Adam Sandler's "Don¹t Mess With the Zohan" might have had the longest
running hummus gag ever in cinema history, but the hummus, shwarma, and
falafel at Hummus World are no laughing matter. They are sensational!  Three
years ago my daughter and I discovered this Roslyn Heights restaurant when we were returning from a day-long shopping venture at Woodbury Commons.
We were starving.  We had heard tales about the quality of the food at the
tiny restaurant near the train station owned by Esther and Yochanan Derman.
As my husband called Hummus World for exact directions to get us there
before closing, we raced down the NY State Thruway across the Throgs Neck
Bridge, onto the Long Island Expressway.  It was worth the risk of points on
my license.

Everything is fresh, delicious, and immediately recognizable as the
authentic food one finds at the Shuck, the outdoor market, in Jerusalem.
This is street food at its best.  The hummus is creamy, Esther¹s soups are
rich and always a surprise of spices and stuff. And the sparkle in
Yochanan¹s eyes as he watches a novice take a first bite of the falafel, the
lightest ever, smothered in Israeli salad, hot sauce (you have to try the
hot sauce), and tahini reminded me of my Romanian grandmother:  Eat, eat, he
beckons you as you lick your fingers and wonder when you can come back
again.