There’s a lot to be said for hyper efficiency in the karaoke scene. Even if your tequila shots are served warm and the $5 bowl of hot chips is on the smaller side, they arrive so swiftly at your dimly lit, padded room (it’s a mod little capsule with tables taking up some of the dancing space) that you can really complain. If you’re keen on a more substantial meal, Lantern by Wagaya also functions as a sit-down Japanese restaurant, but yes, your room comes equipped with a menu screen that’ll hail the sashimi, fish cakes and fried chicken to your lap.
The system:
It’s the kind of reassuring touchscreen set-up that even the tipsiest of k-fans can master. You don’t even have to remember the names of your 2000s pop idol, just poke a finger at a pic of Avrile Lavigne and the Maroon 5 boys and you’re good to go.
The songs:
The line-up is pretty satisfying, with all your Lada Gaga ballads and hot new Rihanna numbers. But we simply can’t go past a tear-jerking rendition of Céline Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ played to a classic compilation of Titanic clips (Jack! Come Back!).
K-factor:
You enter via the Sun Tower on George Street – don’t be put off by the anonymous lifts that make it feel like a private residence – and there’s something fun about sneaking tipsily into an office building late at night (and exiting with even more bravado). You can mix and match room rates with dinner packages, but a straight hour of karaoke will cost $55 for four to six people per hour, and up to $175 for 15-20 singers.
