History of Batangas Lomi
History of Batangas Lomi
History of Batangas Lomi
Batangas is well-known for its local specialities, the most notable of which is a
noodle dish with a thick, starchy broth combined with a variety of toppings, the
choice of which ultimately depends on the restaurant or diner that serves it. Despite
the fact that this noodle dish is known as "lomi," it is best to refer to it as "loming
Batangas" or "Batangas lomi" to prevent any misunderstandings. This is because lomi
is not, in and of itself, a specialty of Batangas. Outside of Batangas, lomi is typically
served with vegetables. This leads to the notion that non-Batangas lomi is a localized
version of "lo mein," a Chinese noodle dish prepared by tossing the noodles (mein or
mian) in a wok or skillet with the other ingredients.
On the other hand, veggies in a bowl of lomi are frowned upon in Batangas.
Because of this, the Batangas version deviates much more from Chinese lo mein.
Chinese immigrant To Kim Eng, who lives in Lipa, created the original recipe. To
loved to play mah-jong with pals, and he would often give them a noodle snack whose
fame "began to develop around the city by word-of-mouth alone," according to his
own family's account. To call this noodle nibble the lomi.
The ultimate test of To and the lomi's success came in the form of imitation
when knowledge of it moved outside of Lipa and into other administrative regions of
Batangas. With a few little adjustments here and there, many other businesses—not
just restaurants, but also tiny eateries hurriedly set up in shacks and even garages—
started providing their own variations of the lomi.