OH Azan's - how I love you.
I begrudgingly get my hair cut once a year because: 1) its expensive 2) I don't have 14 hours to spend in a black hair salon 3) I have mixed hair which is very hard to cut.
The only time that I get my haircut more often is when my BFF is in town, but once I was caught with her away for a FULL YEAR to Bermuda to live with her husband.. Pfft, some BFF she is. Selfish bitch.
Anyway so I was looking around the interweb for a place to go that wasn't on Eglington street and I found Azan's. So I made my appointment for first thing in the morning cause if you have ever been to a black hair salon you very well know that an appointment means making a vacation out of it and you're unlikely to see daylight that day.
But the strangest thing happened: I arrived and was whisked off into the chair within 5 minutes. Then I sat for 10 min. Which honestly is nothing as I was just looking around taking it in - until Azan himself, this crotchety looking man with streaks of grey in his hair and horned rimmed glasses comes by and asks me how long I've been waiting. I say "about 15 minutes." At this, I've never seen a man go so hissy-apeshit in my life. Let me recount the scene...
Azan "Can you please tell me why this nice young lady who is a FIRST TIME CUSTOMER has been waiting 15 minutes??
Chatty Receptionist "Um, who?"
Azan "That lady! Over there! Look! Look at her! (receptionist trying to get a word in) Is this how you treat our new clients? Get your bag. GET YOUR BAG AND GET OUT. NO! YOU HEARD ME GET OUT. YOU'RE FIRED. GET OUT!!! GET OUT OF AZAN'S. OOOOOUT!!!!"
Then Azan walks over to me and was like "okay sweetie we're gonna wash your hair."
All I'm doing is sitting there with a cape on looking at the nice man who may have severe bipolar syndrome thinking "holy shit I just got someone fired."
After that though I've never been treated so promptly in my life! I was out of there by 10:30am! I was in at 9am! I was on the street calling my husband going: "Yea..yea I'm done...No I don't know how...come get me. Yes now".
Since then I've been back 3 times to get my hair cut, each time being out in under the 2 hour mark with a bill under $90 for a wash/cut/set and completely satisfied.
Go see Leonie for a great cut - she's Azan's sister, but not so um...hyper?