Welcome to The Residency by Istorya
Held every Tuesday and Wednesday, this residency marks Istorya’s first recurring dinner experience after three years of pop-ups and community gatherings across Las Vegas.
The Menu
1991
Manila, Philippines
Dio Buan
“He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.”
— José Rizal, the National Hero of the Philippines About The Menu
Tonight’s à la carte menu is shaped by Chef Dio Buan’s lived istorya, drawing from the dishes he grew up cooking and eating in Manila before moving to the United States.
The food reflects regional Filipino cuisine informed by history, memory, and technique, bringing together Filipino home cooking traditions and the contemporary styles Chef Dio developed during his career in professional kitchens.
The menu is designed for flexibility. Guests are welcome to order individually or share plates, making this an approachable entry point for those new to Filipino cuisine and a deeper exploration for returning guests.
You may also find select house-made desserts rooted in Filipino home baking traditions, prepared in collaboration with Istorya founder Walbert Castillo’s mother.
Meet the Team
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Dio Buan
Chef | @dangerously_delicious702
Joël Robuchon Las Vegas, Chef Dio has trained under culinary leaders such as Bobby Flay and Thomas Keller, as well as under chefs who were directly mentored by the legendary Joël Robuchon, grounding his expertise in both modern American and classic French fine dining traditions.While his early career focused on classical technique, his current work returns to the flavors of his upbringing in Manila. Through Istorya, he reimagines Filipino dishes with the precision of fine dining and the care of home cooking. His approach honors the traditions he grew up with while pushing them forward, one plate at a time.
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Walbert Castillo
Founder/Co-Owner @walbertjcastillo
Walbert Castillo brings his media background in journalism and documentary storytelling to his role as the founder of Istorya. Currently serving as an Associate Creative Director at Amazon, Walbert combines his passion for storytelling with his deep love for Filipino food and culture to create meaningful culinary experiences.Before launching Istorya, he spent five years as a Multimedia Journalist at USA TODAY in Washington, D.C., and worked as a server and host at Purple Patch, a Filipino restaurant in the heart of the nation’s capital. Originally from Chicago, Walbert holds a journalism degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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Monica Blanco
Co-Owner/Operations @monnylog
Monica Blanco, Istorya’s Operations Lead, is an engineer turned storyteller who believes imperfection fuels innovation. With a knack for turning chaos into meaningful connections, she’s built a community of over 500,000 across platforms. Monica co-creates spaces like Istorya and FilExcellence to make cultural preservation feel like coming home, blending ancestral knowledge with modern insights.Passionate about transformation, she helps others bridge the gap between who they are and who they’re becoming—while embracing every step of the journey.
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Griselle Tufford
General Manager | @griskeywhipped
Griselle brings her passion for hospitality and culinary excellence to Istorya as our General Manager. She joined the team during our first pop-up dinner in February 2023 and has played a vital role in shaping our events ever since. In addition to her work with Istorya, Griselle is a server at Momofuku Las Vegas, where she continues to hone her skills in the food and beverage industry.Her dedication to exploring Filipino heritage led her to join Istorya’s research trip to Mindanao, where she immersed herself in the region’s rich culinary traditions.
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