Pau Hana Japanese Nail — Local services in New York

Love Pau Hana! And what's not to like? Everything from the cozy space, relaxing music, and sweet staff lends itself to a great experience; just what you're looking for whether it's a quick mani or a full spa treatment. Fusako, Lily, and Grace do their best to make sure you leave looking and feeling your best.

You can get a regular polish mani/pedi here and be out in about 30-40 minutes for those pressed for time (there are dry stations), but the gel service is what shines here. Good quality Korean and Japanese gel nail products are used (Leafgel, Kokoist), and vegan-friendly products are available! The staff will assess your nails and, if you tell them a few details about your lifestyle, will advise you on what will work best for you. A Japanese gel manicure will easily last 4+ weeks and, aside from the new growth, will look as pristine as the day you went in. They're even great with kids - kind and patient and using appropriate polish and service for the little ones.

The salon is cozy, with three nail stations and three pedi stations, and there are a maximum of three staff at any one time. It would be prudent to make a reservation in advance, especially during the summer when demand for nail services is high, to avoid disappointment. Making an appointment is easy—you can do it online, call by phone, or just stop into the salon to ask about future availability.

Prices are prominently displayed for all services, both in the salon and online. If you are curious about whether a style is possible, show it to them or send it to them when making your appointment; they can even ballpark price it for you so that there's no sticker shock at the end of your service. They occasionally run specials on designs (I believe monthly, but please check with the salon) on seasonal or holiday-themed sets at a great rate.

Whether you're a regular like me or a first-timer, Pau Hana is sure to leave you pampered, polished, and excited for...

RIP Pau Hana, my former favorite neighborhood nail spot. NEW OWNERSHIP as of Feb 2023. They kept the name but nothing else. My 2 fave nail techs Seonha and Keiko are gone and they’re stripping the kitschy hawaiian decor and blanding it down. No more ocean waves/ukulele music, just a generic playlist that someone has to keep restarting by yelling ‘Alexa play music!’ every 2 songs. Also after making an appointment over the phone I received about 5 text messages reminding me about my appointment until I arrived. Terrible vibes, especially for long time regulars.

Updating this 10 months later: Went back bc it was the only place open with availability this weekend and I really wish I had just saved my money. A bafflingly expensive gel pedicure with absolutely zero frills, no exfoliation no massage or lotion or anything. It took her over 30 minutes to paint a single color with no design and upon closer inspection when I got home the paint is patchy and the edges of my nails are rough. I opted for a regular mani with just a clear topcoat and I had to ask her to clean underneath my nails and ask again to remove the previous polish. Again no ‘extras’ that you would usually expect with a basic manicure, just nail shaping and slapped on paint. Came out to about $140 with tip and I’ve never felt more ripped...

This place was one of the worst nail services I have experienced just based on attitude. When I first arrived, I told Lily (a nail tech) that I had an appointment scheduled at my designated time. Lily proceeded to immediately dismiss and gaslight me by saying that I didn’t have an appointment here at my given time, and that I went to the wrong place when my name was clearly shown on the iPad schedule system. I also pulled out the text I had received via the Square Go scheduling app, that confirmed my appointment. Fusako was the one to step in and confirm that I did have an appointment here. After, Lily proceeded to question thrice if my nails were real or if they were extensions because she did not believe my answer during the removal, and used dirty nail clippers to clip the nails (the nail clippers had a previous client’s nails stuck to them). Throughout the process of my soak off, Lily also never once proceeded to ask me what nail shape I wanted it to be filed, and just assumed. Finally, when we were done, Lily demanded I give a certain percentage of tips when I did not see that policy on the website while booking. I don’t even feel good about the service. I would not recommend coming here due to poor attitude reasons, and if you do, I would suggest booking...