The Spa at Mandarin Oriental

C – Sometimes, you just need to get away. Even if away is really just down the road. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental is a great way to take a mini-break. (In my case, an ultra mini-break.) I love a good spa, and the Mandarin Oriental didn’t disappoint. But it wasn’t a totally perfect experience.

First, I was welcomed with tea and slippers. Nice touch. One of three attendants helping me gave me a tour of the women’s facilities. Spotless. It was a typical women’s locker room, but there was a water suite beyond one door that had, without a doubt, the best steam room I’ve ever been in. It was the perfect temperature, and the seating was quite comfy. I had it all to myself, and it was a Saturday. I was given a robe that was a bit over used. Strike one.

I waited in the relaxation room for my 4 pm Oriental Essence Massage. The room looked quite nice, but the recliners were in no way comfortable, and there wasn’t enough room for all those waiting for treatments. Strike two.

The massage was good. Not the best ever, but worth the money. Then I got their basic pedicure and everything turned around. First pedi of the season, so my conversation with the technician was peppered with apologies. This woman was a miracle worker. Not only did she get my feet in summer condition (not that it matters right now with this weather) but she took extra time. About 20 extra minutes. That’s unheard of in the spa biz.

I was there almost 5 hours and I didn’t manage to make it to the indoor pool, which I’ve heard has spectacular views. I think next time, I’ll save some money, skip the massage and spend the rest of my time poolside.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
1330 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 554 8588

BONUS: they take Spa Finder gift certificates!

 

A Winning Caps Night Out

K- Living in DC offers a host of activities from museums, theater, restaurants and of course sports. We have baseball, football, soccer and of course, hockey!  This past Friday I went to my first Caps game – they were playing Vancouver – with some friends.  We had some great seats near the ice, which made it easy to see all of the action. I’d throw in a lot of hockey or sports lingo but sad to say I don’t know any. Although I do like going to sports events like baseball, hockey, etc. I don’t like watching it on television so I’m not as well versed on the nuances or vernacular as I’m sure many sports fans are. But I do have a good time when I go and I do understand the basics. Thus, you don’t have to be a huge sports fan to go to any of the games.

Anyway,  I got to see Ovechkin skate and the game was very exciting as it was very close – and the Caps won! Hurray!!

I believe hockey season is winding down but baseball is starting up! The Nats are also fun to watch and so is the race of the presidents. I haven’t seen the new guy they added – Taft? Not sure how I feel about that choice…either way, I will hopefully get a chance to get out there and cheer for the Nats and hopefully you will join me!

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Rasika West – yum!

Photo taken from Rasika West FB page

K- I was meeting a friend of mine that I hadn’t seen for a very long time who was flying into DC for a business trip. I suggested we meet at Rasika West as it was nearby to where I was and where he was staying.

I got there early so I sat at the bar. I ordered a Kaminee, which consisted of Pimms, chili gin, lime juice, ginger syrup and cucumber. The chili gin gave a nice kick to the drink and overall the drink wasn’t too sweet. I also munched on some spiced popcorn that they have at the bar rather than the usual boring nuts or chips.

When my friend arrived we went to the dining room – I couldn’t handle the bar anymore as there was a girl there who sounded like one of the Kardashians – to have dinner.  The dining room is exquisitely decorated and can get a bit noisy when it starts filling up, especially since the tables are a little close to each other.

Photo taken from Urban Spoon.

When the waiter came to take our order he was very informative but not overly so. He answered our questions and offered to help with the menu if needed.The menu had a nice choice of vegetarian options. There were also other choices for non-vegetarians such as fish and chicken entrees.

My only question was although it’s not on the menu, could I have palak paneer. He said “yes,” which made me very happy as it’s my favourite; sadly as it is my favourite, I have a tendency not to explore other dishes. I have vowed to change that next time I go to an Indian restaurant but that wasn’t going to be the night. I also ordered garlic naan and basmati rice. My friend ordered the shrimp pepper masala.

My dinner was fabulous, so much so that I ate all of it, which left no room for dessert. But I enjoyed every bite of it!

I’m looking forward to going back and trying something new – maybe the paneer mattar, malai palak or vegetable biryani. Yum!

Rasika West

1190 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Entrance on New Hampshire Avenue & M Street.
Valet parking is available at Dinner only.
See map

Tel: 202.466.2500

National Theatre Live at the Shakespeare Theatre

C – I love living in the Washington, DC area but having lived previously in London, there’s something I really miss:  Theatre. Yes, we do have wonderful local plays, musicals and opera here, but we often have to rely on touring productions to give us theatre on a grander scale. If you are lucky enough to make it into a local or touring production, chances are you had to fight to get in. Just try getting tickets to a popular show at the Kennedy Center and you know what I mean. In London and New York, you can choose from any number of productions at any given time. Now, these cities have come to us in the form of big screen broadcasts.

I was already aware of The AMC Theatres program The Met Live in HD at AMC Theatres. This gives the viewer an opportunity to see several of the Metropolitan Opera’s productions live, but from the comfort of a reclining movie chair with popcorn in hand. (Popcorn and opera totally work together. Try it.) There are three theatres in the area that do these events: AMC Tyson’s Corner 16, Mazza Gallerie, Hoffman Centre 22.

So, yes, I was aware of the AMC program, but new to me was the National Theatre Live program at the Shakespeare Theatre. It’s not technically a live production — but it’s taped live so it really does feel like you’re there. I saw Shakespeare’s Coriolanus recently, in an innovative production staged at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Starring Tom Hiddleston (you might know him from Thor), they had to get creative with limited space and I think they did quite a spectacular job with it. Because space was so limited, the show sold out for it’s entire run almost immediately, which made it a perfect candidate for National Theatre Live, though technically not from the National Theatre itself.

I loved the production, I loved how the Shakespeare Theatre treated like a live production and the building itself is just a pleasure to hang out in. The only uncomfortable point was at the end as the cast bowed over and over again toward the camera. That kind of stuff works if you’re in the same room with them. It’s super awkward if they can’t hear you clapping.

Shakespeare Theatre
Sidney Harman Hall
610 F Street, NW
Washington, DC  20004