The floor plan is open, yet recessed so it doesn't feel like a cafe. The bar needs room for making orders, bc the entire bar is blocked by chairs so you either squeeze between others or wave your hands wildly to get the bartender's attention.
The system they're using to manage songs is great. You have an LCD panel and keypad at each table so you can browse the database easily. I read and write Chinese, but I'm sure the lack of a cryptic Chinese remote is great for the English-speaking crowd. The songs are played table by table, with 2 songs per table max before the next table gets a song. It's a fair system and with 6 stations, a typical wait time would be about 20 minutes -- not bad.
The sound system is good. It is pretty clear and reading the lyrics was easy bc in addition to a large projection, there are 32in screens suspended over the tables. One thing to note is that the mics have a problem with feedback even though if speakers are far away. To combat the problem, the dj turns the mic volume down to almost nothing so the only way to hear yourself is holding the mic against your lips. You see everyone constantly tapping the mic to see if it's on. BINY could benefit from investing in better mics / receiver. I had a Heineken ($6). My girl had mixed drinks ($8) This is definitely MOTR. Not cheap; not expensive. Her 'secks on the beach' was missing juice and had a strong alcohol flavor to it. At least it wasn’t weak.
The snack menu is limited. I ordered fries and chicken wings. The fries were fresh and crunchy, and so were the wings. The food is expensive for what you get, though. An order of fries comparable in size to just a medium fry at fast food is $6. You get 8 unflavored wings (just the 2-boned part, without drumettes) for $8.
Regarding the service, what can I say; there wasn't any. There were 3 people behind the bar [chatting], there were only 2 guys working tables and rooms. These guys were running around like mad bc it's just too much work to manage. It wasn't even that busy, with open rooms and tables in the commons. It was clear they were trying to keep up but the mgr needs to assign another wait staff. We had 5 drinks and not once were we able to order at our table. Calling the waiter is not only difficult – but you feel reluctant to even ask when you see they’re so busy. In the end you have to go to the bar yourself and fight your way through to make an order.
Pros: Great karaoke software; Open floorplan; reasonable prices
Cons: Lack of table service; poor microphone setup
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