Happy Moderna Salon

I recently went there and they were friendly. I got treatment for moles and they did all my moles for a good price. =)

There are 2 primary customers here:
Men getting cheap and efficient $ 8 cuts, and Women who are devotees of Phillip, the owner.
This place is no frills, but if you want some good color or a good (especially layered) cut, Phillip is your guy. He speaks Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Mandarin, can be odd or grumpy or affectionate depending on the day, but over the years he has twice given me fabulous professional updos (bridesmaid duties) & many times given me stylish layered cuts that work for my thick hair and look amazing when they grow out (people often ask if I got a new cut several months after I’ve been here).
The terrible parking and messy Chinatown vibe oft tempts me away to other salons, but I have literally spent more than $ 200 for cuts n colors that are NO BETTER than what Phillip charged me $ 80 for.
He’s also really good at styling your mom and grandmoms-I’ve brought relatives here before special events who need some help fluffing their thinning coifs & he makes them look GOOD.
No appointments needed for the simple men’s cuts, probably good idea to call ahead and make appointments for more complex women’s cuts or color.

I have been going here for about 6 years since I was a senior in high school in Alameda in 2003.
A basic haircut is $ 8, which is about the norm for Chinatown. The people here are quite nice to me, even though I am an ABC (American Born Chinese) that does not speak the language. This is important to note because there are many native born Chinese people in Chinatown stores and salons that are quite rude or hostile towards ABCs like myself.
In terms of the quality of the haircut, its neither spectacular or bad. They will gladly offer to gel your hair afterwards if you wish. Basically, it’s a decent cut for the money you pay.
They work quite fast, so even if you see 2 to 3 people ahead of you in line on a busy day, you probably won’t have to wait very long to get your haircut.
Overall: I am giving four stars because there are nice people here, and basically you get what is expected for $ 8.

Nothing particularly special about this hole in the wall place (literally), but they are pretty cheap, at least for guy’s haircuts ($ 8). They are generally pretty quick though sometimes depending on the stylist, they may rush. I come here usually because it’s not very busy and they know my basic cut now so it makes it pretty easy.