sauces is my preferred exercise over an elliptical machine and HIIT exercises any day. Needless to say, I was really psyched when I got accepted into an event that involved putting my culinary skills to good use!
Located smack dab in the middle of Astor Place, Semsom is definitely one of those wonderful food oasises that one may come across and think, «This place is so awesome, but I don’t want to tell anyone else about it because I want to keep it all to myself!» I arrived for the 8:30 — 9:30 p.m. event session, my curiosity piqued by a table full of ingredients. The rules of the cleverly-​named Hummus Games were to pick a partner, pick some ingredients, and get cracking! The goal? To win a chance to have your creation featured on Semsom’s international menu, representing our grand city of New York!
It goes without saying that Lori L. and I were partners, because… duh. Any seasoned Unilocaler knows our love knows no bounds. ;-) I don’t think either of us were really in the competition frame of mind, but we just wanted to have a good time. She and I definitely took different routes with our creations, hers chock full of spices and vegetables. I opted for cocoa and mint. Ha! It wasn’t bad, but the mint overpowered the flavor of the cocoa by a mile. My second creation was roasted garlic with pomegranate molasses, which… I’m thinking I may have to create for my own blog at some point. Ha! Delicious!
Contest winners were eventually announced, and congrats are due to Mardory and Scott for their winning creation! Awesome job, you two! Hummus clearly IS where the heart is! I’ll def be back to Semsom to give it a taste. Admittedly, though I wasn’t really in a competitive spirit, I spaced out on the whole part in which points for appearance were mentioned; I just whipped up my hummus with no real regard for that! No matter. All that matters is that I had a blast and got to whip up some food with some great Unilocalers.
We were all treated to dinner at the end, a fully-​customized bowl with ingredients of our choosing! Semsom follows that Chipotle model: Pick your base, pick your protein, and pick your sauces. I opted for romaine lettuce with turmeric chicken, thyme roasted cauliflower, cabbage, yogurt, hummus, and white sauce. WOW. As good as it all was, I probably could have consumed that entire tray of cauliflower. I was not expecting a full dinner, but was so pleased at Semsom’s generosity.
Finally, we all got gift boxes upon leaving! That was not expected either. Jasmine tea and a bottle of turmeric will be put to good use in my kitchen, for real.
I may not have won, but I had a blast making hummus creations and meeting some new Unilocalers. As I previously mentioned, Semsom’s generosity floored me! Many thanks to them for a jam-​packed hour of fun, and thanks to Ruggy and Unilocal for putting this whole shindig together.

I’ve walked Astor Place many a times, but I’ve never noticed Semsom until now! After attending such a great event, tasting such delicious food, and getting to meet the wonderful staff, I can’t wait to begin my loyal customer-​ship!
I was completely blown away by the hospitality and the friendliness that each member of the Semsom staff showed. Everyone really went out of their way to make us feel welcomed. I felt completely at home and comfortable asking whatever questions came to mind.
The event was short, but we covered so much within the 60 minutes that my mind is still reeling! The Hummus Games was a lot of fun, and I’m glad we didn’t have to make the hummus from scratch. In my opinion, mixing different ingredients into pre-​made hummus is a lot more exciting. and offers a lot more room (and time) for creativity! :P
I snacked on the hummus as part of our taste-​testing, and I was planning on having dinner afterwards, but they fed us! And it wasn’t just a ‘snack’. It was a full-​on, full-​sized portion of either their ‘bowl’ or their ‘wrap’! I got a bowl with tumeric rice, savory beef, and a couple of their other toppings (delish!).
Their setup definitely reminded me of Chipotle’s, which apparently works just as well for Lebanese cuisine as it does for Mexican cuisine! I ate until I was full and still had a whole bunch of food left over, which I was able to put a lid on and take home. (By the way, I’m a huge fan of their eco-​friendly containers and utensils.) I thought the hibiscus juice was also a huge hit! Super tangy, but refreshing and ‘healthy’ tasting!
The attention to detail was phenomenal. From the set up of the stations, to the presentation of their food, to the super adorable goodie. boxes that we got at the end of the night. Everything — and I mean EVERYTHING — was on point. Even the light, airy décor of the restaurant! I mean, you really can’t help but fall in love with a restaurant that has a Winnie the Pooh quote on its wall. :)
I also can’t believe that they were able to handle us in addition to their walk-​in customers! That is definitely a considerable feat. Thank you for hosting such a fun event, Semsom! And thanks for giving us the opportunity to attend, Ruggy! :)

Welcome to the First Hummus Games! This was cooler than I had expected and kind of like a hummus edition of Top Chef. Ingredients were splayed out like a buffet on a table when we arrived. We were given refreshing and exceptionally tart lemonade to quench our thirst as we waited in anticipation for the first group to file out. Being exhausted after trying to kill 2 and a half hours at my gym downtown, I was ready to grind some hummus and get down to business. I picked out from the table what I personally thought sounded tasty and kind of scratched the idea of using anything inventive like candied pieces and cocoa powder. Quickly after gathering my ingredients and wondering what the hell we were exactly supposed to do I just started putzing around with my kitchen knife until a kind staff lady walked by and asked if I would like a mortar and pestle. HELL YES I WOULD. Edamame and garlic were thrown into the mess and I ground away. I threw in some goat cheese, turmeric, sumac, salt, and pepper, diced up cucumbers and carrots and the edamame garlic paste and decided I was done. My partner had already created her own hummus spread as well. We clearly worked well together lol. But we both came up with creative and tasty concoctions, hers being a more traditional hummus blend with an underlying olive taste. The staff came by and I exuberantly chanted that I was done because I hella wanted food. «You’re being judged on presentation» (Shifts eyes to floor) «Would you like another cup?» (Shifts eyes to floor and ponders a minute) «Mmmmmm. .. . No.. .. .I want food.» Hey, I at least wiped the top of my cup off before placing it down. It looked like it came straight out of the Hunger Games. I was going for that authentic look and feel. Right.
The menu was open to us as a free for all. Most of everyone was pretty content and set on getting a Chipotle style Mediterranean burrito bowl as I was myself. I went with the Tumeric chicken with all the trimmings of fragrant rice, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, hummus, yogurt, and a sour eggplant mixture. Pretty good. It tasted like healthy-​ish food that you don’t feel as guilty as over eating. I was pretty intrigued by their greeting cards I noticed set off to the side: «You are the eggplant to my Moutabal», «You are the Thyme to my Manoushe», «You are the Parsley to my Tabbouleh», «You are the chickpea to my Hommus». Genius. After chowing down and finding out the winners, Ruggy apparently liked my mess of a creation even though I was a loser, (Woot!) I dashed off. And totally missed the little tea and spice crates. But the thought was pretty amazing since we took over their space and made so many so many culinary messes. Thanks again Semsom and Ruggy!

…yes, the «Hum Drum» was mine.
Yes, the name is a Debbie Downer.
No, I did not toss all the ingredients in and called it a creation, because it was, indeed, a real creation.
And yes, I know I could’ve done better with the name.
But I promise you, it is delicate and delicious.
This has got to be the most hands-​on Unilocal event I’ve ever been to – and by that, I mean the most hands-​on I’ve ever been at an event.
From the moment I stepped in, I was immediately hit with a wave of homeliness by the staff – everyone was truly welcoming, friendly, and they certainly rubbed some of their good energy on me. Rosemary and I got together as one and boy, were we messy. We (me, for the most part) had no idea what we were doing, had no idea if we were doing it right, and the vie for presentation was long gone since we were focused heavily on getting the hummus right in limited time.
20 minutes later, dozens of ingredients (and a lot of spices permeating the air in our station), and a whole lot of brain cells lost later, thus the «Hum Drum» was born: garlic cloves, pinches of tamarind, salt & pepper, ricotta cheese, and cilantro (and a bunch of other ingredients I can’t remember). Sure, it was not pretty in presentation, but it all came from the beauty of spontaneity and cluelessness, and we were damn proud of it!
Though that was only a part of the experience, the food was just unforgettable and hit the nail on the head. Here I am, still thinking about the amazing Taouk Chicken, Lebanese Meatballs, Tamarind Rice, the delicious hummus – and my favorite, the cauliflower & thyme. It was a lot of food, but damn, it was just so good. It felt like a hearty homemade meal – except I’m nowhere near Middle Eastern. Portions were great and the staff was so accommodating. I can definitely eat this over Chipotle any day. The rose lemonade was also very interesting and great to wash down your food with.
HUGE shout-​out to Ruggy who was able to get me in last minute; I’m so glad I didn’t miss this one at all!

Hands down most fun and creative Elite Event yet! So glad I attended and such a great idea. It was fun to try to think of a new way to vamp up the hummus I’ve been eating for years. Thanks Ruggy :)
As many others already did the whole run down of the event I’ll just add:
Because this was one of my first events I’ve attended without a +1, we were all mingling with each other– had a great time meeting fellow Unilocalers: Scott M, Kathryn T, Mardory V, Jade J and Allison G.
I learned about Unilocal forums (yep, dey a thing), people can get a date on Unilocal,etc.
After the Hummus Games, we each took a team polaroid (super cute), browsed the store, and had dinner on the house. On our way out, we were given the best baskets full of spices, loose leaf tea, etc. They clearly put a lot of effort into making this event special. It was much appreciated.
They even put a turmeric sesame seed muffin in my hand as I left. Clearly, they know the way into my heart… thru my stomach.
Well done all :)

This event was the bomb dot com. A weeknight at a later hour? Count me in. We were paired up. Not knowing anyone at this shindig I turned to my left and asked the friendliest person in the room to be my partner — Mardory.
The premise of the night was to design your own hummus. Which table did we pick? Front and center. We started talking a big game early — we knew we had something special going on. We picked some ingredients — a little of this, a little of that, a little joke here and there. Other duos had a very determined and fierce way of concocting their hummus. Mardory and I? «Let’s put in a little of that thing.» «This one looks like it would give some color, let’s do that.» «I think it needs some of whatever you call this.»
Our team name was Hummus Where the Heart Is. We used harissa, sriracha, parsley, olive oil, turmeric, and just a tiny bit of granulated sugar.
We decided our hummus would suffice and sent it to the judging table. In the meantime, we told everyone that we were going to win while we were given a tour of the space and fed! Think Middle Eastern Chipotle. Choose a wrap or bowl, choose a protein, choose your toppings. I had a bowl with rice and romaine, taouk chicken, one meatball, some hummus, cucumbers and tomatoes. It was divine.
At the end they announced the winners. And who do you know won this thing? Mardory and I! Our hummus will be available in (all?) the stores (soon?).
Had a great time meeting other Unilocalers for the first time. Gina K, Kathryn T, Allison G, Lori L, and of course my new Unilocal BFF, Mardory V!
A very special thank you to our hosts from Semsom, Ruggy, and the Unilocal team for an awesome evening. Can’t wait to get back to Semsom to show all my friends our creation.

We were greeted by Unilocal and Samson staff with a friendly energy.
Ambiance: Place has some seating as well as a counter. Décor is clean and simple yet colorful.
Hummus: I was paired with Sharon to make our own humus. They had an array of toppings, from roasted Garlic, to ricotta cheese, fresh pomegranate and various spices. It was fun mixing and tasting the various possibilities. I can’t say our hummus looked the best, but I can assured you it was quite tasting. We named it Hum Drum.
Food: After we submitted our hummus, we got to try their yummy food. The turmeric rice was classic. The Taouk Chicken was amazing as well as all the sides and the sauces (Ay that white sauce!). To top it off, they gave us little muffins as dessert.
Service: The staff was sooo friendly and enthusiastic, really good vibe.
Overall this event was a blast!
Thanks Ruggy!

Woot! Semsom I want some! Some more hummus that is! This tastefully healthy and scrumdiddlyumptious Lebanese food restaurant is made right.
This has to be one of the best Unilocal events I have been to. Great job Ruggy! Also the constant interaction by the owners/​employees of Semsom made the experience very enjoyable and a fun time. The idea of creating a hummus to be sold in every store throughout the world was a great idea and made the event that much better. I learned a lot about all different types of spices and foods while here and a little bit about the Lebanese culture.
Semsom is strategically located right by the N/​R subway stop and near cooper union which should offer a great amount of foot traffic. When entering the restaurant you are immersed in the smells of fresh spices and you see a clean restaurant. When I met Ruggy I got paired up with Nikki and we went straight away into trying the spices, cheeses, grains etc to figure out what would make our best hummus. I ended do a kind of parfait with the feta cheese which was probably one of the best cheese and a number of the spices. In the end we didn’t win but had a fun time and experience trying.
After making our food we both got went up to get our meals. The tall guy semsom worker who told us about the foods was full of energy and explained to us about the different items semsom offers. This guy is definitely a great worker to have because of his upbeat and customer friendly attitude. I tried a little bit of everything and every single item on the menu is delicious. Every single item was soooooo gooooooood! The flavor of the spices in the meats and hummus were mouth watering. In addition to the food the drinks they make are delicious the hibiscus drink was very good and similar to pom juice. I want to thank Semsom for putting on this event and for the care package on the way out!
I bookmarked Semsom and will definitely be coming back here in the future.
In the end great owner! great food! great restaurant! great event! great times!

Who knew we were all hummus-​making connoisseurs? At Semsom, we were given the creative outlet to concoct our own hummus with a wide variety of ingredients and while you’re at it… add in some friendly competition! Hence, the Hummus Games!
I teamed up with Jane S. and we tested out a few different flavor combinations before picking our final product. We were first given a plain base of hummus and then ushered to the ingredient table. Ah, it’s like a kid in a candy store. What spices, oils, herbs to choose?!
Capers, goat cheese, cilantro, olive oil, turmeric, edamame, turkish delights, lucky charms… you name it, they had it. Jane and I mixed and matched different flavors and came down to the final 2 options. Hers was sweet and mine was spicy (go figure) with a nice subtle hint of sriracha. Hence our team name: Sweet and Spicy. In the end, we didn’t win. But props to the team who did win, what a cute name! And punny too.
Let’s be real — in the end we all were winners. We were given a full plate of food (That turmeric chicken was fantastic and artfully done, I might add) and also a beautiful box filled with teas, spices and lavender cookies! I’m all for these smaller events. It’s a great way to meet new people like Jane S. my awesome hummus-​making partner. A huge thanks to the staff of Semsom and Ruggy for hosting this creative, fun event!

If an oblivious bystander were to walk into Semsom on the night of the Unilocal Elite Event, he/​she would have thought we were filming a segment of Top Chef, Chopped, or any other cooking reality show you can think of. This was BY FAR the most unique Unilocal Elite Event I have ever attended, and a HUGE SHOUT OUT to Ruggy + the entire Semsom staff (super friendly, I will add!) for organizing and flawlessly executing this fantastic event.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect for this event, except the description said it will involve a hummus making session. Turns out the Elites were invited to participate in Semsom’s «The Hummus Games,» an international competition across the 5 countries in which Semsom has locations. In this cooking competition, each pair of Elites developed a new hummus recipe using a bunch of ingredients, and the winning hummus recipe will be featured for a month across the world as the New York hummus.
Due to the small size of the restaurant, the event was divided into two 1-​hour events. I was in the latter group, and the first group was just leaving when I arrived. Everyone settled into their hummus-​making stations, and off we went with our creative endeavor! My cooking partner was Katie H., an awesome Unilocaler whom I met for the first time tonight. I will add that this intimate event was a great way to meet new Elites :)
Everyone got a plain Semsom hummus to start. We grabbed different ingredients like spices (tumeric, cocoa powder, etc.), sauces (sriracha!), vegetables (carrots, radishes, basil/​mint, squash), and sweets (sesame crackers, coconut chips, candied chickpeas). There were so many ingredients to choose from! Katie and I made about 3 – 4 different hummus, and eventually settled on Sweet and Spicy hummus.
In between making our creations, we also snacked on/​sampled the hummus that we made (lots of trial and error!), and each person got a full portion bowl of the food. I got the pumpkin patty & tumeric chicken on a bed of romaine with yogurt, cabbage, carrots, and cucumber. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pumpkin patty (too sweet… I think I prefer falafel balls), but the chicken was very tender. I tried the Lebanese meatball, and it was probably my favorite. The hummus here at Semsom is fantastic as well.
At the end of the event, the winners were announced (…and their creation will represent NYC hummus!) and each Elite received a goodie basket with tea, candies, etc. I can’t wait to come back and try other food, and also the winners’ hummus when it becomes available :)

I was lacking a good nights rest and all sweaty from the friggin unending humidity, when I sauntered into a restaurant full of activity and excitement. I had arrived at The Hummus Games.
The air inside was cool so I quikly-​ish dried off as I was immediately welcomed by one of my fave CM’s Ruggy who then intro’d
me to Laurie, my contest partner! Dude had it down like clockwork, as they were on a mission to find that new NY hummus flava!
There was a briefing of the points breakdown;
10 for flavor
5 for plating
5 for creativity.
I think we have some Iron Chef enthusiasts runnin this! Next, team Hummus Chicks (our team name) got a tour of the contest set up, ingredients table and we set to work at our station, next to Ron L’s.
Chop this, mix that, taste this, add that… all in a 25 minute time limit. Again a nod to Iron Chef. That show should be the bible of food contests as this contest was conducted flawlessly. We finally came up wif a cored out apple filled with a fruity yet savory hummus of feta and porn seeds with a special ingredient of rose flava Turkish delights. Apon completion, it was immediately photographed with us both holding it, then whisked away to be judged.
I was soooo sure we were going to win but then I saw Mardory’s check in announcement that she and some dude had won The H Games. As I typed in my congratulations, I was also secretly hatin a lil. Hey I’m competitive! Hey I’m human!
But…I’m happy for them and proud of Mardory for creating such a delish product with a seriously badass name of «hummus where the heart is» which I could totally see being touted as the main logo there. Love that name! Perfect in a branding campaign.
Wait I gotta back it up a lil as I totally skipped the part where they fed us a huge hummus bowl of our choice ingredients, ordering it was very much like the Chipotle system. Ez breezy! Time was not on our side as the 830 crew quickly arrived and I ended up having to take it to go. That was fine by me as I wasn’t very hungry… from all the sampling of Lebanese meatballs, chicken, cauliflower and beef bite.
On my way out I said hai to Mardory and Gerardo who was a lil sweaty which made me feel a whole lot better that I wasn’t the only one with over active sweat glands! Ok just so you all know, people who moisturize a lot, sweat more.
So where was I? Oh yeah, out the door with a cup of their ahhhmazing hibiscus drink and I was a happy woman! I’m lucky to have been invited to such a fun and kewl Unilocal event. Thanks Ruggy!!! You totally rock!!!
Honestly I was going to give away this hummus bowl to a habib, but writing this and eating the yummy bowl right now, IM SO GLAD I DIDNT!!! This bowl is delicious as it is healthy. I’d definitely stop by soon. I know even tho I call it a hummus bowl, I actually opted for the tazicki which wins out over hummus half the time for me. Which brings up the idea of starting a Taziki Games!!! Who’s in?

Semsom would have been an eatery I would have easily passed by on any other day, especially given its proximity to East Village and Astor Place, but thankfully, Unilocal had other plans for us. I arrived at the cute Lebanese eatery just a few minutes before the second session at 8:30PM, but was welcomed in at the door, checked in, and had my name tag ready to go within minutes. A few friends of mine were wrapping up their earlier session, and they promised that Semsom would be a great event.
As the five stars will give away, it was.
What was most unique to this event was the opportunity to create our own varieties of hummus, the much-​loved mashed chickpeas. Semsom’s starter was already delicious, a creamy base with a touch of lemon and olive oil, but we had full access to a wide range of vegetables, spices, herbs, and mix-​ins. I was perhaps a little too excited over the ingredients, scooping up corn, edamame, cucumbers, squash and zucchini cubes, cilantro, turmeric, basil, goat cheese, and sriracha… There were a few brave souls who veered towards the sweet route, however, as various cereals, cocoa powder, and even a pomegranate molasses was available for experimentation. At the end, each team of two Unilocalers was able to enter one of their creations in the contest, and kudos go to the masterminds behind «Hummus Where the Heart Is» who wound up winning.
Semsom was also generous enough to let us all try their menu, which I can best describe as a Middle Eastern version of Chipotle. Pick a bowl or a wrap, add on a protein, and top with additional vegetables, an aromatic cucumber-​mint yogurt, marinated eggplant, and/​or hummus. I opted for the bowl, which included a fragrant turmeric rice, the tangy Taouk Chicken and the Savory Beef, and rounded it out with plenty of vegetables, hummus, and yogurt. The end result was as delicious as it was hearty, and I had enough to take home with me. And that wasn’t all: Semsom even had baskets prepared for us, filled with teas, spices, and seasonings to use at home. It was definitely an unnecessary gesture, but one that was reflective of the hospitality and welcome we all received that evening.
Many, many thanks to Semsom for hosting us and overseeing a (rather haphazard) contest with not just one, but two sessions of Unilocalers, and for taking such excellent care of us as we wreaked havoc on their venue [1]. Of course, many thanks to Ruggy to coordinating and pulling off such a fantastic event which introduced us to such a unique eatery, and to the Unilocalers who helped instigate a little friendly competition. ;) It was certainly an event for the books, and the ‘gram (of course).
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[1] A slight exaggeration, but you get my point.