By Richard Foss
Note: Written in 2006 – chef changed 2007, slightly smaller menu now.
I remember when hummus was exotic, something I could only get in the South Bay at Joe’s Artesia Market. When I served it at a party, I had to explain what hummus was at least twice during the evening. Now you find it in restaurants of all kinds, and nobody’s refrigerator shelf is complete without a plastic tub of the stuff.
This is progress of a sort, though some of that supermarket hummus is pretty awful, more useful for spackling holes in the bathroom wall than for actually eating. Many places try to fancy it up by adding spinach, red peppers, cheese, and whatever they have a lot of, sometimes with strange results. It’s worth going back to the roots of the cuisine, to chefs who grew up with hummus and demand that it be served at the peak of freshness.
My favorite such place is Al Hamra on Artesia just west of Inglewood, where owner Nasim Siddiqui and chef Samar Atchaw serve an unusual variety of Arabic food. Nasim is from Pakistan, Samar from Lebanon, and though the two culinary traditions are distinctly different, both are served in this little strip mall restaurant.
Of course almost all meals here start with hummus, pita, and some chips made of deep-fried pita (the latter completely untraditional as far as I know, but tasty). The hummus is the real stuff, thick and creamy, topped with a pool of fruity olive oil, chopped scallions, and a dash of the red sumac seasoning that adds color and piquancy to Arabic cooking. It’s a world apart from the prepackaged stuff, with a rich, mild garlic flavor so good that I frequently eat the whole bowl of it and end up taking much of my meal home.
On those occasions where I either have some self-control or so many dining companions that I don’t end up eating all the hummus, I often try other appetizers like the green bean, onion, and tomato salad, as well as handmade stuffed grape leaves, or tabouli. Grape leaves and tabouli have entered the culinary mainstream, but are also usually served in timid versions that only faintly resemble the real thing. Tabouli in particular is vastly better when fresh: the chopped parsley, lemon, mint and onion displaying separate and distinct flavors that complement each other rather than blending into an indistinct mush. The soups here are also excellent, the sweet pea with herbs a particular favorite of mine.
Except for samosas, made here with puff pastry rather than the usual thin, crisp dough, the starters are all Lebanese. The main courses include both Middle Eastern and Pakistani specialties, the latter similar to Indian food but with distinctly different spicing. I haven’t seen haleem, an oniony beef stew with a strong ginger kick and subtle but cumulative hotness, on any other menu in the South Bay except for Al Noor in Lawndale, and for my money it’s much better at Al Hamra. Biryani, the dish of basmati rice tossed with meat and vegetables, and chicken tikka masala are on the menu at every Indian restaurant, but the version served here tastes home-cooked, somehow more warm and hearty. I have tried Pakistani cooking before and have generally found it to be hotter and less subtle than Indian cooking, but the items I’ve tried here have made me reassess that impression.
Of course, I frequently have Lebanese entrees here too – the beef shawerma here is the best in the area, moist and tender, and I’ve enjoyed many a plate of falafel and chicken kebabs. The standout, though, is the lamb shank stew with potatoes and eggplant, a rich, warm concoction that, at ten dollars for a huge portion, is one of the great dining deals in town. A bowl of this and a salad will make a great light meal for two for less than you’d spend for appetizers elsewhere in town, and it will be memorably good.
To accompany your meal there are a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, strong Arabic coffee that will make your hair stand on end, mint tea, or mango lassi. If you have ever liked mangos or lassi, get the mango lassi, because it’s a perfect pairing with the spicy dishes, cooling the fire delightfully. There are also desserts, such as crisp baklava and a surprisingly good version of flan.
I eat at Al Hamra regularly, lured in by the excellent food, low prices, and the warm welcome from Nasim and Samar, who both seem to delight in explaining their cuisines to anyone who is interested. They’re serving the real thing, food that is healthy, exotic, and unlikely to appear in supermarket deli cases for the foreseeable future.
Al Hamra is located at 2515 Artesia Boulevard. Open 10 AM until 10 PM daily, sometimes later on weekends. Many vegetarian selections, off-street parking, wheelchair access good. Call 310-371-5919.
