The first stop we made after leaving the airport was to Park's Korean BBQ in K-Town. The food was fantastic. The service was even better. We enjoyed chatting with the staff and they were so helpful since we had never tried Korean-style barbecue.
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| The Korean Pancake was my favorite. It is a savory dish that combines a yam based flour with egg and kimchee (fermented spicy cabbage). So, so good! |
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| The bbq is served up family style with lots of little veggie side dishes like kimchee, pumpkin mash, sprout salad, and seaweed salad. |
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| I am not a big fan of ribs, but these were crazy good. The fun part is that we cooked them at our table.
After lunch, Pete and I decided to have another adventure. We went to Century Sports Club and Spa to have a scrub and massage. My friend, Joanna, had told me that going to a Korean spa was a wonderfully unique experience. The Korean spa philosophy is that you sweat out the impurities in your body by bathing in hot baths and sitting in steam rooms / hot saunas. You can alternate between hot and cold by dipping in the icy cold pool or sitting in the cold sauna. It is a cleansing, peaceful experience. The only catch is...you are naked. Yep, the spa attire is pretty simple, your birthday suit is all that is required. Of course, there are separate facilities for men and women and the co-ed areas (lobby, pool, juice bar) require clothing. It was a little strange at first to be sans clothing, but I got over it very quickly.
When Pete and I first arrived at the spa, we checked in and were given robes, towels and a locker key. We were shown to our separate locker rooms. I changed out of my clothing and slipped into the shower, where I scrubbed down. Showering before entering the steaming tea pool or hot mineral bath is a must. After showering, I spent about 15 minutes alternating between the hot and cold baths until it was time for my scrub and massage.
I felt so uncomfortable when I entered the treatment room and was greeted by my massage therapist. Even though she was a professional, I still felt awkward standing naked in front of a complete stranger. Any reservations that I had quickly melted away as soon as the therapist began exfoliating my skin. I felt like layers of stress were being scrubbed away. Worries were sloughed off. The jasmine oil massage, milk bath and cucumber facial that followed were equally as therapeutic. And then, the icing on the cake, was that she washed my hair!
After we finished our separate spa times, Pete and I met upstairs in the co-ed area of the spa. We rested on the heated tatami mats and spent some time in the hot salt room, the ice room and the juice bar.
We decided that we will make the Korean spa a "must" each time business takes us to LA. The price is right - $70 per person for all of those services and use of the spa facilities (including the pool and gym). It is such a nice way to de-stress and de-tox.
Hugs,
Melissa
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