To serve vegan Filipino food, you’ll need to also make some substitutions. For example, traditional Filipino fish sauce can be replaced with any vegan fish, Thai or Vietnamese sauce.

For Filipino Americans, including those living in Atlanta, finding food that reminds them of home is rare outside the family setting.

Sprinkle the fish inside and out with salt, then stuff its cavity with the remaining habanero and Fresno chiles. Wrap the fish tightly in the banana leaf, leaving the tail exposed, then tie shut ...

Bangus may be a popular fish in the Philippines, but it's normally a treacherous one; Patio Filipino uses bangus belly in most of its fish dishes, avoiding the fine network of bones that some eaters ...

“There are so many abrasive flavors in Filipino food — lots of vinegars, sours, fermented fish, lots of really deep fermented flavors,” they explain. “I think we can get there.

Though we food writer types tend to seek them out, and share the experiences, descriptions of some traditional Filipino dishes too often keep non-adventurous eaters at bay.