Semsom Eatery has certainly taken the world by storm, especially now that owners Christine Sfeir and Carine Assouad have opened their sixth location merely five minutes away from Washington Square Park. The fast casual mediterranean place prides itself in its fresh ingredients, homemade recipes, and foreign spices. They recently hosted us for a launch party to kick off Spoon at NYU’s year and celebrate new members.
Christine and the entire Semsom NYC team offered up a bunch of munchies for us to try.
They let us sample their rosewater lemonade, a tart yet delightfully floral drink, and their orange-mint water, which was refreshing and sweet. The complex flavors in both drinks worked well with one another, and honestly, just one glass of each wasn’t enough.
Next up is their homemade hummus, which Sfeir takes great pride in. They served three versions of the mediterranean staple: sriracha, black olive, and plain. The star here is the olive hummus, a savory twist for any chickpea lover. Some of our guests said it was the best hummus they’d ever had. Kudos, Semsom.
Further down the serving table were spoons filled with various proteins, vegetables, and sauces – nicknamed the “ideal bite.” There were three variations of this portable snack: wild thyme cauliflower with sweet and sour eggplant, taouk chicken with hummus, and turmeric chicken with minted yogurt. The small spoon-sized samples didn’t stop us from binge eating, though.
Lastly, three types of mini muffins were served for dessert. Most notable was the cardamom-cranberry one, the sweetest and most unique in taste. The chocolate-halva muffins were rich and nutty, perfect for any chocolate purist, while the turmeric-sesame combination was, in essence, a corn muffin with a Lebanese twang.
Semsom definitely knows what it’s doing by keeping fresh ingredients and unconventional recipes at their core. They also know how to throw a great party. We love you, Semsom.