Cover Amit Sharon (Photo: Affa Chan / Tatler Hong Kong)
Amit Sharon (Photo: Affa Chan / Tatler Hong Kong)
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The Cathay Pacific Airways captain is spreading his wings with The House of Hummus, the online delivery business he founded to sell fresh dips and bread—an idea which took flight at the height of the pandemic
Let’s start from the beginning. How did you end up in Hong Kong?
My paternal great-grandparents moved [from the former USSR; what would be Ukraine today] to Shanghai in the 1920s, and both my grandparents were born in Shanghai too. My father moved to Hong Kong in the 1970s, and I’ve been in Hong Kong since I was 11 months old. I would spend summers in Tel Aviv [where my family is from], and that was my main exposure to Middle Eastern food. My first taste of fresh hummus was from a street [vendor in Israel]. I am a third culture kid, and my parents thought it was important to instil a sense of cultural identity in me. My mother made it a point to only speak to me in Hebrew and only cook food that she grew up with in Israel.
Why aviation?
No one in my family is in aviation. It was kind of an instinctive desire. It’s like asking someone why they like a certain flavour of ice cream—they just like it [laughs]. Flying has always been something that I wanted to do. After high school in 2004, I enrolled in Cathay Pacific’s cadet pilot programme. While everyone I knew went to university, I went to a flight academy in Australia. It was a 14-month programme; [then] I was back in Hong Kong working at the age of 19. I still fly full time.
How was the pandemic a catalyst for the launch of The House of Hummus?
Cathay flights were mostly grounded during the pandemic. Pilots had a lot of spare time. We all did a variety of things to fill our time. I spent a lot of it at home cooking. Whenever I hosted a dinner party, I would always have hummus on the table. I never really understood why people were so excited about it, because to me it was normal. But I realised it wasn’t a staple over here. I started to make it during my spare time and shared it with friends and family. It didn’t start as a serious idea, but once I made an Instagram page, people began to order my products. I was inundated with messages. I remember telling my older brother, Itay, that this “joke” [of starting a hummus business] had gone a little too far. He said: “Are you in or out, then?” And from there, we went all in! Itay helped me out in the early days with cooking and taste testing.
Where did you learn how to make hummus?
When I was growing up, my mother was always in the kitchen, and I would help with mealtimes. I’d come in and start peeling garlic and chickpeas, and squeezing lemons. Through that, I learned technique. Whenever my mom would make hummus, she’d call me over to taste it and ask me what was missing. That was an important skill that was developed in me earlier on.
Would you say your hummus is better than your mother’s?
She gave me a good foundation and I’ve built on that [laughs].
Where do you make all your dishes?
In the beginning, I made all the items at home and hand-delivered items to friends and family. Today, I have an employee in the kitchen who helps me make them and I rent a commercial kitchen in Wong Chuk Hang. I have a delivery team too. It’s still relatively small at the moment.
Are your recipes influenced by your experiences?
The foundation of [my recipes] definitely are. They’ve been adapted over the years and I’ve tried to find a balance between authentic Middle Eastern food and what the customer in Hong Kong is looking for. There can be tension between the two. Before I started my business, I held a blind hummus-tasting cocktail party at my house and I presented eight different types of hummus, some of which were mine, some of which were store-bought. I was curious to know what customers were looking for over here. The feedback really helped to inform the recipes.
How do you stay true to your roots while adjusting your recipes to accommodate the local palate?
I think about this all the time. If you follow customers’ [opinions] on everything, you end up making their hummus, not yours. But, if you don’t listen to them, then you are making a product only for yourself. In Israel, hummus is toothpaste-level smooth. Customers here told me that when hummus is too smooth, it feels artificial. They prefer it chunkier. That really surprised me. I’ve found a balance between the two in a way that is honest to me and not too shocking for the customer.
What makes your recipes unique?
The most important thing for me was that my products have to be made and served fresh, with no preservatives or stabilisers in them. Most hummus that you buy in the supermarket has preservatives, oils or sugars. What makes my product unique is that it only contains natural ingredients. The two most important ingredients for hummus are chickpeas and tahini. Good salt, lemon and garlic can be sourced anywhere, but the chickpea and tahini are the hardest things to find. I’ve looked far and wide for good-quality products. Hummus is easy to make, but good hummus is very hard to produce. I always tell people that I can give them my recipe, but if they don’t use the same quality ingredients that I use, it’ll never taste the same.
What other items do you have on the menu?
The babaganoush is a favourite among customers, but the most dangerous product that we have is the chocolate babka. I’ve heard it makes people sneak into the kitchen at 2am to have a piece [laughs]. It’s made of a challah bread base with chocolate swirled into it. It should really come with a warning label.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in food and beverage?
I’ve never been more petrified in my life than when I started The House of Hummus, because food is such a personal thing. My advice would be not to set out to start a business. Do something that you believe in and that is authentic and honest to who you are. Your customers will appreciate that. There is nothing more rewarding than getting a message from a stranger complimenting you on something you’ve made.
As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision across social, digital and print, and reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and leaders across business, style and the arts. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she also drives the planning and execution of Tatler's flagship IPs, curating star-studded events and building the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
