I don't know if Hong Kong lay claims to the city with the most massage salons in the world but I get a feeling it's pretty high up there. it feels like there's one on every block and sometimes several shops in one building.
That said, there are a lot of bad ones and I'm kind of fed up with how unprofessionals some are: unclean places, masseuses who chit chat with one another or on the phone, and masseuses who mistake brute strength with skill.
When I learned that Eden is operated by Japanese, I figured this is a good sign. Afterall, Japanese management still mean something.
You definitely notice the difference: the courtesy and care of the staff is top notch. The place opened just this past December, so everything is new and clean. I was offered a tea, and the nice gentleman explained the menu while I sipped on some complementary Japanese tea (which I picked from a menu.) I was offered a HK$100 discount as first timer.
I figured as this is a Japanese place I should try the shiatsu massage. Both the gentleman and my masseuse later confirmed it's the choice to go with. My masseuse, Yoshiko, is from Japan and speaks Mandarin too, though no Cantonese. Actually I think her Mandarin is better than mine, and of course her Japanese. With a mesh of both languages we managed to communicate well enough. She is very skilled and caring, and really worked on where I need it.
Overall it was a great experience, highly recommend this place, especially if you don't want to try your luck with other random places. read more