Loming Batangan: A Genuine Pinoy Treat
Bryan John A. Magoling
Whether if it’s the peak of a withering summer’s day or just
any other gloomy weekend after a horrible final exam, there will always be one
comfort food that many Batanguenos and students alike would never hesitate to
take a bowl of— Lomi. After all, who could resist the pleasures of experiencing
the cracking chicharon in your mouth, the savory pork melting in your taste
buds and that warm, thick bowl of soup oozing down to fill your hungry appetite?
As many of you may already know, Lomi is a hot, thick,
noodle soup dish which is usually mixed with egg, pork meat and innards. Its
toppings may vary from the addition of fish balls to sausages and even chicharon. With calamansi, sili and toyo as condiments, it produces a unique
taste that perfectly blends all four flavors perceivable to a human’s delight
on food. Despite serving it in regular
sized bowls, its thickness will certainly make anyone up and running for hours
due to its high caloric value. Undeniably, it is known as one of the most
common belly busters in many Filipinos.
Although this dish was originally introduced to us by the
Chinese, different variations from region to region became available throughout
the years. The most popular among these variations would probably be that of
Batangas. Since the 80′s, different lomi
houses mushroomed along roads and towns of the province just to serve the
growing demand of its fanatics. Some of those which can be found in the city
are as follows:
Oh
Brotha!
Served with an appetizing presentation, oozing with meaty
toppings, and with a distinct flavor to its noodles, Brader Louie’s remains one
of the top contenders to beat in the long chain of lomi houses scattered across
Batangas city. After recovering from an unfortunate fire incident early this
year, they were still able to reopen for business to serve their long line of
loyal customers. Ranging from a mere Php 30.00 a bowl up to the most expensive
price of about Php 60.00, anyone can already get the hype of tasting this one
of a kind delicacy. This proves to be an effective marketing strategy toward
most students as they really take time to consider affordable but delicious
meals.
Too
Big to Fit in Here
Probably one of the strongest there is in the lomi industry
when it comes to longevity, Jocas’s Lomi House and all its branches all over
town are known for serving humongous bowls of delight sided with a heap of
toppings ranging from home-made meat balls to popular street foods like kikiam
and squid balls. And for a reasonable price of around forty-five to seventy
pesos a bowl, who wouldn’t indulge into this tummy-filling win-win?
It
Comes in Threes
Lastly, with its strategic location
near schools in the city, the ever famous 3 Kids’ Lomi House also stands as one
of the popular choices among students and many other lomi-fanatics. One of
their strong points resides in the fact that they serve with an ample amount of
mouthwatering lomi for a very affordable price of only forty pesos a bowl.
Homed far from the busy streets but still easy enough to go to, 3 Kids brings
an inviting and relaxing ambiance to its costumers which always entice them to
coming back for another.
With all three of the most popular
lomi houses in Batangas enumerated, it only leaves us to the one true King of
this one of a kind treat. And the verdict is… Well, that’s up to you of course.
As the saying goes, everything is but subjective. Not everybody will like what you
taste is good, but one should always reserve the right to taste it.
We Filipinos have long been known as one of the most
adaptive and innovative classes among our kind. The minute we see something
special, we nurture it and try to let it thrive from our creative hands. And
just as how lomi came to our country,
we made sure that it will grow as big as it is now. From a simple noodle dish,
we made it ours; into a bowl that would serve delight not only to those with
hungry tummies, but to those who seek peace and tranquility to their search for
a genuinely pinoy treat.
