Loud, Proud, Kamayan
Chefs Carlo Gan and Mia Orino put community first and claim space
for Filipino food at their restaurant, Kamayan, on Buford Highway.
When Carlo Gan and Mia Orino set out to open Kamayan, a pop-up highlighting traditional Filipino dishes served in a bountiful family-style spread, the food wasn’t necessarily the first thing they discussed. “It’s been a commitment since day one to pay it forward,” says Orino. “I made a promise to Carlo, if we’re gonna do this, it has to give back.” The food would be a gateway to what was, more importantly, a gathering space for their Atlanta community and an experience that would be both cultural and educational.
Gan and Orino met while in high school in the Philippines, but it wasn’t until years later, in 2017, that they reconnected and began discussing the concept that would become Kamayan. By then, they had both relocated to the States—Orino to D.C. and Gan to Atlanta. Orino traveled to Atlanta for a visit, and upon landing, immediately asked Gan to take her to eat Filipino food. He responded, “there are no Filipino restaurants. People have tried to open them, but they never last.”
This void was due to a number of factors, but Orino’s theory is that the previous attempts perhaps sacrificed authenticity to meet American diners’ expectations. “For me,” she says, “for a cuisine to take center stage, the people cooking must be proud of it. You see Thai people, there's pride in the funk and pungency of their food. If you don’t believe in your food, who else will?”
The duo got their start by renting a clubhouse and cooking the food they had grown up eating. Neither had professional cooking experience, but they were able to recreate the dishes their parents and grandparents cooked throughout their youth, like the lugaw they ate as an after school snack, or Orino’s mom’s favorite: kabocha squash curry with fresh, hand-grated coconut. “Every dish has a story. I don’t want to cook the same things over and over just because people are buying it. We want to introduce them to different things.“
Lugaw: Boiled Chicken, Chicken Broth, Quail Egg, Fried Chicken Skin, Curled Scallions, Calamansi
The pop-up was an instant hit. “Atlanta responded in a way we couldn't believe,” says Gan. At first, Orino and Gan would host dinners anywhere they could find space and fire, from friends’ homes to sidewalks and parking lots. The kamayan dining format is a traditional practice that has been common in Filipino households since pre-colonial times. The feast of over 20 dishes laid on banana leaves and eaten with your hands makes for a natural community gathering. “It’s communal dining at its most honest. Not a marketing strategy, not because it's Instagram worthy, but because it’s how we grew up eating.” Orino and Gan forged ahead, continuing to cook food as closely to their family recipes as possible. “We’re going to be loud, claim our space, and we're not going to be apologetic. You don't have to hide your shrimp paste.” Their ever-evolving spread often highlights dishes like kare-kare, a stew of oxtail and tripe in a rich peanut sauce with fermented shrimp, and ginataang bilo bilo, sticky rice balls, ube, and taro in sweet coconut cream.
The business gained traction, mostly through word of mouth and social media, and Kamayan eventually started popping up in local restaurants like Lazy Betty, doing dinners for anywhere from 50 to 260 people. In late 2021, they opened the doors of their brick-and-mortar on Buford Highway. “This is where all the immigrants congregated,” says Orino. “It spans a couple of counties and every cuisine was represented...except Filipino.” The area has been known for its diversity since its development took off in the 80s. It attracted a large population of immigrants for its affordable housing and access to the city. “There was [a Filipino restaurant] here seven or eight years ago, but they didn’t last. All while a couple of blocks away, there’s this huge mural by a Filipino artist.” Gan and Orino had specifically sought out a space in the highway’s Asian Square, hoping to change the narrative.
Roasted Kabocha Squash curry, Coconut Cream, Ginger, Shrimp Paste
Now, Gan and Orino can provide their community with a lively hub. They host events like Kamayan Kids, a monthly gathering for parents to bring their children to learn about Filipino food and culture through storytelling and eating, as well as an “Asian woman powwow” where friends and neighbors come to share experiences and resources. They also use the space to host regular charity events and up-and-coming pop-ups. Their work continues outside of the restaurant as well; Gan and Orino plan to host their Filipino Food Festival this summer, with chefs and pop-ups from around the country. “We take every chance we get to educate. That's where diversity starts.”
The Asian Square location is already bursting at the seams, and although they’ve gotten requests for a second location from both customers and hopeful business partners, Gan and Orino continue to pour their energy into the restaurant and its community. They have a cookbook in the works and hope to one day have a non-profit and community center. “We want the next generation to be proud. That’s our legacy. We’re not going to get financially rich from this, but we will be rich in satisfaction.”
