Showing posts with label Cecile Bustamante. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cecile Bustamante. Show all posts

Monday, February 16, 2015

(883) MUSIC AND ME (Jan. 08, 2015) DRAGON TEI OFFERS A LOT TO TOURISTS AND LOCAL

Roberto Hernandez has been the musician of Dragon Tei, Teppan Dragon and Donburi Dragon Japanese Restaurants for 11 months. He transferred to Palau Royal Resort in June 01, 2007 but his wife Flor, 2nd from left (back row) still works at Dragon Tei until now.      (Photo by Florabel Avila)



The unicorn fish or um in Palau language. Best fish barbecue that you can eat the tasty intestine.
                                                       (Photo by Florabel Avila)





PREPARING THE BENTO FOR DIVE SHOPS AND LOCAL CUSTOMERS ALIKE.
                                                        (Photo by Florabel Avila)



























                         GIANT CLAMS



                EVEN ON HALLOWEEN, THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER TO GUESTS.
                                                                (Photo by Florabel Avila)



DURING THEIR LEISURE HOURS, DRAGON TEI STAFF ALWAYS GO SWIMMING AND HAVE PICNIC AT THE NEW KB (KOROR-BABELDAOB) BRIDGE, NOW CALLED JAPAN-PALAU FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE. THE 20-YEAR-OLD FORMER BRIDGE HAD FELL AFTER A $5-MILLION RENOVATION JOB IN 1997.                    (Photo by Florabel Avila)







THE OLD AND FALLEN KB BRIDGE IN JUNE 2005 IS THE BACKGROUND OF THIS HERNANDEZ FAMILY ONLY PHOTO TOGETHER WHILE SWIMMING AT THE AIRAI SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.  KAREN AT LEFT, FLOR AT RIGHT AND ROBERTO IN THE MIDDLE.
                                                            (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



BARRACUDA FISH MEAT IS WHITE, THE REDDISH FISH FOR SASHIMI IS FROM YELLOW FIN TUNA.                                               (Photo by Florabel Avila)






"Gudo" displaying his artistic sashimi on top of banana leaves.     (Photo by Florabel Avila)
















                          ARTISTIC SHELLS COLLECTION FOR SALE AT DRAGON TEI.
                                                                (Photo by Florabel Avila)
















NECKLACE, TOO.





AND EARRINGS.





JON-JON, THAT'S A VERY BIG SKIP JACK!





MABEL, YOU CAN REALLY LIFT THAT?





This year's collection of round fruits by Roberto includes papaya, guava, cantaloupe, water melon, pear, kiwi, tomato, apples, oranges, mandarin oranges, sour sop, mango, grapes, grape fruit, banana and pomegranate. 
     The sour sop on the laptop is this... (from Dragon Tei)

UAE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan reportedly asked for this exotic fruit during his 4-hour visit to Palau in February 2010.


                                                                 (Photo by Florabel Avila)




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TRYING PALAU EXOTIC FOOD -- FRUIT BAT!
     These Japanese family of 4 tried eating fruit bat at Dragon Tei Japanese Restaurant on March 12, 2014 with my wife Flor as the one who prepared it in front of them.                                                                         (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



  EXOTIC PALAU FOOD -- FRUIT BAT!

Me and my wife Ma. Florida Hernandez worked at Dragon Tei, Teppan Dragon, Donburi Dragon in May 2006. She is still working there currently and I transferred at Palau Royal Resort in June 01, 2007.

While working there, sometimes I saw some Palauan men selling fruit bat for $5.00 per piece. The restaurant sell it for $25.00 per piece to customers mostly Japanese who wants to try exotic food.


                Florabel Avila displaying the exotic fruit bat before it will be cooked.
                                                             (Photo by Florabel Avila)
                                  




             This time it's Cecile Bustamante's turn to display a different fruit bat.
                                                            (Photo by Florabel Avila)




                                             The fruit bat soup.
                                                               (Photo by Florabel Avila)


Sometimes at night, I saw some Palauan men with airgun hunting fruit bat. The other guy have a big flashlight while the other one will shoot the fruit bat.

Actually, many of them will not eat the fruit bat and before it will be served, usually Flor will take care of it but usually suggest to guest to have a photo session first with the wings of the bat spread out.

Sometimes she will scare the guests and put it very close to them with the teeth coming out that looks like a devil with its black color and straight ears.

In March 10, 2014, a Japanese family of 4 were my guests at Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort. The daughter gave me $10.00 tip right away with me not even starting the first song yet.

I played mostly Japanese songs and at 11:00 pm, I talked to them because I thought it's not their first time in Palau because I heard the daughter said, "Roberto san" or Mr. Robert. I thought she knows me earlier. But not. It's their first time in Palau.

The son and the daughter had a photo with me at the keyboard with the cashier that took the photo not having a steady hand and it's a little blurred.


  
The family came again at Breeze Bar on March 12, 2014. They sat near me so I was able to sing even without mike some songs that they have requested.
As usual, before I start playing, the daughter gave me $10.00 tip again. 

When I mentioned to them that my wife works at Dragon Tei, they said that they tried fruit bat there.
I showed them the picture of my wife that is at the cover page of my song books, they recognized her.

They had dinner at Waves Restaurant on March 13 before going back to Japan. This is where the first photo of this post was taken. No tip this time.
I asked them to check the Palau Chess Federation website http://palau-chess.blogspot.com  to see this post in the future. 


Source: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
                The Beginning of Chess In Palau
                By Roberto Hernandez
                April 2014
                To be published as a book in the future
   






Source: Music and Me 
             By Roberto Hernandez
             February 2015
     

                                





Monday, June 11, 2012

(197) MUSIC AND ME (June 7) Savoring a Japanese Fare









SAVORING A JAPANESE FARE
(and non-stop piano entertainment)

Text and photos by
RAQUEL C. BAGNOL



IF YOU'RE looking for a place to eat and at the same time give your senses a chance to relax to the wonderful stains of music from a piano, the right places to go to are Don Buri Dragon Restaurant, a few meters across Palasia Hotel, and Teppan Dragon at the Topside.

From various selection of delectable Japanese cuisine (Don Buri dishes), we sat down to sample Fry Fish Don, which turned out to be rice placed inside a buri (bowl) and topped with eggs, onions and crispy-fried fish.

The order, which came in an average portion, came with Miso soup, enough to fill in a regular hungry stomach but for an additional dollar, it can be added unto to make a generous serving.


A customer feels immediately at home when entering Don Buri and Teppan Dragon. These restaurants, owned by Yuriko Cho Irikedamoto, (including the Dragon Tei) are the only places in Palau which offers non-stop playing by pianist Roberto Hernandez, pianist and disc jockey at the Image Restaurant for the past 13 years.


Hernandez’repertoire is composed of almost 2,000 songs from different countries –Japanese, Filipino, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Chamorro, Chinese, French, Arabic, Palauan and English songs. He makes the customers feel at ease and relate by playing songs from their countries.


As an added appeal majority of the customers (Japanese), Hernandez enjoys playing the most requested songs like Itoshino Elly, Oribia O Kikinagara, Subaru, Kimito Itsumademo, Kita Sakaba and Tsunami.


He also plays more than 30 Palauan songs and is gaining popularity with the locals. His favorite includes Ngesuas, Kaneohe, Odasangel, Omruud A Reng and Betik Ra Renguk A Lekebil, a beautiful Palauan love song. He also adjusts his songs to the age bracket of the customers.


The lounge/piano bar at the Teppan Dragon is an ideal place to relax, chat with friends or simply enjoy coffee or cocktail. Bartender Freddy Gloria whips up fantastic cocktails which would fit any mood or occasion at affordable prices. He whipped up Monkey Magic for me and Ever Green for my buddy and a special“Blow Job” for us, four layers of different spirits in a jigger with actual flames on top. You have to sip it in a straw real quick (or else your straw will melt). This is going to be in the market soon.


Hernandez plays the piano non-stop at the Don Buri from 11 am to 2 pm and 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Tuesdays to Saturdays. He plays at the Teppan Dragon from 6:30 to 9:30 pm every night, except Mondays. RCB




Source: Island Times Newspaper
Billboard Section
Island Flavor Column by Raquel C. Bagnol
Page 13
November 23-29, 2006