Bimbimbap, soondubu, japchae—comforting Korean dishes are perfect post-sauna meals.
My friends and I have a monthly ritual where we meet up at our local Korean watering hole , flow out in the saunas and hot tubs for hours , and cast off dead pelt like a snake thanks to a massage therapist ( if you ’ve readCrying in H - Mart , you cognize ) . The day is not complete , however , until we ’ve sat down to a rejuvenatingKorean meal .
Unlike their Western counterpart , most Korean spas extend some variety of restaurant orcafefor health club goers to savour between steam room sessions , baths , or treatment . It ’s due to the fact that the majority of spas in Korea are open for 24 hours a day , and many prefer to pay 60 minutes at the spa — at least according to Sophia Kim , the primary operating officer ofKing Spain Chantilly , Virginia . If you spend upwardly of four to eight hour hidrosis and lounging , you ’re throttle to get hungry .
“ After sweating it out , being in the water , and shower , there ’s just something about having a squeamish , nourishing home - cooked meal , ” articulate Cat Bak , who runs Los Angeles – basedHugh Spawith her mother .
Bulgolgi, rice cakes, and hot soups are typical items served at Korean spas.|Design by Maggie Rossetti for Thrillist
Bak is not jest when she says home - fix . Her mom , Yoonhee Bak , is the individual in the kitchen whipping up Korean classics like japchae , or Korean field glass noodles , and bowls of bubbling tofu soup , soondubu .
“ If there ’s somebody she notices has been here for a while , she ’ll be like , ‘ Are n’t you hungry ? derive come , lease me give you some soup , ’ ” Bak laugh .
This homespun cordial reception style works : the female parent - girl duad have loyal repeat customers and almost everyone who chatter the resort hotel dines there too . “ Sometimes people just come for the intellectual nourishment , ” Bak adds . “ They do n’t inevitably care about the spa . ”
Vegetarian bibimbap is served at Hugh Spa.|Design by Maggie Rossetti for Thrillist
Bak estimates that 90 % of Hugo Spa ’s client are vegetarian , and so she and her mother correct the carte du jour to include vegetarian bibimbap , rice cakes , anddumplings . The soup broth is also vegetarian .
AtSoJo Spa Clubin New Jersey , which offers eight storey of saunas and lounge , the eatery ’s menu also aim to suit its clientele . “ Although we ’re definitely Korean - inspired , I wish to think of ourselves as more of a melting throne than strictly a Korean spa , ” says Esther Cha , the senior marketing director for the spa . “ We ’re incessantly evolving and adapting to be a reflection of our clients . The people that follow to SoJo add up from so many different backgrounds , and so our fare attempt to traverse that distance . ”
That ’s not to say that SoJo does n’t have any Korean food , however . There ’s soy and Allium sativum - marinated bulgolgi , Sir Tim Rice cakesserved with bok choy and an assortment of mushrooms , and fried dumplings . But , there ’s also a variety ofpizzas , a kale Caesar salad , and Cha ’s favorite , cheeseburgers . The outer space also comprehend an eternity waiting area that serveshot chocolate , pastries , avocado pledge , yogurt , and egg scramble , all overlooking the New York City skyline .
Virginia ’s King Spa also serves a mix of traditional Korean fare and westerly dishes . There are chicken tenders and corn dogs , plus Korean - style ramyun and the insensate noodles known as naemyung , a gross way to cool down off after expend metre in hot Jacuzzis .
The well - sell dish is KFC , or Korean fried crybaby , says Kim . “ This detail is n’t [ usually ] offered in Korean spas , but the owner learned how to make them from one of the notable KFC franchises and decide to put it on the carte . It ’s not a traditional Korean smasher but more of a modern turn to American fry chicken with Korean soy sauce - based sauce . ”
For traditionalists , King Spa also offers oven - bakedeggs , a classic collation at Korean spas . “ The eggs are baked in our famous Bul Han Jung Mak Dome , which is heated to over 800 degrees day by day , ” Kim say .
In Korean civilization , many people go to spas for post - natal upkeep . For those guest , King Spa servesmiyuk guk , or seaweed soup , which is often answer at birthday and after give birth due to its high branding iron and mineral content and soothing flavors .
For many who own and operate Korean spas in the United States , food is integral to the experiences they supply and communities they serve .
“ There was no enquiry that we had to have a restaurant at our spa , ” Bak tell . “ Going to the spa with your class is a bonding experience , and so is food . So everyone can gather at the jjimjilbang , or bathhouse , and bond . ”
