There is nothing more depressing in Hong Kong hair salons than that pile of yellowing magazines with last year's celebrity gossip.
For those who can’t stand the limbo in a hair salon when you're stuck in a chair at the mercy of a stranger with sharp scissors, here are three hair-salons with real entertainment:
Magic Mirror
The setting: What kids have always dreamt of -- merry-go-round seats, cartoons, and candy. As Jamie Garner, father of 3-year-old Jack, ensures: “There is no other place on earth where I can have my kid sit quietly and happily for fifteen minutes straight."
The clientele: Infant wannabe Cantopop stars and expatriate little lords.
The haircut: No-nonsense juvenile cuts, with straight fringes and short sides.
The cinematheque: Complete collection of Pokemon, all major Disney animations and even a rare pirate DVD version of the Muppet Show. Classic.
Price: A cut costs HK$320 for boys, HK$350 for girls.
Total: An attractive idea that comes at an exorbitant price. The little beloved one will come out smiley, but the overcharged parents won't.
Hair Corner
The setting: A swanky hair-salon with leather armchairs and wooden mirrors, Hair Corner can boast Japanese cuisine, a beauty center, and one of Asia’s biggest indoor LED screens.
The clientele: Mostly local tai tais and celebrities hitting up the VIP room once in a while.
The haircut: Electric purple colorings, edgy fringes, Rastafarian "perms." In 20 minutes, the hair-stylist will be able to make anybody look like a local starlet.
The food: Fresh, beautifully shaped and delicately flavored, this sushi is prepared with real Japanese scrupulosity. If you find a hair in the rice, it's most likely yours.
Price: A little less than HK$500 will get a haircut and a sushi set lunch, complete with udon noodles in miso soup.
Total: Great food, trendy hairstyle. The best two birds with one stone scenario.
Baba Hair Salon
The setting: A Pakistani hairdresser serves chicken biryani to customers. Muslim shrines and posters of barely clothed Indian actresses on the walls, a big TV showing Bollywood films, all topped with a thick cloud of smoke.
The clientele: South Asian businessmen, sketchy thugs, local mobsters … or whatever your imagination tells you.
The haircut: Bollywood-style slick hairdos. The hairstylist can also administer a scalp massage with original Tibetan lotion upon request.
The food: As customer Abbas says, “Baba’s biryani is so good that people come all the way from Tsuen Wan just for it."
Price: An outstanding HK$60 will get the hair cut and the belly full. Plus a complimentary cup of milk tea.
Total: The haircut might not be too à la mode, and most customers leave with sticky fingers, but the cultural experience is priceless and it can’t get cheaper than this in Hong Kong.
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