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Come during our first hour of business and enjoy our…
Mon-Tue. 5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Wed-Thu. 3:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m.
Sat. 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m.
Sun. 2:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
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What I like about Music Tunnel KTV:
- Very convenient location with lots of restaurants nearby
- Usually don't need to worry about parking
- Clean and spacious
- Yummy drink menu
- Touch-screen song selection
- Large variety of Asian-language and English songs
Things that could be better:
- The user interface of the touch-screen song selector (those buttons can be confusing!)
- Currently no ability to choose songs with the remote control; the remote control can ONLY change the volume.
- Some of the songs tend to be somewhat slower than the original song and others were not very true to the original song
- The microphones may need to be replaced
$2 drink order minimum per person, which I was fine with since I was pretty thirsty anyways, and their drinks are pretty good.
For my group of 13ish, it was about $5 per hour per person.
I would come here again with large groups, but Jaguar in Oakland is a good alternative too (I don't think they have the touchscreen system yet though).
People thought this was:
This place has the greatest variety of songs, greatest service and the best things is that you can order food from the restaurant in the mall directly from the room!
although it's a little more expensive then other KTV's, but definitely worth the money!
They now have also changed to touch screen which makes it even better!
I came to Music Tunnel today for my first KTV experience. I was glad to see that the rooms were clean and the sound systems were good. I was in a small room, but they have bigger ones and VIP rooms. We went at around 6 PM, so it was $10 per hour. We all got a drink and sang for two hours. The total came down to $35, cheaper than I expected.
They have a wide range of song selections. They have the recent Chinese and English songs also some Japanese. The folder that listed the songs were not in order by artist, so was a little hard to find. But the touch screen allows you to type in the song you want to sing.
The worker was very friendly and patient with my annoying little brother. He explained to us how to use the screen since it was our first time.
I was very content with Music Tunnel. From the songs to the worker to the cleanliness of rooms I give this place 5 stars and will definitely come back.
I really like singing at this place :)
Their song selection is on par with all the (asian) karaoke places I've been to in the bay area. It's sometimes frustrating that their book only lists by songs, not by artist. I could've sworn they had both by song and by artist, but last time I went, we were only provided with the song one.
BUT, the good thing is their high-tech karaoke system has this computer-like screen that you can navigate and look up songs by singer! whoo! how awesome! It's really easy to use, too.
When I last went, it was something like $12 per person (we were a party of 8) for 2 hours. That included the $2 mandatory drink/food order per person. Because they are pretty lax about bringing in your own alcohol (just don't make it blatantly obvious), the best thing to do is just get some sodas as chasers! (sodas are either $1.50 or $2) We ended up taking like 5 cokes home, so I think it was $1.50.
We also ordered a couple of juices (honeydew was yummy) and milk teas, which was pretty good. Actually, it was really good considering I didn't expect something that good at a karaoke place. One of the guys had this bright idea to try their "giant garlic toast" and it was... funny. It wasn't bad at all, but it was one piece of that fluffy white Asian toast bread with garlic paste on it (and then toasted). It was an unlikely hit amongst the people who were drinking ;) but it just wasn't what we expected. Actually, we didn't know what to expect.
For the cost-conscious, I did the math for you.
Assuming on average the drinks are $3, and using the smallest room possible, I decided to optimize this and came up with the following cheapest per-person rates--
Early bird special: group of 4, followed by 6
Happy hour (before 9): group of 11, followed by 4, 6, 8, 10, or 14
After 9pm: group of 11, followed by 14
Hope that helps anyone who wants to sing his/her heart out in a setting other than the shower. Or in the car.
(anyhow, I echo the good reviews -- great selection, and they are pretty good at responding to song requests)
People thought this was:
Me: What? We have to order at least $2 dollars worth of food?
My friend: Money-leeching bastards! Let's just order milk tea.
*After the milk tea came*
Me: Omigod! What is this? This must be how heaven taste like.
My friend: Can I have more?
So yes, their milk tea is the best I've tasted in the area. It is authenic. There's another good one that tastes authentic at UCD, but anyway..
I love their song collection! Everything is touch-screen now, but don't expect the list to be 100% organized. This is the best it can get in the bay area though. Great collection of both English and Chinese songs.
They let us bring outside food and the guy was very nice too. I remember when I called them, there was this very friendly girl who talked to me on the phone. You don't really get that at Asian places, so definitely a plus!
The screen was big and nice and the audio was good too. People should stop complaining about their tobaco and alcohol free rule. This is Music Tunnel, not Smokey Tunnel.
The room was cold..and we could not find the control to the room's temperature..so wear you jacket here.
Overall, the best karaoke place in the Bay.
I love this place! And not only because it is next to my house, but the fact that the rooms are clean. I do have to say that you would need to be in the right rooms as some of them are a weird shape and a little small.
The sound system is definitely better than some other places and they do have A LOT of songs. Although it looks like they haven't updated the most popular songs since like 2006? I also loved the game that they had before where you answered these Chinese trivia questions.
Here is the real best part. You get X% off your bill on your Xth birthday! How cool is that! Note that you will be charged a clean up fee and I think over 6 people you will be charged a little extra but comeon! If you turn 25, then that is 25% off your bill! (up to 50 of course, you didn't think they would actually allow you to get off totally free did you... So leave your grandparents at home)
Got to learn more songs so I can hit it up next time! Oh yeah they partner with 168 in the same mall for food and another place for pearl tapioca drinks, yum!
I've been going to KTV for about 5 years now, at least, certainly ever since they opened. What I love about this karaoke place is that the private rooms are very clean, smoke-free, and they allow you to bring in your own food. If you're too pre-occupied to GET UP AND WALK TWO DOORS to buy yummy baked goods from Sheng Kee or one of 10 restaurants in the mall, they will gladly go out and procure items on their menu for you for a fee.
The karaoke machines all have a Chinese interface, for the most part, so when the KJ walks you to the room, be sure to ask about and listen to what he has to say about how to use the remote. Their songbooks are pretty current and filled with English, Chinese, and even some Japanese titles. Highly recommended for large parties (call ahead to book a room), and especially worthwhile if you make it in by happy hour (no, not for drinks... for the discount on room rental).
I am drank and this place is cool. The VIP room was DOPE and the people here are friendly. They do impose this $2 minimum on drinks (non-alcoholic) though...and that is pretty lame. I got a Taro pearl milk tea and it was very creamy...pearls not bad, pretty chewy.
Alcohol is not allowed! Grrrrr.
Good selection of new songs...found everything I wanted! And some of the videos are the actual music videos!!
Why do you build me up, Buttercup Baby?!!
People thought this was:
Do not give me the mic, if you were even thinking about singing. It's my favorite place to karaoke, because there are alot of rooms you don't have strangers constantly poking their heads in the door window. That's a good thing because it really lets me unwind and bring out the Mariah in me (I wish).
The staff are friendly and you won't feel left out if you don't speak Chinese and the place is smoke free (even better!) and they allow you to bring outside food if you wish, which is nice because its located inside the Pacific East Mall next to Ranch 99 and Sheng Kee Bakery. If you're not planning on bringing your own food, you can always order from their menu.
They have a pretty good selection of songs both Chinese, English and some Japanese songs as well.
People thought this was:
If you are like me and you need to be emo and make out with the microphone every once in a while, Music Tunnel is a great place to be.
Although their KTV selection will heal many broken hearts, the only shame is there is no alcohol allowed in the rooms.
Which sucks because I have no excuse to why my singing sounds like something off William Hung's greatest hits.
But nevertheless, the people here are great. The venue is comfortable, clean and the drinks are very reasonably priced.
Get your Jay Chow on peoples!
People thought this was:
Music Tunnel's private karaoke rooms are safer than a room full of drunken strangers. It's easy to get into the groove once you find your favorite songs among the many choices. Some of the videos are cheesy (Women in Laura Ashley style dresses strolling along the boardwalk while we "Drop It Like It's Hot?). The sound system is amazing. The prices are super affordable. The food is delicious (pearl tea, dim sum and so much more!).
People thought this was:
I'm giving this place five stars even though I'm still a bit miffed that they don't remember me there even though I probably went six or seven times last semester. Clearly I have a very one-sided relationship with this place: I love them and they are indifferent. Cue emo song -- which you would probably be able to find and sing there.
This is really the by far best, most authentic Chinese KTV experience you can find in the Bay Area, and I'd venture that they probably have the largest selection of Chinese and English songs in the world. It's not Cashbox, but it's pretty much as close as you can expect in the States with an extra bonus for having so many English songs.
For those of you who haven't been lucky to go singing with a Chinese person before, that means private rooms, the latest Chinese songs with great depth in terms of oldies -- never not been able to find a song, select your songs via remote, drink and food service in the room and plenty of rooms -- also never been here and had to wait for a room. They are also open till like 4am or something, or at least that's when they kicked us out once.
The rooms are a bit inconsistent: most I think have newer wireless mics but a couple have older wired mics.
What really makes this place five stars is the song selection. They have the obvious Jay Chou, Lee-hom, type stuff, but they also have more than enough songs to include your American friends too, with selections from Kelly Clarkson, the Arcade Fire, Rihanna, Boyz II Men, The Fray, Howie Day, the Beatles etc., so that your friends who take karaoke at face value can sing their hearts out, while the people who treat it ironically (most Americans) can choose from selections like Journey or the Top Gun soundtrack or Snoop (Rollin down the street, smokin indo, sippin on gin and juice
Laid back with my mind on my money and my money on my mind...)
They even have a Taiwanese gangsta rap song that is sung in Chinese, Taiwanese and French and features a music video shot in south central LA. How can you not give that five stars??
People thought this was:
What's with all the drug addicts complaining here? If you want to get drunk, then go to a bar, if you want to sing and get drunk, then go to a karaoke bar. If you just want to sing and have fun, go to karaoke.
This place is real karaoke and it's great. It's geared mainly towards the HK crowd, but there are still plenty of japanese and american songs to choose from. The style is very similar to japanese style where you sit in a small private room with couches and a coffee table, flip through books and then enter the number by remote.
The thai iced tea was pretty good (boba was a bit stale "too chewy"), and the food was as good as any "run of the mill" chinese restaurant.
There were quite a few 70's and 80's american songs to choose from and the computer interface is pretty cool. It's chinese by default, but you can select english.
Prices are pretty reasonable. I guess I'll leave one star off because they don't have the biggest selection of american music.
This is definitely not a place to watch drunk people sing off key in the spotlight. I guess you have to be drunk to even want that anyway.
I'm not sure what possessed us to go karaoke-ing but it was a nice change of pace from the normal bar scene. A nice selection of songs and a large clean room made for a good singing setup. I liked how some of the songs were the actual videos instead of the normal corny guy and girl walking down the beach. However there were a few songs where the codes didn't match up with the actual song which was a bit annoying. It's also a bit of a bummer that they don't alloy alcohol, but I suppose that keeps the douchey quotient down. Price can get a bit steep, but every now and again it's something fun.
I've been to kareoke places before, but this one was a bit different. Kareoke and booz are like complimentary goods. They dont serve alki here! One of the mic kept getting feedback. Some songs did not have any video to it....just lyrics (bohemian rhapsody). Our colored disco ball was spinning but not lighting. The savior of this place is that it is clean. If they served some alki it would make the experience so much more interesting. We had 20 people in the room and it was $25 per couple. Wow that is hella expensive!
You get one complimentary drink. Not sure if they have food.
BYOB if you dare = $100 fine + the 5-0 will be called in.
My suggestion: Get wastey somewhere else and then come here to end the night.
People thought this was:
I can't believe I haven't found this place sooner! This is the closest thing to KTV in Asia that there is here in the Bay Area. It's big, clean and cheap (during happy hour which is until 9pm). They allow you to bring food and drinks in, which is great because it's surrounded by all the Asian restaurants and snackshops. But they also serve food and drinks here. Just press the button on the remote and someone will come up to take your order. The music selection here is huge compared to that of other private room karaoke venues. No smoking allowed! My only complaint is that I don't think they allow you to bring in alcohol, but that doesn't bother me since I don't drink.
I've finally found my new favorite karaoke hangout spot. JONASAPPROVED!
People thought this was:
1 Star because the #1 Most Requested Engrish Song in 2005 was Avril effing Lavigne's "Complicated." What? Why??? Please also note, 2004's Most Requested Engrish Song was also AVRIL LAVIGNE'S COMPLICATED? OH MY DEAR MADONNA! POR QUE?
5 Stars because the utter corniness of these karaoke videos make me want to be a Karaoke Video Star SO BAD.
1 Star because they automatically charge you a $2 food/drink minimum per person, plus 10% "cleaning fee" plus 5% charge for 6 people or more plus they seem to be REALLY arbitrary with their rates and when they award them, PDF pay scale rate chart notwithstanding.
5 Stars because Music Tunnel is packed inside of a larger building with a strict No Smoking policy, which means you won't get the scary Azn gangstas smoking all over the place and making you feel and smell all stank!
People thought this was:
Though Music Tunnel KTV is pricier than other karaoke places in the Bay Area, what they charge extra is more than made up for by the courteous service, clean and cigarette-free facilities, library of Chinese magazines, quality audio and visual equipment, and catalog of the latest songs.
I especially recommend the Happy Hour Specials during the afternoon and early evening.
People thought this was:
Comprehensive and updated song selection. Large rooms so you're not packed in there, and it's clean, which is always a plus with karaoke places.
This is the place for all the cool HK and Taiwanese people on the weekend nights. It's a little bit bigger and classier than Echo in Fremont, but it's basically the same concept. The song selection is great. They have stuff that just recently reached the airwaves in Hong Kong. I prefer the classics myself (Danny Chan, especially), but anyone out to tackle the newest offerings from the likes of Joey Yung, Hins Cheung, Jay Chou, or even MC Hot Dog, go ahead, sing your heart out.
The owner of this karaoke lounge also runs the J&S Tea shop down the hall in the same mall, so they offer the same food. The funny thing is that if you opt to order directly from Music Tunnel, and not walk over to J&S yourself, they charge you some extra service fee. I guess that's what you get for being too lazy.
The no alcohol policy is an awesome idea. It keeps the place clean, and above all, there is no drunken testesterone raging out of control, and no skank h0es strippin' and shakin' their thang. Wait a minute... maybe it's not so great after all. =P
People thought this was:
This is absolutely my favorite place to go in the Bay Area for karaoke. Their song selection is by far the largest and most diverse that a person can find in the Bay.
The staff is friendly, and even better is that you can order food and drinks right from your room. Also, the song selection is incredibly up to date, especially for American and Chinese songs. They even had Khalil Fong's "Love Song" already, and the CD hasn't even been out for an entire month yet!
If you visit this place often, make sure to join the Music Tunnel KTV club to get an additional discount off the bill each time you go. Sometimes they charge for membership, but when I had visited a few weeks ago with a group of over 10 people, they offered membership for free and an instant discount off the bill. I definitely did not complain.
I really wish this place wasn't in Richmond, which is the only downside. If this was any closer to the peninsula, I'd be visiting this place every other weekend, if not more.
People thought this was:
So my friends love this place. It's pretty much their #1 karaoke spot.
It's mine as well, but only because there aren't better alternatives around.
See, I only sing Japanese songs. This place has the largest selection out of the karaoke places I've been to in the Bay Area, but the music videos for the Japanese songs (and English ones as well) are almost always random stuff not related to the real video, which is very disappointing. The plus side is that they're relatively current with what's new in Japan.
Their somewhat new policy is that you get an automatic $2 or $2.50 charge per person that needs to be spent on drinks/foods or go to waste, which is a reasonable compromise for letting you bring in outside food/drinks (it used to be no outside food/drinks and you'd be fined if they caught you)
People thought this was:
It's Karaoke, what's not to like.
I love going singing with my friends, especially when they can sing.
By the way,
Who brought the dumb fat kid, who couldn't sing to save his life, yet still found a way to hog the mic all night? I wanted him to die!!!
This place is pretty expensive and not really all that cool. The lines kept falling out of the mics and the "service button" didn't work. I had to walk down to the counter everytime we needed something. And above all the sound system was CRAP!!
That was Room 213 folks.
The only thing that makes this place fun and cool are me and my talented friends.
ps. the dumb fat kid was a friend's co-worker. the type that finds a way to invite themselves. jeez.
People thought this was:
I think this place is the best karaoke place in the bay area because of the following:
- Super clean
- Actually serves food (too bad they don't serve alcohol! Some people would sing better or at least sound better after being liquored up! haha!)
- Serves FOOD and Pearl Tea drinks! (So you don't have to ever leave the place if you don't wanna! haha!)
- Great speaker system that makes you sound awesome! haha
- Bigger TV
- Friendly staff!
If only it wasn't so freaking far, I would be there everday practicing for my second career. haha jk! :)
People thought this was:
Went here the other night for a friend's birthday. We were about 30 minutes late for our reservation, but they didn't charge us for it, which was a major plus. They only start charging you if you check in, and they were very friendly about the changing of the time when my friend called over the phone to rearrange.
Secondly this place charges a 3 dollar per person food fee, included in the price of the karaoke. So go hungry and order food off the menu that way you get the value. Also included in the price is a cleaning fee which we found handy because of all the eating we kind of made a mess. The no smoking policy is great because then your clothes come out later smelling like... wait for it... clothes! And the no alcohol prevents damage to their equipment, which was top notch. The remote controls worked and had instructions for them since they were all in Chinese in the booklet, the mics both sounded great. All in all a good experience.
People thought this was:
So much better than the Karaoke places in SF... I wish they can open a branch in SF so I don't have to drive my ass all the way to richmond.
The place is clean, lots of choices of new songs.. especially English songs... and I love how you can order food/snacks and bubble tea!!!! staffs are friendly, great service!! last time I was here with my friends.. we sang for 4.5 hours... usually we're not that hardcore when we go Karaoke in SF.
People thought this was:
Lots of fun, even for us English-speaking folks! The clock at their front desk is about 7 minutes fast though, so make sure you go by their time and not by the time on your and your friends' watches, cell phones, GPS-coordinated devices, etc. Otherwise, you'll be late and get dinged for another 15 minutes like we did.
People thought this was:
Pros: diverse music selection, good boba, lets you bring outside food in
Cons: all the little fees really add up, no alcohol allowed, staff keep peering in every two minutes
Before I begin, I should note that I'm comparing this place to some of the better places I've gone to in Asia (where I think KTV is the best) but am also trying to keep in mind that America hasn't quite caught up yet. So with that in mind, I'm pretty impressed with what Music Tunnel offers. They have a good assortment of rooms for a reasonable price. The VIP membership is great and pays for itself if you come once or twice. The Chinese music selection is pretty up to date and I'm impressed with their English selection as well. Music Tunnel also has an online forum for requesting songs, which they do moderate. Definitely a great perk if you're looking for something that just came out. The machines themselves are decent. Sometimes, the remotes do not work too well. The microphones are standard. I like the wireless ones they offer but you need to pay for a nicer room. The rooms are okay. Sometimes, they seem a bit dirty especially if there are some rips in the couch. The air conditioning also needs adjusting at times since the room gets too hot or too cold. Another downside is that the food is not good (I think it's just microwaved stuff). Also, they have a food charge so you basically need to order one drink to get your money's worth. However, you are allowed to bring in your own drinks and food but no alcohol. Overall, I'm giving Music Tunnel 4 stars since I haven't found many other comparable places in the Bay Area. There are a couple but I don't feel they offer as good of a deal price-wise and music selection. Also, I've been to some really really disgusting Karaoke places, which makes Music Tunnel look spotless. Check this place out and bring your vocal chords with you!
best karaoke place in bay area.
staff are very friendly, room is clean, no smoky smell at all (since most karaoke places banned smoking, but their rooms smell like burned)
very nice sound quality, huge selection of songs in different languages, menu is very easy to browse in english.
and they make very good milk tea which is good thing because you are required to order drinks.
People thought this was:
Kinda pricy for regular hours, but they have different promotions to make it a better value. The best deal is the happy hour, which goes from Sun-Thur (all day) and Fri/Sat (before 9pm).
I am not a big fan of the minimum $2 per person food/drink charge. However, their food/drink menu offers a lot of choices (for a karaoke place) and I like it that outside food is welcomed. I needed a drink to hydrate my throat with hours of singing anyway, so I ordered one sweet drink there and brought my own food and bottled water.
With my group of 6, we spent $66 (room rate, drinks, tax and service fees all included) for 2 hours of fun. I think it is pretty good.
People thought this was:
no alcohol? really?
It's weird that I am writing this review considering that karaoke ain't my thannng! Compared to the karaoke places I've been to in San Francisco, I must say this place is pretty damn nice. In the VIP room which is HUGE--contains big comfy leather couches and a giant projector screen. The karaoke equipment seem to be very updated. What I like about this place is that most of the videos are its original music videos which is cool to watch. They do not allow alcohol and smoking in the rooms which is a plus if you don't smoke. What's different here is that they offer non alcoholic bevarages such as milk tea or juice. I think each person is suppose to order a drink. Considering that this venue is much nicer than the other ones I've ever been to, it is pricier than the average karaoke place even with the birthday discount. Oh yea, big ups to ample parking.
People thought this was:
Clean, good service, but kinda expensive and a lot of hidden charges... songs are new and good sound systems...
El Cerrito, CA
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: Temescal
Category: Karaoke
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Karaoke
Richmond, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Jack London Square
Category: Boating
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