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After work one night this week, the boy and I needed to unwind so we hit up Chuk Chi Tong (Foot Parlor) in North Point. It seems to be very popular with the neighborhood crowd, because when we got there around 9:45 p.m., four of the seven foot massage chairs were full, and there were body massages happening in the back rooms as well. The longer we stayed, the busier the place got. The clientele included couples as well as solo men and women. There are male and female masseuses and they're friendly, though there wasn't much English spoken. A point for the gentlemen: It's likely you may get assigned a male masseuse.
The setup is fairly standard: A carpeted front room with 7 chairs for foot massage and Shanghai pedicures, a couple of rooms in the back for full-body work. There's a TV, though it's kept at low volume, plus stacks of Chinese magazines so you can catch up on all your favorite Cantopop gossip. The place is clean, including the bathroom. We opted for the combo of 50-minute foot massage, 25-minute shoulder and neck rub, for $177.
The menu includes foot massage ($118 for 50 minutes, $218 for 100 minutes); whole-body massage ($168 for 50 minutes, $318 for 100 minutes -- no discount for longer here, unless that's a bad typo!); aroma whole-body massage ($168 for 50 minutes); whole body + foot massage combo ($278 for 100 minutes); lymph detoxification massage ($198 for 50 minutes); cupping ($128); ear candling ($128); pedicure with scraping ($128).
They have a buy 10-get-2 free offer on all of the above, plus there's happy hour before 3 p.m.: $98 for a 50-minute foot massage, or $148 for a full body.
Instead of the usual Chinese tea, bottled water is offered at the start of the foot massage. Our feet were soaked hot water with some sort of herbs in a basin lined with a plastic bag. Then it was onto the rubbing. The only discernible technique my masseuse possessed seemed to be "rub hard" and "rub harder with knuckles," and while I like firm massages, it was a bit much. ( My companion, who prefers a lighter touch, reported that his masseuse in fact was fairly gentle and sensitive to his nascent flinching when the pressure got to be too intense.)
During the foot massage portion of the treatment, my masseuse spent a good chunk of the time craning her head around to watch the TV on the wall behind her. She also answered her cell phone. As did almost all the other masseuses I saw who were attending to customers. Demerits, people! Answer your damn mobiles when you're on break.
The shoulder and neck portion of the massage was actually better than the foot part. The technique was more squeezing and stretching as opposed to rubbing. My shoulders, neck and arms felt really relaxed at the end of the session.
Bottom line: Nothing to go out of your way for, but if you're in the hood, it's clean and lively.
Chuk Chi Tong, 9 Java Road, North Point. 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. 2566 6782. Map.
I actually beg to differ. I found that this was the best foot massage Ive ever had... in Hong Kong. And all my friends come all the way to North Point just to come get foot massages here. My sister brought her boyfriend who was visiting to come here as well. But you know what they say, one rotten apple, ruins the whole basket... or something. So maybe you just got a really bad masseuse. But for reflexology... this was the real deal. AND in addition, he really explained almost every single pressure point, and what the problem was in my body. Which was awesome. Free bottle of water too. :) I believe completely, this is the best foot massage in HK.
Posted by: Jamesacuna | 09/27/2010 at 03:26 AM