Well hello hello.
For today's video we're going to take you to a Jjimjilbang (찜질방) which is a Korean
bathhouse and spa.
Yeah, so this Korean sauna (사우나) is really popular - especially on the weekends
with families.
People of all ages.
So we're going to give you a complete tour aside from the naked parts.
Yeah, because there is more to a bath house than just scrubbing down and getting naked.
Apparently, they also have rooms where you can nap, watch Korean dramas, eat food.
So we're going to show you all of that.
And the place we're taking you is probably one of the most famous bathhouses in all of
Seoul.
And it is massive.
There is basically five floors.
So we're going to give you a really good tour of that.
Let's go.
Girls wear red and boys wear brown.
Now I'm going to go change.
Bye.
So this is in case you're interested and the outfit of the day.
I have my Princess Leia towel, orange t-shirt, red shorts and barefoot.
That's what you wear at a Jjimjilbang.
So before we can explore the Jjimjilbang (찜질방) we need food.
It is lunchtime and I haven't eaten yet.
Okay so this is my very first time at a Jjimjilbang so I don't really know what to expect.
But Sam here is an expert and he's been coming on almost a daily basis.
So tell us all about it will you.
So while we wait for our food I'll explain a little bit.
So the Jjimjilbang (찜질방) portion is basically a common area from the second floor
up until the fifth floor.
And you have all of these kinds of different rooms.
You have a PC Bang (PC방) where you can go on the computer, you have all of these different
sleeping areas.
You have these different steam rooms that have different variations of temperature.
You have restaurants.
A whole bunch of different stuff.
But the actual sauna part, the part where you get naked and you go down into the sauna,
is men and women only.
Segregated.
Yeah, it is segregated.
And so you go into the sauna, the Korean bath house (목욕탕), and you have basically
all of these different kinds of hot tubs.
And some of the hot tubs have special kind of water.
Like there is one has like mud and then all of these different other ones.
There is a jade one for example.
Different minerals.
They are supposed to have different kind of health properties.
So you go into those and you also have within there you also have the sauna itself.
You go into the rooms where you sweat and then you have steam rooms and then you have,
which is one of my favorite things, it is kind of like I call it the polar plunge pool.
And it is ice cold.
So after you've been sweating for a long time you go from the extreme heat into the extreme
cold.
So that is my favorite.
That is very Canadian of you Sam.
The polar plunge.
Of course.
Just like a polar bear from Canada.
Hahaha.
Nice.
Our food is ready!
Eye yigh.
Everything is so hot.
Ooh.
That could have been an accident right there.
My little arms were shaking with the tray.
So for our first Jjimjilbang (찜질방) meal together we decided to go with a couple of
our favorites.
Owe!
What?
The rice is burning hot.
Hahaha.
Anyways.
So give us a tour.
These are our two go-to dishes whenever we are at a restaurant.
These are our favorites.
So first up we have the dolsot bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥).
This is the stone pot rice with all of the different vegetables and mushrooms and a raw
egg on top.
And it is really cool because you mix it around and then it starts cooking in the pot.
And then we also got the Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개) which is a tofu soup with a spicy tofu stew
and that comes with rice.
This is how I burnt my finger just now.
Touching that.
Don't touch it.
And then we have a whole bunch of other side dishes.
We have kimchi (김치) over here.
And this is also something really cool.
This is called Miyeokguk ((미역국).
And you can actually order that on its own.
I think when you order it on its own it is cold but this is basically your Korean seaweed
soup.
And this is very typical to find in a Jjimjilbang (찜질방).
Yeah, it is very light broth.
One of the characteristic foods you'll find along with sikhye (식혜) which is your Korean
rice drink and along with kyeran which is your Korean style egg.
Hard boiled egg.
Actually they are not boiled.
They're cooked in the hot rooms.
Oh yeah, that is right.
And then the other one that you can find.
This one is to cool off is the Patbingsu ((팥빙수) which is your basically shaved ice along with
your beans and other assorted fruits.
We'll have some of that later.
Yeah, we're going to have that later on in the day.
Let's dig in.
Dig right in.
I kind of want to eat yours.
Yours looks so good.
So does yours.
Just by looking at it I can tell that I think the quality is going to be really high here.
How is that?
It's good stuff.
Spicy.
Woah!
Ready to mix yours?
Oh yeah.
Come check this out.
So I'm just going to give it a really good stir.
Look at those colors.
Yeah.
It is beautiful.
What a thing of beauty.
Oh la lah.
You can see why this is one of our favorite Korean dishes.
Oh and the crispy rice.
And the best part guys is when you're having dolsot bibimbap.
Is let the rice burn a little bit on the bottom.
That is so delicious.
Yeah.
That is my favorite part of the whole bibimbap (비빔밥).
The burnt rice at the bottom.
So right now we're on the entertainment floor and this is the movie room.
The movie starts at three PM so we still have a few hours but aside from that we've also
noticed there is a table tennis rooms, there is a reading room, computer rooms.
What else?
I feel like there is so much to do here.
And it is just only on one floor.
Yeah, so let's keep exploring.
So if chilling out wasn't enough you can come to the workout room and try to get buff.
Is that how you work out?
No?
Show us the proper technique.
So we're heading inside the charcoal room.
It is only twenty two degrees and that is the coldest room we've been able to find.
Aside from the ice room.
The others are like fifty or sixty degrees which is just unbearable for me.
Yeah, that would be bad for the camera.
So let's go in.
Quietly, because people are sleeping.
Okay, so right now we're heading up to the fifth floor.
This is the sleeping rooms.
So we'll have to be very quiet.
Come.
I'm going to sleep in a cave.
Okay, so Sam it about to head to the sauna slash bath house part of the Jjimjilbang.
So I'm just going to stay here in the entertainment room, watch tv, read my kindle.
I'm going to get naked and sweat for a while.
You go ahead and do that.
And then when I come back up I think we'll have a patbingsu.
So that is the plan as of now.
Bye Sam.
So the cutest thing ever happened today.
I was in the sauna for like forty five or fifty minutes and I come back up to the forth
floor and you were sound asleep.
I was asleep.
On the hard mat.
With all of the other people.
I don't know how I fell asleep.
It was just so relaxing even though the floor is hard.
So I've just woken up and now we're going to have some dessert.
We have ordered Patbinsu, which is a really nice summer dessert.
It is made with shaved ice and red bean paste.
And we also have shikye.
A rice drink.
Sweet rice drink.
Yeah it is really good.
Check this out guys.
I don't know if you can see this but there is actually chunks of rice in the sikhye (식혜).
So let's try that.
You can actually buy this in a can at GS 25 but it is so much better when it is fresh.
Look at those chunks of rice in there.
So refreshing.
So sweet.
And like that it is cold because it is a little bit warm in the Jjimjilbang.
Yeah, you're actually sweating right now.
Yeah.
We can see those beads.
Actually it is probably just I'm a bit wet from the shower.
Oh okay.
Excuses excuses.
And the patbingsu (팥빙수) has arrived.
Yeah, so let's mix this.
It is basically shaved ice.
We have the red bean paste.
We have some corn flakes, chunks of fruit.
What else is in here?
It is a bit of a surprise so we're just going to mix it together.
Little bit of everything.
I think there is some other kinds of jellies and some sauce.
And some kind of nut powder as well.
Try a bite of that.
So this should be refreshing.
Brain freeze?
Trying not to get one.
So how is that?
It is good.
It is refreshing.
It is ice-y.
So another thing we've noticed here at the Jjimjilbang is that people wear towels on
their head.
They kind of look like the Princess Leia buns so I'm going to show you how to fold your
towel that way.
So you basically take this and fold it into thirds.
So like that.
Like so.
This is how it is done.
And then you take the ends and you roll it out like a doughnut several times.
So let's do that.
First donut.
Second doughnut.
This is my first time doing so, so it may not be perfect.
Now the other end.
So you've got basically donuts on both sides.
That is pretty cool.
And I think they wear the towels on their heads because they are going in to a lot of
the hot rooms.
The steam rooms.
So I don't know maybe they are just trying to retain heat or something.
And that is where the head goes.
Tada.
Do I look like Princess Leia?
Yeah, you kind of do.
Ha, now okay your turn.
The completed look.
Princess and Prince Leia.
Hi!
So we've been in the Jjimjilbang for a few hours and I think we're ready to wrap up the
experience.
This was my first time here and it was pretty cool.
Even though I didn't go in the showers or the sauna.
Maybe next time.
Well, I got the full experience here and I have to say for the price you pay it is only
₩10,000.
Ten thousand Korean Won.
Which is about roughly say about nine US dollars.
Just a bit over that.
It is incredible value.
Like I think something like this maybe in North America or Europe might be fifty or
one hundred dollars.
So to be able to come here for such a cheap price and experience all of these cool rooms
and get full access for the sauna and Jjimjilbang.
It kind of feels like you're going to a hotel for the weekend.
Or like a spa.
It really does Yeah, so you're just very relaxed and lounging around.
It is a pretty cool experience.
You can see why it is so popular here in Korea and if you find yourself traveling in Seoul
or anywhere in Korea, because you can find these all over Korea, definitely check out
a Korean sauna, Korean bathhouse and Korean Jjimjilbang.
There you go.
Ta ta!