Jan 20, 2025
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I scheduled a men's haircut with Hair Caffe and was matched with Keisuke. He was very considerate and attentive, and the result was amazing! The vibe of the place was great too, it felt like I was in a high end salon in Japan! I highly recommend this place!
Oct 16, 2024
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Yelp
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I recently had an amazing experience at Hair Caffe with Naoto for a cut and color. My hair was in rough shape--dead, dry, unevenly trimmed from a few months ago, and my old color was growing out. I wanted something fresh and darker, and Naoto delivered beyond expectations!
There is very little street parking so I parked my car at the parking garage at Japan Center (1610 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115) for $2/hr and walked over to the salon (~11 mins walking).
From the moment I walked in, the service was top-notch. The entire staff works efficiently and quickly while keeping the space immaculate. Every new customer is greeted warmly, whether it's their client or not. The vibe in the salon was also a huge plus--jazz music played softly in the background, which was a refreshing change from the usual high-energy music you find in most salons.
Naoto was quiet, confident, and meticulous with his craft. He took his time, gave me the best hair wash and scalp massage I've ever had, and was incredibly thoughtful in his approach. He covered me with a blanket and used a towel to ensure no water splashed into my eyes during the wash. His attention to detail was evident in every step, and the entire service was gentle yet intentional.
As someone who prefers a quieter atmosphere, I really appreciated that Naoto didn't force any conversation. It was a peaceful, relaxing experience--just what I want from my hair appointments. He didn't try to upsell anything or overcomplicate the process, which was a nice change.
What impressed me most was how quickly Naoto worked without compromising quality. In less than two hours, I got exactly what I wanted--a perfect cut and color--while my last experience in Georgia took 7 hours and didn't even meet my expectations. And the price was comparable to what I paid before, making it well worth it. At the end of my appointment, Naoto offered suggestions on what I can do to keep my hair healthy and how to style my long face framing bangs which is always appreciated since I am not very adventurous when it comes to styling my hair.
If you're looking for a new hair colorist/stylist I highly recommend Hair Caffe to anyone. The combination of efficiency, skill, and great service makes this salon a standout!
Sep 15, 2024
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Google
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The shop has a clean, pleasant environment, and the stylist was very patient and focused throughout the appointment, which I really appreciated. He took his time, working carefully for two hours. However, despite the attention to detail, the final result wasn’t what I had hoped for. Ultimately, the hairstyle is what matters most, and I had to book another appointment elsewhere to fix it. Unfortunately, I don’t feel the outcome was worth the price.
Aug 15, 2024
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Google
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I booked a haircut appointment with Naoto and asked for layers and a bang trim. He delivered exactly what I wanted with great precision, straightening each section of hair before cutting. He also gave me some great styling tips. Highly recommend Naoto for a women’s haircut!
Aug 15, 2024
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Google
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My boyfriend has been coming here for the last three years so I decided to try it for my first haircut in a very long time. I’m so happy I came here because Naoto did such an amazing job!! The layering and length are perfect. He was also so kind and attentive throughout the haircut! My hair looks so much better and feels so much healthier. he gave me some helpful tips on how to maintain my hair which I really appreciated.
Thank you so much Naoto and I highly recommend Hair Caffe!!
Aug 15, 2024
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Google
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Had a very pleasant first experience here! I got an airwave done by naoto. He was very careful and attentive to detail throughout the whole process. Appreciated him explaining during each step how long it would take, and he gave me helpful pointers on how to dry and style my hair for best results. He checked in on me regularly to make sure I was doing okay and made sure I was comfortable. Customer service aside, the curls also turned out excellent. Was looking for natural beachy waves with layered curtain style bangs, and got exactly that. Will definitely be coming here again~
Aug 15, 2024
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Google
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This is the loveliest salon I’ve ever been to! I got my hair cut and colored by Naoto and the entire experience was so magical! He even made sure that I was okay a lot and gave me a blanket. My hair has never been prettier and I’m keeping Naoto’s business card in my phone now in case I ever mess up my hair! ♥️
Aug 04, 2024
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Yelp
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I had a great experience at Hair Caffe! I booked a haircut appointment with Naoto and asked for layers and a bang trim. He delivered exactly what I wanted and meticulously straightened each section of hair before cutting. I also left with some useful styling tips. Highly recommend him for a woman's haircut!
Jul 31, 2024
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Yelp
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Visited Hair Caffe recently. No wait. Amazing haircut. Only second time. I'm neighborhood- convenient. First time years ago, stylist limited English but managed. This time same - limited English spoken. Even so, great haircut. Interior needs updating and better air circulation & refreshing especially with Covid still around. Price? Yes, but was worth it.
Jun 15, 2024
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Google
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Naoto was the hair specialist that cut my hair and it was a world class haircut. It was my first time there and I was recommended by my friend who said they do the best work on Asian hair types. I was a little nervous trying a new stylist but I am very pleased to have been placed with Naoto for a haircut.
He really showed up as a hair professional and was so attentive to detail. He cut like he was very experienced. He’s cut hair in Japan and Dubai before coming to the US. I guess that explains why I’ve never received a haircut up to this level. I have Asian hair and in my experience a lot of stylists can’t quite cut it to where it will grow out beautifully but the notching and point cutting techniques he was using AFTER he straightened each section of my hair blew me away. I mean that’s the only way you'll see how Asian-med-coarse hair will lay properly. He gave me some styling tips to take with me which I also appreciated. I definitely found the best spot for haircuts! I will continue to support this business and I look forward to my next hair visit! Thanks Hair Caffe!
Jun 15, 2024
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Google
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It was my first time in this salon, and all of the stylists were very friendly when I walked in and were quick to assist me. Naoto was very helpful and considerate to the color and style I wanted. I appreciated all of the styling tips he gave me so I can do it myself at home! Thank you!
Mar 15, 2024
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Google
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So happy with my hair! Marcy gave me a consult and we decided to do an airwave perm based on my hair type and the photos that I showed. It turned out great! The overall service was also 5-star. Pricey but worth it to have a hair stylist you can trust!
Mar 15, 2024
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Google
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My recent visit to Keisuke for a highlight turn in to amazing hair color and cut was nothing short of exceptional! Keisuke's expertise shone through as he provided insightful advice tailored to my hair condition, ensuring a delicate color that seamlessly matched my existing highlights. The result was not just a hair color but a work of art. The haircut, executed with precision, is something I'm absolutely loving – it perfectly complements the color and enhances my overall look. Keisuke's skills, coupled with a keen understanding of individual needs, make for an outstanding experience. If you're seeking a masterful touch for your hair, look no further than Keisuke!
Mar 15, 2023
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Google
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I’ve been covering my grays with Kenji who found the perfect color for my hair and recently tried Foilyage with him to shake things up! (I haven’t had highlights or lighter colored hair in almost 16 years! He’s the best hair stylist I’ve found across SF, Seattle, NY and Austin. Always excellent cuts and color, and his availability is limited for a reason. He’s the best! Thank you Kenji!!
Dec 24, 2022
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Yelp
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I had their frozen ice Japanese hair straightening done today with Naoto-san. He did such an amazing job (see attached pic)! He made sure more than several times what my preferences are (e.g. how close to my parting line I want the neutralizer to be applied, like at 0cm, 1cm, or 2cm level). The way he was ironing my hair was very meticulous like he was making sure each of my hair was ironed. His way of massaging my neck felt very good, too as well as placing a hot towel under my neck while he washed my hair. Overall, it was a great experience with him and the frozen ice straightening service:)
I would also like to add a long over due review on all hair stylists at hair caffe. I have been going to see their hairstylists for the past 11 plus years (including the years when they were still at Japan Center Beauty Clinic.) They are all excellent in their craftsmanship and they know what they are doing.
11 years ago my local hair salon screwed up my hair really really bad. (I asked them to give me some loose air wavy type of perm and even showed them a picture, but it ended up looking like a GIGANTIC poodle head since they used the tightest perm coils on me lololololol). I was hoping that the perms would loosen up as time went by, but even after 6 month, my perm was super duper TIGHT. I made an appointment with Michiaki-san one day. I was telling him about my horror story. He said, "It can be straightened". I was like "Really!?" The appointment on that day was actually made for a hair color correction, but he accommodated the change as we spoke, straightened my hair, and did my haircut on that day. I remember everything was done just in two hours. I was SO impressed and happy with the results. Since then, I've been one of their loyal customers:) Michiaki-san has been hard to book an appointment with since he is so popular as well as other stylists. I had the privilege of getting my haircut services done in the past by Kenji-san, Masa-san, Keisuke-san, and Keiko-san as well and they are all amazing. I highly recommend hair caffe!
Oct 07, 2022
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Yelp
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I had severely damaged my hair when I went scuba diving on a liveaboard boat for 5 days and gave up on untangling the birds nest it became when there was no good shower access. My hair was splitting at the ends and almost perforated at the bottom.
Scheduling is tough with the high demand. I booked with Kenji two months out, and was able to move it up a month by checking the schedule regularly.
I arrived a few min early and was seated exactly at my appointment time. As he brushed my hair, I shared what happened with Kenji and said I preferred long hair, but wanted to cut off as much damaged hair as necessary and would trust him on any style calls. He understood the assignment very well.
We walked to the back and I got lathered up in shampoo and conditioner. For the conditioner part, he put this most amazing steaming hot towel at the bottom of my neck and it was bliss. It was a very relaxing experience, exactly like the service you would receive in Japan's beauty salons.
We went back to the chair and got my hair dried up with the Dyson hairdryer. For the remaining hour, he sectioned my hair and worked on straightening (so the slightly wavy ones would be straight for the cut) and cutting one very small section at a time. I don't think my hair has ever had such detailed attention - he was extremely focused and meticulous. He also has Japanese scissors that are like samurai swords - they were really sharp and cut without doing the full snip motion. It was more like a slight whirring wiggling dance motion to cut.
An hour of intense focus later, he massaged some hair oil in and held a mirror so I could see the back profile. We checked out and I was on my merry way - several inches shorter but hair feeling and looking great. Thank you Kenji! I'll be be back!!
Jul 27, 2022
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I went in for a color appointment with Naoto and it was AMAZING! I had previous highlights in from another salon that was growing out and he gave me exactly what I wanted! (I was over the highlights and wanted a solid color and he balanced it out really really well with a great color that matched my skin tone) I told him I had a baby 5 months ago and he was cautious about not having the product touch my scalp because they're sensitive.
The experience was very similar to salons in Tokyo (I've gone to salons in Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, NY, and London and my favorite experience is still from Tokyo) the hair wash is like a head massage, super relaxing! Scheduled already to come back in two months for a touch up and will try a cut from him as well! Also, the price point is super reasonable! (There are more expensive places in SF and honestly they do not do as good of a job, they up charge because it's SF)
Nov 19, 2021
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Yelp
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Excellent service! I went in for the first time for a Frozen Ice Japanese Hair Straight service with Ricky.
My hair is thin, straight but frizzy, nowhere near curly but it would just NOT stay neat and tidy for long. It would basically take me around an hour to blow dry and straight-iron my hair for it to get all frizzy the moment I'd step out of my house. Life is too short to live with hair you hate.
It was my dream to get this service and this salon seemed like the best place to get it. Now my hair actually air-dries completely straight (no frizz) and it's soft/silky to the touch. It's just beautiful and I really love not having to spend time ironing my hair if I don't want to. I really can just walk out with wet hair and come back with gorgeous hair, haha.
I was not dissappointed! Ricky provided excellent service and care to my hair and also gave an excellent hair cut, since it's been around a year since I had gone to any type of salon.
Thank you so much! I'll definitely be back!
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Don't judge for me being vain and particular, but there's no salon the offers the type of perm I was looking for in my area so I hopped on a 2 hour plane to get down to San Francisco to get an air wave service done. I don't trust cheap Asian salons to work on my hair, it's also only an every few year service for me as it lasts a very long time so it wasn't a big deal for me to go through this extreme extent, plus there's great food in the bay area to check out. Naoto was my stylist and he was very polite and detailed, always checking up on me to make sure I was doing alright. He gave me a blanket while I was getting my hair washed.
I am an extremely busy individual so cutting down on styling time in the morning because of this perm really help make my life easier. Love the results and Naoto gave me his card in case I ever have any questions about my hair to message him, but he already educated me on how to style my hair.
This salon is located in Japanese town, near the mall but not inside the mall. It's small, cozy, and intimate with stylists that all seem exceptionally skilled so no wonder why they have 2 locations and is far booked out.
Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)
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I meant to do a review much earlier, but forgot! I remember the experience was great and I had the exact curls that I wanted :3
I came here about 1.5+ years ago to get my first ever Airwave perm. My hair was straight, flat, thin, and dry because of my autoimmune condition, so I was worried what the perm might do to my hair. I still wanted to try something different so I went for it! Luckily, my hair didn't look damaged afterward. Instead, it looked fluffy and voluminous and healthier.
The place was very cute and my hair stylist was very helpful and considerate. Sorry, I can't remember his name since it's been so long, but he made me comfortable and was very thorough throughout the entire process. During the consultation, he explained what he needed to do to achieve my reference pics, and then what I can do to maintain the perm afterward. I was a total noob with hair so I was very grateful with all this knowledge. They even welcomed me to text them if I had any questions afterward, so the support was amazing!
Truthfully, I was disappointed after I saw my curls in the salon with all the wet hair styling stuff applied. But I learned that it would look fluffy and beautiful once it's dry! When my mom saw it, she was amazed. She tried to convince me not to do it because I'd look like an old lady, and that waves would be better. She was surprised and complimented how great it looked. I got many compliments after.
I used mouse and blow drying to maintain the fluffiness, but I got lazy a couple months in and stopped doing anything to my hair. It became something like softer waves without styling, and you can still see in the pics that those waves are still there 1+ year later.