Lomi or Pancit Lomi is a Filipino-Chinese dish made with a variety of thick fresh egg noodles of about a quarter of an inch in diameter. Because of its popularity at least in the eastern part of Batangas,[1] there are as many styles of cooking lomi as there are eateries, panciterias or restaurants offering the dish. Variations in recipes and quality are therefore very common.
Contents |
Small pieces of meat (usually pork, sometimes chicken) and pork liver, thinly sliced, are sauteed with garlic and onions, then cooked until tender. Salt, finely ground black pepper and other seasonings are added at this point. Then soup stock is added to prepare the broth. Next the lomi noodle is added. While waiting for the noodles to cook, a mixture of cassava flour blended with a small amount of water is added to thicken the soup. Finally, just before the whole mixture is transferred to individual bowls, a beaten egg is added as the cook continuously stirs to complete the basic dish. Toppings include slices of kikiam (que-kiam) and some meatballs. Sometimes stir-fried ground meat (pork or chicken), as well as coarsely ground garlic roasted to golden brown are also available.
Lomi is typically cooked using a deep wok on LPG gas stove. About 9–10 minutes is the cooking time for a single serving of lomi.
Lomi is best eaten while steaming hot. It is a challenge to be able to finish eating before the bowl gets cold. To spice up the taste, depending on one's preference, a mixture of soy sauce, kalamansi juice and crushed fresh red chilli peppers can be added to the dish as a condiment. The same soy sauce mixture can also be used as a dipping sauce for the meatballs, kikiam and pieces of meat. Other lomi patrons request a small amount of finely chopped fresh red onions to be eaten with the dish for extra pungency.
Lomi haus or lomian, panciteria, eatery, carinderia, restaurant or their combination (e.g. lomi haus and eatery) are the most common terms used in Batangas to refer to a food establishment where lomi is served or eaten.
A lomi haus specializes in lomi and other pancit dishes made of fresh egg noodles called mike. It may also serve other pancit dishes, such as pancit guisado, bihon, mike-bihon, chami, pancit canton, sotanghon and others if available.
A panciteria has a more extensive menu of pancit dishes. It serves lomi and other pancit dishes such as pancit guisado, bihon, mike-bihon, chami, pancit canton, sotanghon and others. Rice meals, viands and other made-to-order dishes may also be served here if available.
An eatery or carinderia or restaurant principally serves rice meals, viands and other made-to-order dishes that may or may not include lomi. In eastern Batangas, lomi will always be included in the menu, however.
Other names used, though infrequently, for food establishments where lomi may be served are luncheonette and fast food center.