Hasiba restaurant

"What It Is: A hummus restaurant in Pico-Robertson from the people behind Lodge Bread Co. Perfect For: Lunch, Casual Weeknight Dinner This hummusiya (yes, a restaurant that specializes in hummus) run by the same people as Lodge Bread Co. combines many of our interests, like eating fantastic food and eating hummus. We stopped in a couple of weeks ago and weren’t disappointed. It’s a small space, with an even smaller front patio that serves four different types of pureed chickpeas (the wild mushroom is the best), a couple of shakshukas, and some pita sandwiches. The Verdict: Get here for a fun lunch, casual dinner, or whenever you can - you shouldn’t need an excuse for this hummus. It’s going on the Hit List." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, brett keating

"The last time you turned hummus into a full meal was probably more recently than you’d like to admit - as in, last week when you ate it out of a tub while you were writing a cold open at 11pm. But the hummus from Hasiba is a completely different species from the store-bought stuff. It’s creamy, tahini-y, and perfect. Get a couple different kinds to split, plus a crispy eggplant sabich for each person. Even though your psycho of a showrunner just threw a dry erase marker at you, you’ll still end up thinking it’s a pretty good day." - brant cox, brett keating

"Hasiba in Pico-Robertson is one of the first places we go when we’re craving really good hummus, like their wild mushroom version with caramelized onions, tahina, fresh herbs, and chermoula, a North African sauce with tons of bright citrus and garlic flavors. But it’s also where we head for one of their favorite breakfast/lunch combos around: hamshuka (or humm/shuka on their menu), where their classic chickpea dip acts as the base for a tomatoey egg situation. Their dark, somewhat charred sauce comes out of the oven with gently poached eggs that look like white clouds floating in a tomato sky. The whole thing gets a handful of chopped chives, cilantro, and dill for a sharp finish and bite of freshness. Typically it comes with a side of warm pita, but their beautiful Friday-only challah might make the end of the workweek our designated hummus day." - sylvio martins

"Hasiba’s hummus-focused menu makes this Pico-Roberston spot a designated sanctuary for all things good. OK, that might be a bit of a stretch, but you can choose between options like the earthy wild mushroom hummus with caramelized onions, the roasted eggplant hummus with hints of lemon juice, or, because you’re here, the classic hummus topped with Hasiba’s fresh falafel. The hummus is bursting with nutty sesame flavors and the smokiness of paprika, making it an excellent base for their herby falafel. These fried bites are intensely green on the insides with flecks of chopped cilantro thrown into the mix. Besides their bold flavor, Hasiba’s version is also wonderfully moist on the inside and perfect for scooping up heaping amounts of hummus." - sylvio martins

"New restaurants sometimes feel like they were designed by an algorithm instead of a human. This algorithm is probably some complex equation where the opinions of 12 trend forecasters are combined to calculate the ideal shade of blue paint, the exact number of succulents, and which focus group-tested menu will make this restaurant most successful. So when a place comes along with great food and there’s no neon signs or fern-patterned wallpaper, we get excited. Hasiba, a hummusiya (yes, that’s a restaurant that specializes in hummus) in Pico-Robertson is that kind of spot. If you’ve spent any time at Lodge Bread Co. in Culver City, you’ll already have a good idea of what this hummus-and-a-few-other-things place is like. It’s from the same people, and like Lodge, Hasiba is full of laid-back staff you wouldn’t mind being friends with. At some point, the owner will probably come over and say hi. It’s a casual place, where you order at the counter, find a seat on the big communal table inside or a place on the patio outside, and eat a bunch of hummus while Israeli music plays in the background. All of the food is kosher and vegetarian, and they close Friday nights and all day Saturday for Shabbat. photo credit: Jakob Layman Eating here is kind of like hanging out at a friend’s house, but we doubt any of your friends make hummus or house-made pita as special as this. In addition to four types of hummus, the menu has a couple of shakshukas, some pita sandwiches, and sides - all of which change with the seasons. It’s snacky food you’re going to want to share, so plan to bring a pal or two. Concentrate on the hummus section in particular (it’s called a hummusiya for a reason) - the wild mushroom is especially fantastic. And take the staff’s suggestion of using the raw onion for dipping. Your breath might take a toll, but this combo goes together like Waze and impossible left turns. Hasiba is a pretty simple place that makes pretty simple food. But this is food you’re going to want to eat over and over again. Instead of worrying about how their restaurant will look on social media, the people behind Hasiba are more concerned with making sure you have a great meal. Which is good, because you ate the hummus way too fast to take a photo of it anyway. Food Rundown photo credit: Jakob Layman Hummus There are four different types of hummus here - classic, stewed chickpeas, wild mushrooms, and one with regularly-changing seasonal vegetables. They’re all great, and although there’s no need to try them all (trust us, we did that), you do need to get at least one. Ok fine, probably two. Potato Shakshuka Of the two shakshukas here, the potato is our favorite. That might be because it’s essentially an Israeli hash, with chili, garlic, jalapeño, and egg. Having said that, it’s not essential - we’d just order another type of hummus. photo credit: Jakob Layman Sabich This is a monster of a sandwich, one that you will inevitably get on your shirt. But using up an entire Tide pen is a perfectly fine consequence of eating a pita stuffed with fried eggplant, a hard boiled egg, tahina, and what they call “crispy potato” which turns out to just be fries." - Jess Basser Sanders