Singing Tiger blends bold Pan-Asian bites with karaoke nights in Northeast DC
Housed in the lower level of the Hotel Nell and with an entrance visible from a narrow alleyway, Singing Tiger houses three private karaoke rooms: one which can hold up to six guests and two which can hold up to 10 guests.
The restaurant is dimly lit with an outdoor courtyard in the center of the space, lined by paper lanterns. Near the entrance is an omikuji tree, which is traditionally found in Japanese shrines and temples in order to hang fortunes and wishes written on strips of paper.
Singing Tiger’s food menu comes with cold bites like Kokoda, which is a fish ceviche, or warm apps like chicken karaage, Korean fried chicken wings or lemongrass chicken gyoza. Diners can also expect skewers of tsukune, or ground chicken, plus grillfed shrimp or wagyu short rib steak.
Noodle dishes, rice bowls and plates with bao buns round out the menu with sweets that include halo-halo and a warm ube ice cream bun.
The drink menu at Singing Tiger includes cold and hot sake options (including a sake flight), soju and a variety of cocktails, including zero-proof drinks. One of the flashier drinks is the “Mango Inferno,” a drink that is set aflame after mixing Casamigos Reposado Tequila with ancho reyes verde, Thai chili, mango miyazaki puree, pineapple, lime juice and agave.
“You can come, and you can eat dinner, you can have cocktails, or you can just sing karaoke — or you can do all three,” said Eric Lawson, director of food and beverage at Singing Tiger.
“We want to set ourselves apart as (a) destination … for the food and the cocktails first and foremost. And then the karaoke rooms are just another added amenity that you can cap off the night with.”
In the Union Market District, those who love to perform behind a mic can also head to Sid Gold’s Request Room or the recently opened honky tonk bar, Desert 5 Spot.
Singing Tiger is located at 411 New York Ave. in Northeast D.C.