Sunday, December 29, 2013

Ossoto Spa - A place to chill out, hang out with friends

Finally, I made it here despite the many vain attempts to make it here together. I finally came here with my 8 friends, BFF.

Is it safe to say this is my spa session? My first massage was in Cambodia. Ok, I did experience spa at Aster Springs when I won a free voucher sometime ago but the pimple poking step has caused me some small scars. When my BFF Jocelyn Coco first invited me to Ossoto spa, I misunderstood and thought that like most spas, it must be pretty expensive here, probably at least more than RM 100 per session.

One day, I went to accompany Jocelyn Leong at Pappa Rich Bangsar because she was accompanying another friend who was having a meeting and she showed me a video about Ossoto Spa. As they say, Audio and Visual is all it takes to convince a person and the video succeeded in doing that to me. It costs about RM 68 for ladies but on weekdays, I was told that if we enter after 12 am and go out at 12 pm the next day, there is 20% discount. Then the next problem was agreeing with a date that fits Jocelyn since she would be going back to Penang in December 2013 and I am working so I can only go on weekdays as Jocelyn wanted to enjoy the 20% discount. I was thinking either 26 or 27  or 20 December since I was on leave on those days but Jocelyn would still be in Penang. I thought maybe I can go with a male friend but he told me that it is better we go in a big group which I later discover why. It was because male and female spa  is separated, well obviously since we are not sufficiently dressed. 

Anyway, suddenly on 21 December 2013, Saturday evening, Jocelyn, as usual, spontaneously asked me to join her usual gang and her family to Ossoto spa at night. They would be going there for dinner but I could only join them after my Snow White international musical ends at Sunway Lagoon amphitheatre. To make things worse, there was a very heavy downpour so my worried mother kept on pestering me to cancel the spa plan and persuaded me by saying that she would accompany me another time. I persuaded my parents in vain to follow me to the spa since Jocelyn's parents would be going and they would have companions. 

I reached late, at about 11.45 pm. To my surprise, the place was just located at Wisma Mirama which sounded familiar to me initially. When I reached there, I realized why it is so familiar because it was located opposite IDFR which I had my internship for two months before my graduation! Thankfully, I found a parking right in front of the entrance. 

When the lift opened, the place was very festive with Christmas decorations. Naturally, with the contemporary and classic decor, I did not hesitate to have some shooting sessions with the help of the staff there even before I went in to meet my friends!





I came here bringing a big paper bag of toiletries, change of clothes and lingerie but it seems that all these are provided here even to the extend of disposable bra and panties so that we shy Malaysians do not need to soak in the jacuzzi naked. It is not Malaysian culture to soak nude in the spa like the Chinese or the Japanese or Koreans. Women are given a set of disposable bra and panties and also pink checks shorts and shirt that looks like a pajamas. So we are basically wearing pajamas the whole day! 
The first Changing Room. We were given individual lockers which can only be unlocked using our red heart shaped bracelets and also the staff's bracelets. The Burmese and local staff is on call 24 hours everywhere at our service.  


Jocelyn and I at the main dining hall


I met Jocelyn at the main dining room where there was 24 hours buffet. I was quite famished but the food at supper time was just so-so probably because it was leftovers from dinner. Courtesy of Jocelyn's mum's recommendation, the puddings and also the best winner would be the chrysanthemum with wolfberry and also longan jelly which was super cooling for the hot Malaysian weather. 


We then watched latest movies such as Red 2 movie at the luxurious Gold Class cinema minus the massage chairs. The massage came at a price, not by machine but manually by China women. My friends had foot massage for RM 58 while I saw some having pedicure in the dark with a table light to help the pedicurist. I wish I have more money to spare but I watched my finances because being inside would make one forget the time, day and light, after all, most of us were wearing bath robes. I just tried the cheapest massage which is the hand and shoulder massage for RM 38 for 30 minutes and the masseuse kept begging for tips at the end of it. 

In the cinema, we can recline our seats 180 degrees here so many people actually fall asleep here, us included. Like a Gold Class GSC cinema, we were served any drink we like, cold or hot beverages which ranges from coffee (all types) such as latte, cappucino, espresso, normal coffee, mocha and a range of tea such as peppermint, jasmine, Earl Grey, green tea and etc. I chose the Signature Hot Chocolate since it is quite late at 1 am. The movie was quite boring but I could not fall asleep probably because I was fired up with excitement from seeing all the activity around me that I was yet to try. Later, I had a hot milk which was special because it was not like normal milk in Malaysia which has a terrible taste. I am not a fan of milk. 

Then at 3am, Jocelyn and me went for fish spa in the female area. There is no fish spa for male and wonder why the difference especially since men have to pay more, RM 88 per person. 

At 4 am, Ryan was hungry and I accompanied him to eat a big packet of Nasi Lemak Bungkus and 3 sticks of fried fishballs and sausages. I wonder how guys have high metabolism and never get fat from eating so much the whole day, at every meal. I am green with envy. I only drank a warm cup of water because I was not used to having supper and cannot go to bed if I am too full. In addition, I will feel guilty going to sleep with a heavy stomach as it is unhealthy to do so. 

When I finally woke up at 11.30 am, my normal waking up time on weekends, since lunch was not ready and there is not many tasty food from breakfast, I went to take a nice hot shower under the gigantic rain showerheads in semi-transparent shower rooms. Then since lunch is not ready yet, I had a hot mocha at the cafe outside the cinema. 
The love shaped foam is so beautifully done like those at heftily priced high class coffee shops where a cup of coffee cost at least RM 15. 
LUNCH TIME with BFF and the Gang : 



The tang yuen is not nice. Probably because I do not favour these much so not fair to judge. 
 TEA TIME:
Very cute fried tempura for tea time

After lunch, we had tea at the ladies only saloon. I ordered my favourite Berry Tea which was amazing whereas Jocelyn drank her favourite Jasmine tea. We were chit-chatting about which pedicure I should do. Jocelyn suggested Christmas designs. We also read the latest female lifestyle magazines. 



After that, we went to Sauna but apparently it was not hot enough and thereby not effective enough so Jocelyn wanted to go to the super hot more effective Steam Room. It was my first time experiencing both as I never like hot environment much. There was even ice-cream sticks to be eaten at the tables al-fresco in the female spa. There were some finger snacks like sandwiches and fried snacks. In the Steam room, we met some new friends who were younger or around our age. Then, all of us six new friends went to the jacuzzi. Only 6 people are allowed in the jacuzzi each time but the water was not hot enough and the water pumps not strong enough but the Ossoto girls said we could not adjust them  and that it is automatic. 
Female Spa room. Notice the fish spa behind?


Clear Ramen Soup for tea time. Very soothing to the soul. We customized it by asking for clams, and filament sticks additions which were for the tom yam bihun soup.

Festive cheer at every floor


I love the stairway made warmer with the  Xmas decor
I love the interior design



When I related the experience to my father, he said he wanted to visit this place in future with me. He was drawn by the buffet and tasty coffee and cinema. Every Ossoto visitor definitely makes a comeback! 


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