On this episode we chat with Walbert Castillo, Monica Blanco, and Andrew Dizon about the stories behind Istorya, a Las Vegas-based pop-up restaurant that aims to showcase the diversity of cuisines across the Philippines, interpreted by chefs in the diaspora. The dishes served at Istorya’s dinners are crafted with care and grounded in research - a large part of their advocacy is to highlight the incredibly vast troves of history, heritage and culture associated with the foods of the Philippines.
Earlier this year, I collaborated with Team Istorya on the Captain’s Log for Galeon: Part One, a dinner series inspired by the far-reaching influences of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. What better way to dive into one of history’s most storied cultural exchanges?
Show notes
02:10 Introductions
10:45 The story behind Istorya
16:50 Becoming collaborators
23:30 Food is connected to everything
27:05 Stories told but not heard
31:45 Origins and Binondo chapters
37:10 Sulu chapter
41:00 Galeon chapter
45:55 Captain's Log collab
49:10 Mindanaoans in the diaspora
53:25 Menu development
57:45 Tracing the galleon trade route
01:01:55 Favourite food memories
01:07:20 Upcoming Istorya events
01:09:35 Follow along
Links
Follow Istorya on Instagram @IstoryaLV