Badusa: Is this the best hummus in Israel? - review

“The best hummus in Israel” is a claim made by countless purveyors of the creamy chickpea treat which is a staple in every Israeli refrigerator.

It just might be true about the hummus served at Badusa, a hummus emporium situated just alongside the Y Center in Netanya.

Owned and run by Gev (short for Gavriel), the son of the founder who came here from Tripoli as a child, the hummusiya is in the form of a kiosk. Diners sit outside at wooden tables perched on plastic grass.

Why is it a contender for the best hummus in Israel?

Gev invites me into the kitchen and shows me the whole process of hummus creation. He starts with chickpeas, soaked overnight. These are cooked, then ground up with the other classic ingredients – tehina, garlic, some lemon, spices – but at Badusa a new batch is made every 10 servings. In other words, the hummus served at Badusa is freshly made and hasn’t been sitting around for hours.

The dish arrives at our table complete with hard-boiled egg, paprika garnish, and a red sauce called tatbila, which is a pure Israeli creation. The name derives from tabil, which is a mix of herbs and spices, including chili pepper, garlic and lemon. It adds a whole new dimension to the already delicious hummus (NIS 38, or NIS 35 without the egg).

We also got to taste the shakshuka – another classic Middle Eastern delicacy, consisting of eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce. A notice on the wall thoughtfully offers a choice of how hot you want your sauce to be. It can be standard, piquant, or very spicy (NIS 42).

Served on the side is a plate of tomato, cucumber, and onion, which one would be hard-pressed to describe as a salad. Two dips of lemon garlic and Yemenite s’hug add more flavors.

A basket of fluffy pitot and chunks of fresh bread also appear. On Thursdays, Gev informs us, challot are served, too.

We were pleasantly surprised when a dessert also appeared at our table when least expected. It was another Middle East classic in the shape of malabi, a white rice pudding flavored with rosewater. It made a good sweet ending to what had been a very satisfying meal (NIS 12).

Gev also points out that he does deliveries through Wolt. But we found it very liberating in these times to get out and enjoy the environment of a real eatery for a change.

• Badusa
• 11 Arieh Regev Street
• Netanya
• Tel: (09) 833-7373
• Open: Sun.-Thurs., 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Kashrut: Netanya Rabbinate
• Wheelchair accessible
• The writer was a guest of the restaurant.