Birthday blog - serious pampering at Aurora Spa Retreat, St Kilda

So it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I remember when I used to enjoy birthdays. That's probably cuz I wasn't so fricken' old.

One of the good things about turning 29 is that I can now afford to buy myself presents, and not having to wait for people to give them to me. Besides, after a certain age nobody gives you presents anymore (except for your boyfriend, or else he'll be in deep shit), because you're a grown-up now, and only kids get presents.

I can also take a day off to pamper myself at a spa. Oh, Aurora Spa Retreat, how I love thee. My boy (who is not in deep shit btw) gave me a $150 gift card from Aurora for Valentine's Day (*grins*), and I've been waiting all year to use it.

Aurora is certainly not the cheapest day spa around. But it's supposed to be one of the more amazing ones. The last time I was there was a couple of years ago, where I dropped some $300 for a two-hour treatment. I had booked in for a similar treatment this time too - a one-hour Kitya Karnu Signature body treatment and a one-hour detox massage.

Upon check-in to the spa I am led to the change rooms and provided with a robe and slippers. I come out and there's a cup of herbal tea waiting in the lounge area. The lounge is all earthy tones and neutral colours, with self-help and new age tomes in the magazine racks. No clocks to hurry you along.

The Kitya Karnu is Aurora's award-winning treatment, and it's not hard to see why. I am taken to my own private steam and shower room, where Trent my therapist lets me choose a salt scrub to slather over my dull-looking skin. I pick one that smells like lavender, and he lets me sniff the accompanying oil.

Now one might think that it would be awkward and slightly uncomfortable to have a male therapist in the wet treatment room, but hey, equal opportunity for all, I say. If Trent wants to be a spa therapist, then more power to him. If spa patrons were to reject male therapists, they would be denying these guys an opportunity to do their job. And there would be less male therapists in the industry. Same deal with introducing more women to male-dominated industries - if no one gave these women a chance, then we are actively reducing their opportunities to prove themselves and make their mark.

Enough philosophising,back to the treatment. The oil is applied all over my skin, and when the salt is sprinkled over that, it creates a warming sensation. After letting it sit for a few minutes, the concoction is showered off. Repeat on the other side. I also get a hair masque put in, together with a soothing scalp massage and a nice little face clean. Trent has hands of magic.

After the treatment (who thought one hour could pass so quickly?) I shower off the remnants of the scrub and hair masque, before slipping back into my comfy robe and slippers. Trent shows me back to the lounge and to the shelf of creams where I could rehydrate my face with some moisturiser. He also had a glass of water with lemon to rehydrate my body before the next treatment.

Next, the detox massage. After a brief chat about what concerns I wanted to address, my therapist applied some warming balm to my shoulders and upper back before beginning the massage. She was a tiny little thing, but boy did she have arms of steel! Her touch was firm and therapeutic. At times it was a little *too* firm - I think she gave me bruises! Nevertheless, it was still quite enjoyable and the hour passed by quickly. I didn't doze off like the massage I got in Takayama, Japan but it was still pretty good.

Aurora is also not the type of spa to rush you out after your treatment. I had some time to sip more tea at my leisure, before popping into the change room for a proper shower. The spa provides everything - shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body oil/lotion, even a hair dryer.

I left the spa feeling relaxed, yet invigorated somehow. If only money weren't an issue. I could certainly make a habit out of this.

Now for dinner - but that's another entry.


Pamper yourself at:
Aurora Spa Retreat
The Prince Hotel
2 Acland Street
St Kilda
t: +61 3 9536 1130

Pre-holiday pampering at Endota Spa Malvern

On the weekend before our trip I decided to get into the vacationing mood (and to appease my spa addiction!) by booking in for a massage and facial at Endota Spa Malvern. I had come across a September special on their website - a free half-hour facial if you book in for a one-hour massage for $80. Bargain, I thought.

Endota Spa is an Australian day spa franchise, with branches all across Australia. There are some 25 Endota day spas in Victoria alone, spread across from Berwick to Williamstown. I figured that a franchise this successful would be a pretty safe bet.

When I rang to make my booking, the phone at Endota Malvern did not even ring, or go to voicemail, or even emit the fax machine sound. Instead, it kept giving me the busy signal all day. I rang both the Chadstone and Camberwell spas to make sure that I had the right number, and that they were open. As a final resort I made my booking online and rang back the next to confirm. That went pretty smoothly as they had received my email and had already booked me in. I also got a call the day before my appointment to confirm, which although standard in the industry was still a nice touch.

Endota Spa Malvern is located on Station Street, near the train station (duh). There's plenty of parking. The spa itself struck me as being more like a beauty salon than a day spa. Maybe I've been spoiled by Aurora Spa Retreat - to me a day spa should have, aside from its treatment rooms, a change room, showers and amenities like robes and slippers. Instead, I was led straight to a treatment room (after filling in the questionnaire and a cup of tea), and advised to leave my bag and clothes wherever there was space for it. Maybe they only reserved the robes for clients who got the water treatments?

My one-hour massage was blissful. Then again it was a relaxation massage, so the therapist wasn't as heavy handed as the one who gave me a detox massage at Aurora. I found my therapist pleasant enough, but learnt that she wasn't exactly big on explaining how things work to me. She didn't talk through the treatment in detail, and when she finished the massage she didn't bother saying the obligatory "now we're going to start your facial, so just stay where you are and we'll look after the rest bla bla bla" line. She just left the room and me wondering what was going on, as she had a towel over my eyes and head.

She then came back in and started the facial without saying anything. I was like "...umm, are we starting the facial now?" - dumb question, I know. But I had to be sure!

The half-hour organic facial was less pleasant than the massage. I'm not sure if it was the products she was using, or the over-hot towels she placed on my face, but my cheeks started stinging a little, and for the next two weeks they were red and flaky, like some sort of a reaction. I didn't say anything at the time as it was only in the early stages of the facial, plus the half-hour went by pretty fast.

Afterwards I was taken to the lounge to relax. The therapist told me what products she used on my face, and mentioned that my skin was a little on the dry and sensitive side, which wasn't all incorrect. Overall it wasn't a bad experience. The massage was really nice but I've always been wary of facials (had my fair share of red, splotchy skin afterwards), so maybe that marred the experience a little. The staff were friendly and professional, and while the place is no Aurora Spa Retreat, it's still a nice little spot to get your beauty and spa fix, at more affordable prices.

Slow news day

Nothin' much has been happening this past week. Haven't really gone out cuz Jam is sick, and I've also been really busy at work. Damn you work!

Got my hair cut, bought a dress, signed up for a copywriting short course that work is gonna pay for (ok, so maybe damn you slightly less, work!), bla bla, bla bla. "Meh" is the word that comes to mind. Guess I should appreciate the quiet time before we go on holiday in a few weeks!

Oh, and it's my brother's birthday today. Happy Birthday Jeremy! And it's my birthday on Wednesday. So yeah, this is the calm before the flurry (storm's a tad too...dramatic).

At least it's warming up.

Chun Po Chinese Restaurant, Glenferrie Road, Malvern

I've heard about Chun Po for quite a number of years now, but have never got around to trying it out. It's gotten quite a number of good reviews and have been in probably most (if not all) of The Age Good Food Guide editions.

So tonight, on a last minute whim, we decided to give a go tonight. And of course, I had to forget to bring my camera AND my phone to the restaurant. So no pictures - sorry!

From the outside, Chun Po looks like your typical suburban restaurant. Inside, there are two levels of closely packed tables, with specials listed on brightly coloured strips of paper. At first we were a bit concerned that there was only a table of Chinese people dining there - a sure sign that a restaurant serves good authentic cuisine is by the presence of diners native to that type of cuisine - but luckily those concerns were short-lived.

A workmate had told me that the sweet and sour pork here was to-die-for, so we got that. The four of us also got the combination vegetables with Japanese bean curd, oyster omelette and wasabi steak fillet.

The portions were really generous. The sweet and sour pork was one of the best I've had in Melbourne. I usually stay away from this dish here because not many restaurants do it well - usually there's too much batter, or the sauce tastes really "fake" - but here the sauce was a nice mix of sweet and sour flavours, and the pork was lightly battered and crispy.

I really liked the mixed vegetables with bean curd dish, there was a good mix of vegetables - different types of mushrooms, water chestnuts, broccoli, carrot, beans - which went well with the silky Japanese tofu. The wasabi steak fillet was beautiful. The beef was tender, juicy and flavourful, drizzled with wasabi mayo that packed enough of a kick but wasn't too overwhelming.

The oyster omelette was probably the only let down for me. The execution was good - a nice, crispy omelette that wasn't too thick, filled with little oyster pieces. But on the whole it seemed a little ordinary compared to the other offerings on the table, and I didn't think that it was worth the $23.80 they charged for it. But the oyster fans around the table had no complaints. I'm a fan of fresh oysters, and somehow this dish just didn't do it for me.

I was so full at the end of it, I could hardly move. At the end of the meal we were brought a plate of watermelon and cantaloupe slices, and cubes of coconut jelly topped with mung beans. It was a nice finishing touch to a really delicious meal.

You certainly can't go past
Chun Po Chinese Restaurant
18 Glenferrie Road, Malvern
t: +61 3 9509 9624

Ben Folds at the Palais Theatre

Last night we went to see one of the most awesomest musicians and entertainers ever - the amazingly talented and ridiculously ingenious Ben Folds! He was playing a one-night only show at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda. The Palais is one of the oldest and venues in Melbourne, and one of the most beautiful that I've seen (together with the Forum and the Regent Theatre). It opened its doors in 1927 and, according to its website, is in serious need of restoration. I love old buildings.

The grand ol' Palais

As you can see, the Ben Folds gig was SOLD OUT!

We met up with Sarz and Jules for dinner beforehand, and missed the support act entirely (not that we mind). Had dinner at Chinta Ria Soul on Acland Street. The Chinta franchise is still going strong after all these years, even with separate owners each restaurant still retains the same warm, cosy feel.

With not much time left before the gig, we decided to order the quick and easy stuff. The boys had Asahi beers, and I had a glass of their Swan Valley merlot, which was a nice and easy quaff - by my standards, seeing that I had to skoll it towards the end as we were running late for the gig...

Jam's roti with chicken curry - note that they've actually cut the roti up, which isn't as authentic than if they had served it with a whole piece of roti. Chinta Blues (also on Acland St, but near the corner of Fitzroy St near the Prince of Wales hotel) does this.

Jules and I had the curry laksa. The soup was really rich with lots of coconut milk which, while yummy, is not always necessarily a good thing, as it can distract from the flavour of the laksa

Sarah's chilli prawns. Not what I expected - I thought the sauce would be the traditional reddish sweet chilli one, but this came across as more of a tangy Thai style. It still got good reports though.

We got REALLY GOOD SEATS at the Ben Folds gig - in the stalls, Row P seats 22-25. We were right bang in the middle and were close enough to see Ben's fingers fly across the grand piano keys.

It was a smashing gig. Ben played a good combo of his old and new stuff - like "Annie Waits", "Zak and Sara", "Effington", "Landed", "Gracie", "Still Fighting It", "Fred Jones", "Brick", "Emaline", plus heaps more - as well as two new songs that haven't been released yet. They're from an upcoming album done in collaboration with the writer/author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity), and they sound pretty good! One was about Levi Johnston - the 18-year-old boyfriend of Bristol Palin (daughter of ex-American VP candidate Sarah) and father of her child - and how he got dragged into the limelight, put on the spot and made to marry the girl.

And then there was Missy Higgins!

She came on stage for one song - "You Don't Know Me", which Ben sang as a duet with Regina Spektor on his latest album. She also played some very simple drum rhythms, which was good fun.

Ben totally rocked out with his c*ck out (Ben fans would know what I mean!). The crowd went wild every time, and brought the house down with much cheering, screaming, clapping and foot-stomping. He also took some requests. He played "B!tches ain't shit", which was awesome!

The last time I saw Ben in Melbourne was in 2006 when he played with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which was absolutely amazing. So it has been a while, and I'm glad I got to see him play.

Dinner was at:
Chinta Ria Soul
94 Acland Street, St Kilda
t: +61 3 9525 4664

Mmm...Movenpick ice cream

Was at Harbour Town and Waterfront City at the Docklands for lunch today - it was my first time there (I know, I know). Strange to see all these shops at the Docklands. I'm used to it being quite barren and almost deserted, but looks like that's changing. Maybe I'm just a little sick of the place from going there three times a week back when I was doing dragon boat training!

Anyway, there's all sorts of shops there now, and food places! There's your fast food like KFC and Nando's, but there's also Chilli Padi and Gold Leaf. Guess the most exciting addition (for bargain hunters and American retail lovers) to the area is Costco. People were queuing up to get in on the first day it opened. I don't really see what the big deal is *shrugs* Maybe I'll get proven wrong when I actually check the place out for myself!

And there's Mövenpick ice cream. I've heard of it before, but never got the chance to try some. So I got really excited when I saw that they had opened a store at here in Melbourne! I had to try some. There were heaps of flavours on offer - too bad I didn't have my camera on me! I got too excited and totally forgot about taking photos anyway. So here's the Mövenpick website, for you to peruse and to drool at the pretty pictures :D

I had the mint chocolate ice cream, and it was sublime. Fresh minty goodness that didn't taste "fake", and really generous flakes of chocolate stirred throughout. It was definitely up there in my list of top yummiest ice creams.

Now I have a reason to go to the Docklands again! Maybe next time I'll check out Costco. Apparently they sell really good cheese pizzas...


So where's this yummy place?
Mövenpick
Shop CCG807 Waterfront City Docklands
t: 9670 7994