Forced by COVID-19 to temporarily close its doors, Northbridge restaurant and social hub The Hummus Club is offering virtual Hummus Masterclasses as a way to share the culture and flavours of the Middle East with Perth.
Owners Kaitlin Eterovic and Ziad Zammar opened The Hummus Club in November 2016, as a way to bring the flavours of Middle Eastern culture to the people of Perth. With no previous experience in hospitality, Kaitlin and Ziad started The Hummus Club as a market stall before finally opening the restaurant, serving up tapas-style plates and filling a gap in Perth's culinary scene.
Anyone who has been to The Hummus Club on a Friday or Saturday night knows that the atmosphere is lively and busy with people deep in conversation, reflecting the busy streets of countries such as Morocco and Syria, where community and connection is highly valued. In celebration of the incredible artists of the region, the walls of the restaurant are inscribed with poetry written in the oldest known Arabic script Kufic.
Rather than resorting to takeaway, Ziad and Kait made the difficult decision to close during this time for the safety of their staff and clients.
"The food is not designed for takeaway, it is designed to be shared," Ziad emphasised.
In a bid to stay afloat, the team at The Hummus Club have started a campaign calling out to the Perth community for support and to stay connected. Ziad said that they were able to open due to a similar crowdfunding campaign back in 2016. Returning to those roots, you can join the 'master of chickpeas' himself Ziad Zammar and Executive Chef Emily Heron for a virtual Hummus Masterclass that offers insider tips and tricks into hummus-making.
Drawing on secrets straight from the streets of Syria, the recipe is Ziad's grandmother's recipe, adapted with a WA vibe using the freshest WA produce including chickpeas from the Ord River up in the Kimberley. The Hummus Masterclasses will be run through Facebook and will go for approximately 1 hour on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Beyond making your own hummus, you'll be treated to a cultural lesson, as Ziad takes you through the history of hummus, which dates back to medieval cookbooks in Egypt and was originally made with vinegar before tahini was substituted.
"Hummus can be made in so many different ways, and what is traditional to one side of the street will be completely different on the other side," Ziad said.
If you want to go that step further, you can also order a Hummus Masterclass Kit and pick it up from restaurant, or if you live within 10km of Perth, they'll deliver it to your door. The Hummus Kit makes a generous 1kg of hummus, so you'll have lots to share with the family or your lockdown-buddies. If you're not a fan of hummus, you still enjoy the flavours of the Middle East by picking up one of their famous spice mixes or home-blended teas.
See the full campaign and sign up for the Hummus Masterclass here.
https://media.localista.com.au/2020/04/IMG_20200223_123359_101-1.jpg