MANILA -- The classic Spanish paella has so many versions here in the Philippines. From lechon to sisig, chefs add new twists to keep things interesting.

But there's a new version that has people talking and it was just introduced this month. Tapenade's new Wagyu Beef and Mushroom Paella became an instant hit with customers. Served in a paellera, the pan-fried rice is topped with strips of pan-seared wagyu beef and drops of black pepper aioli.

“We still serve comfort Mediterranean, not really out there but something different and also something familiar. For example, the wagyu paella, I just feel that the market today, when people see wagyu on the menu, people are just drawn towards it especially if it's affordable. So that's why we tried something new and so far that's one of the most popular items,” explained Discovery Primea executive chef Luis Chikiamco.

Tapenade is Discovery Primea's all-day dining outlet. Located along Ayala Avenue in Makati City, the restaurant is famous for its Salad Room, a room where guests can have their fill of various salads and even create their own.

The wagyu paella is just one of the new dishes the restaurant recently launched.

“It works like this, after a year we evaluate what dishes have now become staples or signature dishes and which ones we're not so happy with anymore (not moving) and then we go to work. Also for the chefs, it's important to let them be creative and do new things, keep the team engaged and excited, and the diners as well,” said Discovery Primea general manager David Pardo de Ayala.

Keeping to the cuisine of the restaurant, the new dishes are inspired by Mediterranean fare.

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For appetizers, the Mozzarella and Friends is a platter of bite-sized mozzarella balls served with flat bread and four kinds of dips: basil pesto, black olive tapenade, romesco, and fruit mostarda.

Then there's the Shrimps en Gambardina, an ebi tempura-like dish with Spanish roots. The shrimps are covered in a light batter with pimenton or Spanish paprika then deep-fried to a crisp.

And unlike its Japanese counterpart that is served with a soy-ginger dip, the shrimps are served with a guindilla (a type of chili pepper) aioli dip.

One of the new popular appetizers is the Patatas Crunchy with Mojo Dip. Smashed crispy potatoes seasoned with lemon salt and served with a mojo sauce (olive oil-based with various herbs and spices).

They also added a few pasta dishes like the Rigatoni al Sugo, a tomato-based sauce cooked with Italian guanciale (cured pork cheek), fennel sausage, and smoked bacon. On the other hand, the Salmon Linguine is linguine pasta in a dill cream sauce, fresh spinach, and chunks of cubed salmon.

For the entrees, the US Pork Milanese is like a pork schnitzel but this one is topped with soft-boiled egg and truffle cream.

The Prawns Saltimbocca is a plate of prawns on a lemon and parsley risoni (orzo pasta) topped with garlic and proscuitto crisp.

Aside from the wagyu paella, another new paella dish is the Roast Chicken & Chorizo Paella. It's a flavorful chorizo rice topped with green beans and roast chicken.

These new dishes also welcome its loyal patrons and new customers into the holiday season.

“People dine out a lot towards the end of the year so we wanted to have a brand new selection and fully introduce to the chef and regulars for people to come here. We're making emphasis on the shared dishes like paella. Definitely this is a casual restaurant where people enjoy themselves, take their time, share food. This is where families from surrounding villages come. Our Salad Room remains our prominent feature, and we also added a little bit of selection there like sandwiches we try to keep healthy but substantial. You can have just that and a glass of wine and you have lunch,” Pardo de Ayala said.