Jeju Sauna — Restaurant in Duluth

-There is very little instruction for first-timers. No worries, Check out the website for an idea of what is expected or You will need to read all of the signage as you walk around. -The front desk gave us "welcome to LA fitness" vibes & They didn't mention much in the way of expectations, layout or facility rules. Just how to use bracelets. Guests should Visit the website prior to Spa day. . The good: -The facility is nice. Authentic aesthetics and well-made saunas provide a very immersive experience. -Most of the other spas feel like you are walking into a dentist office. Not here. This is better. -The pool was clean and not crowded. -The saunas were hot, clean & had warm floors. -The cold room was nice and cool like a walk in freezer. -The men's changing area has secure lockers. -Seems like a clean facility. -They offer a wide range of services. -It's quiet -you can nap almost anywhere -You can stay for 24 hrs . The Not so good: -It's a super expensive experience. You're getting what you pay for but You will spend hundreds of dollars here. The food, the drinks, the services; it's all very expensive and tipping is expected. nail salon workers talk fast and they try to upsell everything. (Lol* watch for the hand wave over the menu directing your attention to the more expensive services.) -The nail salon is upstairs and is not on the same payment system as the rest of the facility. They don't accept wristbands as payment so you will need your wallet to pay separately if you're getting manicures and pedicures. . Food: My order may have been a fluke. My food had a beautiful presentation but tasted like they use exclusively hot chili powder to season everything. If they say spicy they mean it! My meal had a bowl of old dry rice that had clearly been prepared earlier in the day & I still don't believe what I ate was pork. The meat was fatty and the chewy texture was that of undercooked bacon but It wasn't bacon. Other meals looked good. May have been just mine. It was late. *It is a Very clean dining area and yes you are expected to bus your own table. *Drinks are not included. . -The orange uniform and numbered wrist bracelet feel very squid game. It's comfortable and loose fitting but I suggest trying other colors than prison orange. -The locker room is nice and clean with many free amenities but it does feel very awkward your first time. Everyone seemed to mind their own business... I don't know about the girls'side but, Men: You will see twigs and berries if you are in the locker area. *I understand you have to disrobe before going into certain areas but it seems like some dudes were just walking around to have their sticks out. It has a very elegant general population shower vibe. 😂 Lot of overconfidence. -They require you to take off your shoes (They have a thing about shoes) but I saw a worker mopping at least twice while we were there. Seems Very clean. . ** Tipping: Be aware, any service you get, that person expects a tip. If you speak to someone they expect a tip. Did you leave a tip? We gonna need a tip on that tip. -We heard workers walk up to multiple people asking why they left no tip or a small tip. The masseuses will just walk up and hand you an envelope for tips. **It's awkward because you strip down and put on a uniform and leave all your belongings in your locker so you don't have any cash on you. We got the puppy dog eyes so many times I went back to my locker to get my wallet because I got tired of being stared at. I didn't really enjoy having to carry my wallet around. It Kind of ruined the relaxing part of it because as soon as you're done getting a relaxing massage you're bombarded with envelopes asking for tips so now I'm instantly right back at stressing. I always had something in my hands because God forbid I didn't have my wallet for tip. One guy was there paying for a group of people's massages and two different women approached him about tips to a point he had to yell and tell them to leave him alone. That's when we left. . Over all: 👍...

It was very clean looking when I arrived around 10 am. The front guy smiled a little but did not ask if I had any questions or state rules or provide any information except about the lockers. I have been to other jjimjilbangs but I didn't know where anything was here. I felt on my own on a self-guided tour. Not uncommon in my experience, but still sucks. I scheduled a "body shampoo" & massage (60 min). It was referred to as a salt scrub by the blonde woman in the locker room. They use traditional mitts, and I don't understand the need for salt & I didn't see or perceive any salt being used. Between the body scrub & massage, you're directed to the steam sauna and parked there a few minutes. When I ordered the body service, I told the attendant to instead of the collagen mask I wanted just cucumber, and told the blonde english-speaking Caucasian woman I don't want anything on my face but just cucumber as I break out easily and have my face currently under control and want to control what ingredients get used on it. She supposedly told the Korean woman, but I don't know as it was in Korean. I have to say I was very upset to find the Korean woman suddenly using body oil and some sort of cream on my face during my massage. Then she applied the cucumbers. I really did do my best to ask for nothing but cucumbers earlier. It was a thorough scrub & then the massage was a vigorous massage leaning much more towards a Thai style than the "Swedish massage" I was told it would be by the blonde women when I'd asked what was included in the scrub. It was a little rough when she was on the middle of my spine instead of just the sides. The language barrier really is a problem when you can't say things like "I don't want my neck jerked or bent hard", or "do not touch my face" during the process. Lunch - my bibimbap was 12.95. You get a choice of steamed white or brown rice. The bibimbap was a generous amount of sautéed vegetables. They looked fresh, lacked flavor but had a very faint taste of sesame. Lettuce was included underneath. The egg on the bibimbap was well-done instead of soft, so it couldn't be mixed in. A very small bit of cabbage kimchi was included as the only side. It looked like it was pre-dished & a bit dried. Bottled water was $2. Hot tea was $6.95 & not anything fancy, just usual tea & one with ginger & honey. The sweet rice tea that is popular at these places was $8.95 for 16 oz. I find that ridiculous. Bottled juice is 9.95. $10 for an ordinary grocery store bottle of juice. Holy moly. The woman working in the kitchen & the counter was eating in the kitchen right in sight. Not sure she washed her hands before getting my food. Ugh. She never smiles & looks somewhat hostile. An older man was also in the kitchen & seemed uneasy & not happy. The charcoal sauna smelled like vinegar. Another sauna room also had a faint smell of vinegar. I've been to much larger Korean spas & never smelled vinegar. The other rooms were ok. I asked a man with a spa t-shirt where to get a mat & he said he didn't speak English, but I pointed to a drawer with a sign that said people are limited to one pillow, one blanket & one mat, and one drawer with "Mats" written in English & Korean. The drawer was locked. He shrugged. I had to go find another attendant & was told no mats are available until midnight. I did enjoy chatting a little with a couple of women who were using the spa, but it would be really nice if the attendants & food staff were to actually smile, not look pissed off or indifferent. There's a sign saying there is a smoking room upstairs by the fitness room. (That is incongruous!) There was new staff there & more being interviewed. The one I talked to looked like she was not happy to be there & she was spoken to rudely by a more senior staff, in front of me. I hate it when businesses their own...

Late last night, I decided to go to Jeju, a Korean sauna north of Atlanta.

It’s the one place where I actually feel the muscles around my heart release their grip, and the cortisol finally take a break from pumping its way throughout my body.

I usually only pay the entrance fee and sit in my birthday suit in the various hot tubs, or swim some slow laps in the heated pool. Only sometimes do I treat myself to the delicious, but pricey, bibimbap or bingsu.

As I walked from sauna to sauna, I passed by the foot acupressure station and glanced at the price. When I went into the red clay sauna to read, I imagined how wonderful a massage would feel: after all, I haven’t had any human touch since I saw my family in December.

I thought about it some more as I read another chapter of“Old Path, White Clouds.” Of the many physical quirks I have, I struggle with restless leg syndrome at night - particularly when I am stressed - where my legs often feel tingly and numb right as I try to go to sleep.

So as I walked by the acupressure station again, one of the workers caught my eye and asked if I wanted a massage. I smiled and shook my head as I continued walking, but a few steps later, I turned around and asked a question: would he be willing to also focus on my leg muscles too?

The man motioned that he only spoke Korean, but he understood me, and gave me an eager thumbs up.

I sighed and gave in, and entered the dark massage room where several large male customers were fast asleep and snoring loudly.

The masseuse was kind and gentle and got me set up into the chair. But five minutes in, I already had regrets: he was barely touching me - like a 1 out of 10 - and the sound of the male snore ensemble was unbearable. I motioned to the masseuse to ask if he could possibly apply more pressure. He nodded and proceeded to give me a 5 out of 10. A few more minutes passed, but my irritation grew. I’m the person who never sends my food back and hates to make a fuss, but oof.

Finally, interrupting him one last time, I kindly motioned for violence-level pressure.

He looked surprised, but smiled, and bowed gently at my request. The next 50 minutes were perhaps the most wonderful 50 minutes I’ve experienced as an adult. With all his strength, he pushed into the center of my arches, pressed his fingers far into the crevasses of my ankles, squeezed the bejeezus out of my achiles tendons, and ran his fingers so deeply down my calves, I could feel them touch my bones.

I couldn’t help but smile, and suddenly, the snoring became delightful and hilarious and I struggled to contain my laughter.

The messeuse felt like the Korean uncle I never had, who trusted me with his strength and expertise he rarely gets to use. He was pushing so hard, I am convinced that my four great-grandmothers could feel it. I swear to god, he was determined to heal both me and my ancestors.

When the session ended, I had tears of joy, and my uncle looked so pleased: like a master finally able to practice his craft.

We bowed to each other in gratitude, and I left the room truly feeling like I had been reborn.

I know this sounds absurd and hyperbolic, but it was far better than sex and the absolute best Valentine’s gift I’ve ever received lol.

As I was checking out of Jeju at 1am, I stuffed all my money into the little green tip envelope marked for #77, and did a Julie Andrews’ Sound of Music twirl as I walked into the 30 degree parking lot.

There is no moral to the story. However, I am here to remind you to 1) go to Jeju, and 2) speak up and ask for what you need.

You may just get the magic Korean unc you never...