Karaoke we could be reluctantly dragged to
Penthouse Sky Lounge adds glamour to our air guitar solos. There’s so much more to karaoke these days than a squawk box and free soft drinks. From star-quality food to private bartenders, the following venues in Hong Kong will impress any mic-monopolizing diva.
A crowd of loaded, beautiful people frequents Vertigo Ultralounge, and the population density of models increases as you near the VIP area. This Wanchai bar and lounge offers VIP rooms with karaoke for up to 40 guests (HK$350 - HK$500 per person). The rooms are 80 percent soundproof, and one of them comes with a professional-standard copper-trimmed pool table.
A classy joint with an English catalog that extends beyond ‘Macarena,’ Vertigo’s 100,000-strong playlist is 50-50 English and Chinese songs. The food is top-notch Asian and Middle Eastern fare, such as shish kebab and Thai chicken lettuce wraps by former Taj Hotel chef Nishu Bajaj.
Vertigo Ultralounge is also famed for its themed parties, such as the popular beach concept Caribbean Fiesta, in which models in bikini tops greet you with leis as you enter a room covered in sand. Participation in limbo competitions is optional.
26/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, tel +852 2575 8980 www.vertigohk.com
On weekends, clubbers make Penthouse Sky Lounge their after-hours stop and, not surprisingly, the party people can get a little dazed and confused.
“Guys have reported their missing girlfriends to our staff, later discovering the girls in a corner of the lounge with other guys,” owner Tina Lam said. It happens.
The beautiful but flustered couples might be less disoriented inside a private VIP karaoke room with their own personal bar and bartender (HK$2,000 - HK$12,000). Here, they can enjoy Italian-American fare while contemplating the frequently updated, 80-percent Chinese song selection.
In the open lounge area, karaoke novices can overcome first-time jitters with a little help from the HK$300 open bar deal and draw strength from Penthouse Sky Lounge's 29th floor panoramic harborview. Watch out for future karaoke competitions here.
29th Floor, Silver Base Centre, 200 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, tel +852 2833 9992 www.penthouseskylounge.com
Many restaurants in Hong Kong offer karaoke within their private rooms, but few are as beautiful as Misto. With five-star food at three-star prices, Misto is a stylish fine-dining joint popular with Hong Kong celebs trying to keep a low profile, such as David Lui Fong who recently shot a televised interview in the restaurant.
It seems an unlikely place for karaoke, but its all-white color scheme makes it a great place for wedding receptions and engagement parties that can end in karaoke yawp-offs. The karaoke VIP room (HK$3,000 - HK$5,000) can take up to 22 people, with a limited number of songs, mostly in Chinese. You won’t be able to find this month’s Black Eyed Peas hit, but Michael Jackson classics and Japanese golden oldies are available. Foodies frequent Misto for the European and Asian menu and a comprehensive wine list with selections from France and Italy to Macedonia and Yugoslavia.
1/F, Hang Lung Bank Building, Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, tel +852 2311 3298 www.misto.com.hk
