Istorya is a Las Vegas-based pop-up restaurant that explores Filipino history through food. The project began after co-owner Walbert Castillo traveled to the Philippines to reconnect with his family’s story and accidentally uncovered his great-grandfather’s hidden tombstone. That moment made one thing clear: his heritage wasn’t lost, it was right beneath us. It shaped Istorya’s mission to make Filipino culinary history accessible, accurate, and community-centered. Monica Blanco joined later as co-owner and now leads Istorya’s newest expansion: a creative agency focused on cultural storytelling, brand strategy, and documentary-style content rooted in Filipino food history.
For many non-Filipino audiences, Filipino cuisine is often described as a layered, fusion-style food tradition. It’s rooted in indigenous cooking while shaped by centuries of exchange with Chinese, Spanish, Mexican, American, Southeast Asian, and Muslim cultures across the archipelago.
In 2025, Istorya deepened its role as a cultural educator in Las Vegas, hosting historically grounded pop-ups led by executive chefs Dio Buan and Justin Barnes and community events that reintroduced Filipino foodways with accuracy and intention. Through research-driven menus, storytelling workshops, and collaborations with local creatives, the team made ancestral history feel both accessible and alive. Their work preserves heritage while inviting the broader community to learn, taste, and participate — a quiet but powerful act of cultural stewardship deserving recognition.
Istorya will launch a residency on January 20 at Durango Social Club, offering weekly dinners every Tuesday and Wednesday. Learn more about how to dine with Istorya.
Q&A WITH WALBERT CASTILLO AND MONICA BLANCO OF ISTORYA
If you could order one meal from any Las Vegas restaurant as your last meal on Earth, what would it be and why?
Definitely a tough one for us, but if it were our last meal, we’d pick the Flaming Halo-Halo from Full House BBQ. Ending on something sweet feels right. Halo-halo started from Japanese kakigori before Filipino vendors made it into the dessert we all grew up with. Its name means “mix-mix,” which fits the Philippines perfectly — a mix of influences, people, and stories over time. Full House’s version keeps that feeling alive with local Filipino chefs behind it. A last meal should be something everyone who loves you could enjoy too, and halo-halo carries that sense of home and community here in Vegas.
What’s a local issue you wish more people paid attention to and why?
We wish more people paid attention to the Filipino Town designation effort (on Maryland Parkway between Desert Inn and Flamingo Road) and the reality that many unhoused residents already live in that area. Cultural recognition and community pride matter, but they need to be paired with housing support, safety measures, and resources that protect current residents rather than displace them.
If you were the ruler of Las Vegas for a day, what would be the first improvement you would make for locals?
We’d start by investing in neighborhoods where cultural communities already live, work, and gather. That means safer streets, reliable transit, and more resources for unhoused residents. It also means creating affordable spaces where immigrant-owned businesses, cultural groups, and educators can teach, cook, and share their histories without financial barriers. Strengthening these environments gives people access to the stories, traditions, and foodways that make Las Vegas more than a tourist city.
Where in Las Vegas do you go when you need to recharge?
We go to Bale Blanko, our co-owner Monica’s home. Someone cooks, someone edits, someone decompresses. It’s where we regroup, rest, and reset before the work continues.
Why do you continue to live in Las Vegas?
We continue to live in Las Vegas because our family, friends, and community are here, and our work centers stories that often go unheard. More than 200,000 Filipinos live in Clark County, making us the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander group in Nevada. The city is ready to establish itself as a destination for Filipino and Filipino-American cuisine, supported by cultural pride and accurate context. The roots we’ve built here make this the right place to keep growing that work.
