Whenever I walk past Hammam, I always get a very Middle Eastern vibe from it. I knew right off the bat it was a Middle Eastern bath of sorts because I was familiar with the word “hammam” from Anita Amirrezvani’s book The Blood of Flowers which is set in 17th century Iran and emphasised the luxury of taking a bath back then.
I had always felt intimidated by the imposing facade and guessed that prices for the spa would be a tad out of my budget range.
Though their normal packages are a bit steep for a young’un such as myself, their recent CNY promotion (happening until March 5) is priced at a reasonable RM260 for two hours of hammam, gommage and a 60 minute massage.
I have been known to appreciate the finer things in life from time to time. One of those times was definitely my experience at Hammam. For those who are not familiar with the term, hammam is Arabic for bath or a polite connotation for washroom. Gommage is a scrub or exfoliation to rid the body of dead skin cells built up over time.
The treatment starts off with a very gentle bath by Moroccan ladies. The water is warm and the bath area is also heated. Then the ladies scrub you down while you lay on a warm marble slab.
One thing I will never forget about this experience is just how much dead skin I have accumulated. The slivers of skin collect around your body as you lie down and let the ladies scrub you. When it is time to get up and rinse, you will find an outline of dead skin accumulated where your body was. And you will never feel cleaner than you do in that moment.
Once you are somewhat dried, a glass of piping hot Moroccan tea is served to you along with some baklava – a Middle Eastern treat for the sweet tooth. All for you to enjoy as you lounge on day beds in a private enclave of the spa.
Then you proceed to the massage in a private room (which is typically an oil massage). The therapists are very attentive and communicate well with their clientele to make sure both parties are happy.
Once you’re done with the two hour treatment, the Hammam Tearoom awaits next door for some pampering of the tastebuds.
Meat lovers rejoice! The Hammam Tearoom’s menu showcases an abundance of meat dishes.
Some notable dishes are the lamb kofta (meatballs) rocket salad, the lamb mechoui and the duck confit baked eggs.
The lamb meatballs are well-seasoned and well-portioned; the lamb mechoui will be the best lamb you’ll ever taste. It is topped with a crispy layer of skin, sprinkled with just the right amount of sea salt and served with generous amounts of mint sauce and a Moroccan take on ratatouille. The duck confit baked eggs is a very tasty and somewhat spicy Asian meets Western twist to the traditional breakfast dish.
Hammam Tearoom is introducing breakfast dishes to their already extensive menu to cater to the early risers.
Hammam Spa & Tearoom
Level 4G (Red zone, two floors above Bluecube)
Publika Shopping Centre
Solaris Dutamas
*Photography is not allowed in the Hammam Spa area, hence the lack of photos.
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