A seat at the table
There is something about a dinner table that makes people linger. Perhaps it is the food, the company or simply the chance to sit down and catch up.
I’m reminded of this at press lunches and launches, where the occasion can feel like a small homecoming. You see colleagues you work with, friends you haven’t seen in ages, and new faces just finding their way into the circle. Stories resurface, introductions happen over shared plates, and soon enough, the table feels comfortably familiar.
That spirit comes naturally to “A Seat at Tapenade,” Discovery Primea’s group dining experience, which brings people together over good food and the simple pleasure of sitting around a table.
Across the table are Discovery Primea managing editor Jaimie Tiu, Shauna Jay Popple, Daily Tribune’s Dinah Ventura and Bilyonaryo’s Sheila Salaysay, with ABS-CBN Lifestyle’s Mawi Fojas de Ocampo beside Discovery Primea general manager David Pardo Ayala. Conversation flows easily.
Food lovers, bookworms and cinephiles all, we move from Tapenade’s group dining concept to Tom Cruise’s GQ cover, which recently went viral and inspired plenty of humorous commentary online, then to The New York Times’ list of the 100 best TV shows, before David takes us to Valencia, Spain, where he had been just three weeks earlier. It is the kind of conversation that could go on long after the plates have been cleared.
Around the table
By then, the first courses had begun arriving—Croquetas de Pollo, Fritto Misto and Pan con Tomate y Jamon—giving us something else to talk about as the plates made their way around.
Tapas are meant to be shared, David explains, while pintxos are those smaller, one-bite morsels, often perched on a piece of bread and held together with a toothpick. Either way, the idea is simple: take a little, pass it around and keep talking.
Nothing feels overly formal. Plates move from one person to another, someone asks for another bite, and the discussion keeps jumping from one subject to the next.
Executive chef Luis Chikiamco explains that Tapenade’s group dining menu brings together its Mediterranean influences, with a mix of Italian and Spanish dishes. Some are drawn from the restaurant’s à la carte menu, while others are popular dishes curated specifically for groups.
“We’re launching this extensively for the first time because we get inquiries for group dinners, especially for the coming holiday season,” Luis says. “This one is curated. We now have a pizza- and wine-centric menu. It’s a fun menu.”
The group-dining experience is designed for a minimum of 10 to 12 guests, making it suited to family or corporate gatherings.
The Cacio & Pepe perks up the palate with Pecorino Romano and a lively hit of black pepper in the dressing.
The Salumi Pizza gets unanimous approval around the table. Loaded with guanciale, fennel sausage, bacon and mozzarella, it is rich, savory and the kind of pizza that has everyone reaching for another slice.
Another standout is the Cordero & Romero Paella, with lamb riblets, rosemary and garlic, and that coveted layer of burnt rice—socarrat—beloved by paella fans. I don’t usually eat lamb, but even I have to admit this one is pretty good.
Fresh from his Spain adventure, David’s favorite dish of the day is the Callos a la Madrileña. The tripe is wonderfully tender, paired with chickpeas and Spanish chorizo—a hearty dish that seems particularly fitting after his recent Spanish travels.
The group-dining menu can also be customized depending on the occasion and the group’s preferences.
Dessert brings out the Basque Cheesecake with berries and a plate of churros, giving us just enough reason to linger a little longer.
The churros bring Dinah and me back to a press trip to Spain years ago. It was our first time at San Ginés in Madrid, so naturally, we each ordered a serving. What we didn’t know was that one order was enough for two or three people. We ended up with far more churros than we could eat—a happy problem, as I remember it.
By the time the last churro is gone, we’re still talking. Nobody seems in a hurry to leave.
Perhaps that is the best part of a meal like this: the food may bring people to the table, but the stories and laughter give them a reason to stay.
Tapenade is located on the ground floor of Discovery Primea in Makati City.
WATCH: Do you still believe in marriage? (Generations Ep. 17)
August 19, 2026
WATCH: Is OPM still as good as it used to be? (Generations Ep. 20)
September 9, 2026