“Hummus is sexy.” We can thank Israel-born Budapest resident Uri Gotlibovich, who opened the first Hummus Bar in Budapest less than a decade ago, for this saying. The Hungarian magician of chickpeas and sesame cream told us that in the Middle East, hummus is also known as an aphrodisiac. Hummus is just as easy to mess up as it is easy to make, but Uri already provided us with his perfect recipe... which we unfortunately cannot share. Sorry. However, here is the recipe behind Uri’s Budapest success story.
How did the story of Hummus Bar begin?
I came to Budapest ten years ago, however surprising this might be, by chance. I came to visit one of my friends who came here for a honeymoon, and then I tried to join the high-tech business scene here, but in two years I lost all my money, and had to survive somehow. I thought a lot about what I could do in this city, and then I realized that I knew a really good hummus recipe. Fortunately, at that time hummus was not too common here, and street food in Budapest only meant Turkish gyros and Chinese buffets. Initially, people did not even know what I was making. I opened the first shop on Kertész Street, where I did everything myself, because I had no money to hire another person. So every day I woke up at 4am, went into the restaurant, and started cooking. This went on for around two years, and then new opportunities presented themselves, and that is when the story of Hummus Bar truly began. Fortunately, people quickly grew fond of hummus, which makes me very glad to this day. It is easy to become addicted to good hummus.
What makes a good hummus?
It all depends on ingredients and proportions. And of course, it always needs to be fresh. How the hummus is made is very important as well, because despite using the same recipe, the end result might be completely different the next day. Naturally, you have to put your heart and soul in it as well, since hummus is basically a lifestyle. By the way, it is always the same person who makes it in the restaurants; if someone else made it, the hummus would be completely different even with the same recipe.
Do you get the ingredients from abroad?
Not necessarily. I would rather say that we get them from everywhere that they are good; it depends on quality. For example, we always buy the vegetables from Hungary. The point is to always buy the same high-quality ingredients so that the quality does not change.How do the people of Budapest like hummus? I suppose they no longer confuse it with fertile soil.
Hungarians are very open to new things and come to us in a fair number, but it is a fact that we have a lot of foreign guests, as well. Luckily, everyone likes hummus. Our guests include students, bankers, bicycle couriers, and even grandmothers. By the way, in Israel, this food is one of the bare necessities. There are no households or refrigerators without hummus, and everyone makes it in a different way. I think Hungarians do not have a food that is so necessary in their everyday life like this.
Why do you think hummus is sexy?
It just is. In Israel, they say that if you eat a lot of hummus, you will become better in bed. It is full of protein, and is just chickpeas and sesame. What is not sexy about that?Why is that some Hummus Bar locations are vegetarian, while others have meat, as well?
This correlates with the initial clumsiness of our business plan. In the Kertész Street location, I was afraid to work with meat because I was not a professional chef. In the restaurant on Alkotmány Street, I just did not feel the meaty side of life. The turning point was the Hummus Bar on Október 6. Street, where I could already feel the need for meaty dishes. However, in addition to good kebabs, we are still famous for our veggie-friendly menu.
What do you do when you are not dealing with the restaurant? Do you have a favorite pastime? Parties?
To tell you the truth, I do not really go to parties. I work a lot, and when the day is over, I go home to be with my family. We walk around in the city and go to restaurants, but I do not usually go out and I do not really know what happens in the city after sunset. Fortunately, there is Mazel Tov where I go sometimes in the evening. But the truth is, I am more of a sitting-at-home person. I came here to work, not to have fun every night. If I really got into the party culture of Budapest, I would probably get lost in it, and then I could not figure out what I want.
And what do you want?
Now, for example, I would like to open two more restaurants, and to develop the franchise system. I have another plan, which actually has nothing to do with hummus: I want to be a soccer coach. In Israel, for children – I used to be a soccer player. But we will see what happens.
