I must say, it's been a hot minute since I've written a review (I mean it's the pandemic right? We try to stay indoor and safe). Shoutout to the Community Manager, Carmina, for informing me that I was chosen for this Yelp Elite event. I'm so glad this was one of the events because it's been sitting in my bookmarked for awhile now, and due to the pandemic, they were closed for awhile. Luckily they're open again and what's a better way to welcome in a new year than with a holistic start.
Very festive, modern, and zen style entrance, for a hole in the wall place located in the Marina district (advise to come on a Sunday so meters will be free, otherwise parking might be challenging). As you enter, I was lured by the harmony of Guzheng (古箏) and Yang Qin (洋琴), classical Chinese string instruments (live musics are weekends only from 1-4pm, I went on a Saturday, sadly Sunday 2/21 was their last day of live performance). A very clean and bright place, everyone was respectful of one another, wore masks (besides when we're enjoying our drinks), and social distanced.
As a Yelp Elite, we were given a complimentary goody bag and a drink of your choice (herbal tea or coffee) - I went with a herbal latte (I believe it was #1 on their drink menu - Relax + chill) with soy milk (ask for their milk option, they have so many, like rice milk O_O) + honey. I must say, I'm not foreign to herbal teas aka "liang cha (涼茶)", but this is definitely my first time having it with milk, very interesting. At most, it's not bitter, accompany with a bit of milk foam on top, and the milk just soothes out the texture of your typical Chinese herbal tea.
Coincidentally a couple of us Yelp Elites showed up around the same time so it got really busy for the lady at the front desk - making us drinks, answering phone calls, booking appointments, and welcoming customers all by herself (Praise)! Kudos to you, Praise!
We were also given a complimentary 10 min service like auricular therapy but since there were a couple of us, I didn't want my mom to wait too long so I let the lady know I'll come back the next day to experience that service.
[Sunday]
Re-visited on a late afternoon. Finally tried out the complimentary auricular therapy.
Takeaway:
- Ear seeding: auriculotherapy where a seed (made out of 24 carats gold or crystal + adhesive) used to help stimulate pressure points in the ear
- It doesn't hurt. The lady helped me figure out which pressure points will best apply to my needs. Can leave it on for 3-5 days, and massage those points to help with stress or whatever your concerns were
- Ear seeds are a more passive form than acupuncture
- The owner tested and created all the herbal teas and their own in-house product line, Redmint
- All licensed acupuncturist. Main focus will be acupuncture, but also provides other services such as massages and facials
- Open outside bar has a heater to keep guest warm
Overall a very soothing and relax environment to unwind. I'd say even if you're not into their services, it's a great place to visit and enjoy one of their Herbal Bar drinks, whether it's for detoxing or a pick-me-up. Praise, the lady at the front desk was very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Thanks for a great experience, hopefully I'll get a chance to try some of the services in the future!
P.S, I wish your brochure comes with Chinese characters, I think that will be a great touch for the service menu breakdown! read more