I can't say I didn't see this coming, and I'm not at all surprised that it will happen here. Diamond Jamboree, the Asian-est of all Asian mini-malls in Orange County, will have what I think is Irvine's first karaoke lounge. It will be called Plush.
This inevitable development comes thanks to the fact that all Asian cultures share one commonality: the desire to belt out tunes while intoxicated. As seen in this filing with the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control, it is confirmed that they will ply all the budding Susan Boyle hopefuls with plenty of confidence-building beer.
For those not familiar with this kind of establishment, it will consist of private rooms, which hopefully will be soundproofed from those adjacent.
And if you're still thinking of that Cameron Diaz karaoke bar scene in My Best Friend's Wedding, this won't be like that. It's not a bar. It's a place where you can contain your humiliation to a small room, a couch, a TV, and the company of your immediate friends; not a restaurant full of strangers. Think instead of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, crooning his moody rendition of “More Than This” as Scarlett Johansson makes goo-goo eyes at him.
Like I said, beer will be available, but you'll need to bring your own Scarlett.
Plush Karaoke Lounge. 2710 Alton Pkwy., Irvine
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.