Switch: Vancouver’s brand new karaoke bar offers gourmet dishes

Buckle up, revelers, there’s a new place in town making waves for two things in particular: swanky private karaoke rooms and premium oysters.

Until recently, Vancouver was in dire need of establishments offering karaoke in private rooms – longtime spot Fantacity was one of the only places in town to offer this – but now that The switch is openthere is a new spot for the revelry of the sung genre.

In addition to having 16 private rooms (with three deluxe VIP rooms) and a songbook system with approximately 36,000 English songs, Switch also offers some of the most indulgent Izakaya-style restaurants.

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The karaoke bar-turned-restaurant offers Kusshi oysters all day for $1.50 — probably one of the best oyster deals in town — but it also has a varied menu, from rack of lamb to lobster in passing by the chicken karaage bowls.

Even those who refrain from karaoke will want to have a good time here, as Switch’s entire forward space features a huge bar and multiple dining tables for parties, dinners, and even lunches.

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Switch’s menu is heavily influenced by seafood, and in addition to the aforementioned oysters, which are served with a mignonette of yuzu pear, the restaurant offers sharing plates like a Kaisen salad (shrimp, scallops, calamari and arugula with a yuzu lime vinaigrette) and a whole lobster with a tomato butter sauce.

Daryn Wright / Daily Hive

Red mullet bottarga with radishes | Daryn Wright / Daily Hive

The menu here is incredibly extensive, so be prepared to really indulge. Other offerings include snails with herb butter sauce, Chutoro (fatty blue tuna sashimi from Japan), and Caesar Mentaiko salad with pollock roe, grilled prawns, and mullet bottarga.

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For an unexpected yet amazing downtown lunch deal, head to Switch for one of its lunch box specials, available between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. The lunch menu includes options like spaghetti with cream and mussels, a lobster burger with truffled mushroom soup and a chicken karaage donburi – all of which cost just $10.95.

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Guests are also invited to enjoy their lunch (or any other menu item) in a karaoke room, which itself offers daily happy hour fare from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

As for Switch’s beverage program, all beer is sourced from local breweries, including its special Japanese-style Ichivan lager. For cocktails that stand out, opt for the bar’s spicy margarita (with house-made garnishes), a classic Caesar or the Cherry Gin Fizz.

The drink menu here, like the food menu, is incredibly extensive. There are cocktails for all tastes, a whole page of special shooters, as well as wine and sake. Those who feel like spending a lot of money can also request bottles of champagne in their room.

Although Switch is a sister location to Fantacity, it certainly enhances the karaoke experience with luxury dining offerings that rival some of the more established restaurants in town.

To change

Address: 1339 Robson Street, Vancouver

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