Spa Castle, formerly known as In Spa World, is a four-story water park-like bathhouse, full of hot tubs, saunas, roof-top swimming pools, and fantastic places to eat with great views of the Whitestone Bridge and the Long Island Sound. Located at 1111 131st St. in College Point (just North of Flushing), there's a descriptive NY Times article that does a pretty good job of reviewing the Spa Castle, but unfortunately it neglects the cuisine. Other than the deli-like food on the 2nd floor, and the small vendor-like food on the 3rd there're actually some pretty decent meals to be had on the 4th floor. When I was there last, the prices had gone up about $2 per dish, but it's still not bad for the quality (and quantity), considering you're already inside and at their mercy.
Probably the best deal on the menu is #11--the name of which is a bit tricky, so just stick with the number. At $15, it comes with marinated pork, barley (an old, traditional alternative to rice), leaves of romaine and seasame, a hefty bowl of Korean-style miso soup (taeng-jang-chigae), and about four banchun (side-dishes), of which kim chi is one. This meal is big enough that it could even be shared if one isn't terribly hungry.
Spa Castle makes for an ideal, albeit a bit pricey, alternative to the beach on overcast summer days. And it's open during the winter, too!
How to get there:
The best way to get to Spa Castle is to take the 7 train to the last stop (Flushing, of course), and then walk to the municipal parkinglot on the corner of Union and 39th Ave. There, you can catch the Spa Castle shuttle that picks up approximately every thirty minutes (and the best part is it's free!). The clearly marked blue van picks people up at the South East corner of the parking lot.
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Here is the official Spa Castle website.
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