Like banchan and rice, K-pop and karaoke are just meant to be together. The wildly popular music genre fits right in with South Koreans’ love of private karaoke rooms, or noraebang, the Korean word for karaoke that translates to “a song room.”
Unlike America’s version of karaoke, where folks stand on a bar stage in front of strangers, Korean-style karaoke is a gentler, kinder version, taking place in a private room surrounded by friends.
After a bit of research, it seems that the greater Kansas City area has only one private-suite karaoke bar: Offkey in Westport. Although it’s not technically a Korean karaoke establishment, it does have private rooms that can be reserved for small groups or large parties. There, patrons can sing along to a favorite song while imbibing and eating, in true Korean karaoke fashion.
And just in case you plan to have a night of karaoke after a delicious meal at one of Kansas City magazine’s Korean food picks, here’s a K-pop playlist:
• “ Sorry, Sorry” by Super Junior
• “Why So Lonely” by Wonder Girls
• “DNA” by BTS
• “Cupid” by Fifty Fifty
• “How You Like That” by BLACKPINK
• “Breathe” by Lee Hi
• “I Can’t Stop Me” by TWICE
• “Why Not?” by Loona
• “After LIKE” by IVE
• “I’m Happy” by Eco
