04/09/2026
๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ
No. 24
They say we eat with our eyes first.
So when a pan of paella arrives at the table looking nothing like the golden dish you imagined, the first reaction might be a curious, โ๐๐ฏ๐ด๐ข ๐ฏ๐ช?โ
It is unmistakably black. No golden grains, no familiar saffron glowโjust a striking pan of ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐.
At ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ, however, the unusual color is part of the invitation. Look twice. Take a bite. And discover that there is more to this dark-hued dish than meets the eye.
The story began in 2022, when owner and head cook ๐๐ผ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ decided Mati was ready for something different. Having served paella before, he wanted to create a version of Paella Negra that would introduce a global flavor while still feeling right at home in the city.
The inspiration was already within reach: ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐นโ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
Calamari, tahong, shrimp, and pusit fill the pan, while squid ink extracted from boiled pusit gives the rice its signature black color. A squeeze of lemon adds a bright finish to the rich seafood flavors.
But the real surprise comes next. ๐๐๐ข-๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐.
Rather than simply reproducing the familiar flavor of Paella Negra, Lopez gave the dish a subtle sweetness tailored to the local palate. It is a deliberate departureโone that makes the dish feel less like something simply brought from elsewhere and more like something that has found its place in Mati.
It is, in many ways, Parola Baywalkโs โ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐จ, ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐จโ philosophy served on a plate.
Together with co-owner and operations manager ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ป๐ท๐ฎ๐, Lopez turned a Spanish-inspired classic into something with a distinctly local character. The seafood speaks of Davao Orientalโs coastal abundance; the squid ink gives it its bold appearance; and the sweetness gives it a flavor that feels closer to home, to .
And perhaps that is what makes Paella Negra interesting.
It asks you to look twice.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ.๏ฟฝ
๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ.๏ฟฝ
๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก, ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
