Up for a late-night karaoke party in a private room? Cafe Muse is the spot
If you’ve always wanted to try karaoke but were intimidated about performing in a crowded bar without copious amounts of “liquid courage,” Annandale’s Café Muse Karaoke Studio is a good place to get your feet wet. This establishment, 7356 Little River Turnpike (in between the Safeway shopping center and Markham Street), offers noraebang, Korean-style karaoke in private rooms.
The 10 people in my noraebang room last night, from Egypt, Pakistan, Australia, and Korea, as well as the states, were from two meet-up groups—the International Friends Conversation Group and the NOVA Korean Language group. It was the first time the two groups held a joint event, and the braver members of our party entertained us with renditions from the likes of Maroon 5, Mariah Carey, John Bolton, Billy Joel, REM, the Temptations, and various Korean pop stars.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the karaoke rooms are $35 an hour for small rooms (for two to four people), $50 an hour for medium-size rooms (five to nine people), and $70 an hour for large rooms (10 to 15 people). The costs are lower on week nights and even lower before 8 p.m.
The rooms are equipped with flatscreens displaying the lyrics and videos unrelated to the songs, a couple of microphones, and books filled with song selections in Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Russian, Thai, Chinese, and Spanish, as well as a huge amount of American songs in just about any genre.
The 10 people in my noraebang room last night, from Egypt, Pakistan, Australia, and Korea, as well as the states, were from two meet-up groups—the International Friends Conversation Group and the NOVA Korean Language group. It was the first time the two groups held a joint event, and the braver members of our party entertained us with renditions from the likes of Maroon 5, Mariah Carey, John Bolton, Billy Joel, REM, the Temptations, and various Korean pop stars.
The front of Café Muse houses a small dining room and you can also order food and drinks in your private karaoke room. The menu features gimbap—various cooked ingredients (tuna, bulgogi, squid, ham, egg, spinach, pickled radish, etc.) and white or whole grain rice packed in seaweed and sliced like sushi.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the karaoke rooms are $35 an hour for small rooms (for two to four people), $50 an hour for medium-size rooms (five to nine people), and $70 an hour for large rooms (10 to 15 people). The costs are lower on week nights and even lower before 8 p.m.
Café Muse is open all night on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call 703/658-9351.
