The Filipino Food Movement Starting in Las Vegas

Many of the foods we think of as quintessentially Filipino (chicken adobo, lumpia, and pancit) are actually the result of centuries of colonization and cultural influence from Spain, China, Malaysia, and even the U.S. So what exactly makes Filipino food… Filipino? That’s the question driving Walbert Castillo, creator of the brand-new Filipino pop-up series Istorya — along with chef Catherine Carlucci and a team that includes culinary historians and cultural advisors, Istorya is peeling back the layers of history. Their first meal in the series, which is popping up on April 25th, explores pre-colonial Filipino ingredients and techniques, which includes tuna, ube, activated coconut charcoal, and a very special “dinosauregg”-shaped block of salt. And, as Walbert tells lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson, it turns out that Las Vegas is the perfect ground zero for this Filipino food movement.

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