Food as a History Lesson – Istorya

One of the things I love about food is the history behind it. One cuisine in particular, has had many different influences on it – Filipino food. First, there is food that is native to the Philippines, then the influences of the Spanish, Chinese, Americans, and others. Its fun to look on a plate and see how all the different influences have come together and eventually ending with what is on your plate at the moment.

One dining experience I recently attended, which tells the story of a culture through food, was Istorya in Las Vegas. They focus on the Philippines.

Upon arrival, there was a bit of a line to check in and the front was a bit disorganized. After check in, there was a chocolate demonstration showcasing chocolate of the Philippines. We were given a brief story of how chocolate was brought to the Philippines, and then had a choice of a spicy or sweet hot chocolate. We tried one of each:

After the chocolate demo, we went upstairs to watch a short film about food and the Philippines, and also see some works which were on silent auction from a Filipino artist who paints with chocolate. The venue changes and on this night, it was at a restaurant called Saffron. The dining room was quite stunning with lots custom decorations:

One thing to note is that there are different “chapters” (ie dinner events) with each showcasing a different culture’s impact on Filipino cuisine. On the night we went, it was Spanish. Here was the menu:

The first dish was the escabeche which I was surprised to learn, was actually of Chinese origin:

After each dish, someone from the team came around to discuss the story and history of each dish. The next was the ensaymada:

This is one of my favorite pastries. We learned that the Filipino version differs from the Spanish version with the former using butter and the latter using lard. The Filipino version is more like a soft brioche. What we were served had a more cookie like texture. The edam cheese on top makes all the difference and lends a savory contrast to the sweetness of the pastry. The Filipino version usually has a buttercream on top too with sugar granules that lend a sweet crunch to each bite.

Up next were lamb empanadas. Lamb is not usually the meat of choice in this dish (usually beef or chicken), but we were told the chef wanted to give it a gamey profile. The empanada was extremely savory and well done.

After this dish, we were treated to a traditional dance:

The next dish was one that I was not familiar with – Arroz Valenciana. This was one of the most tasty and eye pleasing dishes of the night. The rice was crunchy and very very savory. It was served with a tuna (raw) longganisa. It was like a Filipino Spanish sushi in each bite.

They also served a pancit (noodles) pusit (squid) which when initially looking at the menu I was not looking forward to. However, when it came, I saw that the squid was incorporated as ink in the noodles, and calamari. The noodles were perfectly cooked (al dente – not common in Filipino cooking). The flavors of the sea were well incorporated and the ikura was a nice touch. There was a light sauce which made the dish savory and adding some traditional vinegar, brought everything together.

The final savory dish was a kaldereta with white rice. Basically a beef stew. This was the most traditional “home cooked” of the dishes. The sauce was thick and savory, and the beef was tender. It could not be a Filipino meal without rice. In fact, Ulam is a term you will hear often during a Filipino meal. It means something along the lines of “what are we having with rice”. The implication is that rice is the foundation, and the other is the companion, addition, enhancer etc.

For dessert, a very traditional flan with some shaved chocolate on top:

There were a couple other surprises throughout the night which I won’t spoil. Overall, service was very good in the dining room. Timing was perfect. To pull off this kind of meal with such timing shows a well organized kitchen. When combined with the storytelling, entertainment, and food, it was an A+ evening and I can’t wait to go to the other events (there is one on the American influence on Filipino food). I would highly recommend.