Tango Vs. Yakitori Boy- Chinatown’s Karaoke Battle

Chinatowns throughout major metropolitan cities are known for great food, great shopping, and of course Karaoke.  Philly’s Chinatown is no exception.  Considering that the Chinatown in Center City is small, business competition is fierce.  Among the many competitive battles is the battle of the Karaoke Bars.  Although there are several karaoke bars sprinkled throughout Chinatown, only two names are really in the trenches, Tango and Yakitori Boy.  Yakatori Boy & Japas Lounge is the older of the establishments.   Yaki’s which opened its doors in 2008, features a large restaurant area on their first level and spacious karaoke lounge upstairs.   Their modern decor and numerous private lounges provide a great venue for birthdays, private events, and get-togethers.

However, in 2013 Tango stepped on the scene.  Tango which also includes amenities such as a full restaurant on the lower level and Karaoke bar upstairs has quickly solidified itself as the “karaoke hot spot.”  While Yakitori boy has remained more of a conservative karaoke, Tango has fused Karoake with a traditional lounge atmosphere by incorporating DJs and special themed nights such as the Tee-Tag party scheduled for later this month.

Tango’s “club” atmosphere has made it a trendy place in the past year

So we at Wooder Ice set out to do a comparison for those who may not have experienced both places and want to organize a karaoke night.  Below is a chart with the key details for this tail of the tape.

As you can see although Yaki and Tango are pretty similar, Tango has done a great job of keeping a fresh atmosphere while Yaki has seemed to lag.  My only real qualms with Tango would be the fact that patrons have to use their mobile devices to search for a song while Yaki provides the traditional book that is always fun to thumb through with friends. In addition Tango’s karaoke area is narrow which makes it difficult to be comfortable if you have a group of friends and are always having to move in order to let other patrons pass.

So if you are looking for a traditional karaoke environment we say Yaki is the place to be.  However, those looking for a more upbeat party atmosphere Tango is your destination.  In the end these two heavyweights both provide great venues to create embarrassing moments with your friends.  Enjoy!