SEPTEMBER 2019 75
RUSSIAN BANYA
2515 Rosemeade
Parkway, Suite 401,
Carrollton.
Open Tue-Fri,
Noon-10 p.m.;
Sat-Sun, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
214-483-5050;
russianbanyaofdallas.comeasily rent these essentials at the front
counter before making their way back to
a lounge area reserved for bathers. The
walls are muraled with provincial cabin
scenes—a stark contrast to the vivid floral
designs painted on the windows in a
stained-glass effect.
“You’re not going to find another spa in
the state of Texas with a wood-burning
stove because it’s against fire code,” host
Maxim Kim explains. “But ours was
grandfathered in 13 years ago when the
code still allowed it. Gas and electricity
dry out the air; they’re not natural.
Whereas with wood, the fire dies out, the
coals keep the heat, and you don’t get the
smoke that fire generates.”
The wood-fueled sauna is heated to
around 220 degrees with 85-percent
humidity—hot enough that guests are
advised to enter with a wooden slab
to sit on for protection. An adjacent
Turkish steam room moisturizes at 110
degrees with 100-percent humidity;
and an electric-heated dry Finnish
sauna, recommended for experiencing
last, reaches 180 degrees with
10-percent humidity. Kim recommends
five-to-15 minute sauna sessions
alternated with cold plunges in the
nearly 40-degree pool.
“Traditionally, in Russia, people have
banyas inside their house, and they
will just go outside and rub snow on
themselves to cool down,” Kim says. “We
don’t have snow or a cold river nearby, so
the next best thing is a pool like this with
filtration and a cooling system.”C
ommunal public bathing has
been a part of many cultures—
from Turkish hammams to
Roman baths—for centuries.
While traditional bathhouses are much
less widespread this days, there are
still places where you can take part in
the age-old tradition of not just getting
clean but also being cleansed. At Russian
Banya in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton,
a Slavic feast follows intensive sauna ses-
sions. The bathhouse and restaurant is
the only one of its kind in Texas.
Inside, a row of snowy Russian birch
trees hung with Khokhloma-patterned
oven mitts opens up to the kitchen and
dining room, where Chef Niyara Alieva
stirs up fragrant dishes like dumplings,
soup, and stuffed cabbage from her native
Uzbekistan and neighboring countries.
Although you can go to Russian Banya
just to eat, a meal there is much more
satisfying after putting your body through
the rigorous routine that’s been practiced
at establishments like this one for
thousands of years.
Regulars know to bring their own robes,
towels, and flip-flops, but newcomers canFROM LEFT: Chicken
tabaka, a traditional
Georgian dish; hand-
painted mural outside
the restaurant.