Eat Up Havana: Dinner and a Show at Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke

Over a decade ago, former Westword food editor Mark Antonation began his food-writing career by eating his way up Federal Boulevard. Now, we're turning our attention to another vibrant culinary corridor.

The four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street between Dartmouth and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is home to the most diverse array of international cuisine available in the metro area. From restaurants and markets to take-and-go shops and stands, food lovers of nearly any ethnicity or interest can find a place that will remind them of home or open new culinary doors. In Eat Up Havana, Antony Bruno will visit them all, one by one, week by week.

Previous stops:

• Old Town Hot Pot
  
• Leezakaya
• Chutney Indian Cuisine
• El Tequileno
• Milkroll
• Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ
• Watan Restaurant & Bakery
• Las Fajitas
• Mr. Tang
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings
• Yemen Grill
• Tofu House
• Sushi Katsu
• Coco Loco
• Ali Restaurant & Bakery
• Thank Sool Pocha
• Taqueria Corona
• Hanyang Wang Jokbal
• Coffee Story
• Tofu Story
• Havana Street Night Markets
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the Hot Pot)
  
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the BBQ)
  
• Pho 75
  
• Yong Gung
• Chopsticks A GoGo
• Angry Chicken
• L Cafe & Food Court

Next up... Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke

There are plenty of places to get dinner and a show in Denver. But only a few where you are the show.

One of these is Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke — which, as the name makes obvious, is a karaoke lounge focused on allowing all who enter to belt out their inner Backstreet Boys regardless of any ability to carry a tune.

Of the several karaoke establishments that line Havana Street in Aurora, the robust food program sets Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke apart. Sure, some of the others have eating options, but they’re rather limited in scope and the menus are positioned mostly to provide accompaniments to the booze needed to lube up those untrained vocal cords. Gangnam GT, meanwhile, has a roster several pages long, with a hard skew towards the Korean fare found in spades along this southern strip of Havana.
But let’s back up: Gangnam GT is a tale of two experiences. There’s the space you see when you first walk in, and then the less-obvious spaces behind the scenes, where most of the activity takes place. The main area of Gangnam GT is a two-level bar, with seating and bars on both floors, which are dominated by massive, wall-sized TV displays cobbled together from nine individual screens.

Outside of the occasional public event, this space is mainly a bar where you can eat, drink and watch whatever’s on the gigantor TV (usually sports or K-Pop videos). You’re rarely going to find a karaoke setup out here; those are reserved for more private areas. On both floors, thin sets of curtains set off long hallways lined with numbered doors, beyond each of which are private karaoke rooms of varying capacities. Groups can book exclusive spaces by the hour that fit five or fewer, or up to dozen.
And book you must, particularly on weekends, when the entire inventory of private rooms can sell out as far as a week in advance, with walk-ins often not available until after 11 p.m.

Which brings us back to the lounge, where groups can kick back and enjoy dinner and drinks until their room opens up.

As anyone who has participated in karaoke can tell you, the key to success is finding a song that’s relatively within your range. The same can be said for the Gangnam GT kitchen: When it sticks to its culinary range, the food coming out is fun, enjoyable and an effective foil to the many beers, shots and other drink options.

Simply put…this is bar food. Specifically, Korean bar food. Stick with that, and you’ll be just fine. Sure, you could order fries, nachos or pizza. But why bother when you can try far less common (and more interesting) selections such as file fish jerky, chicken gizzard, or sea snail and noodle salad?
Among the highlights is something called Army Stew, a fusion hot pot dish that seems to be made with anything within arm's reach — instant ramen, tofu, hot dogs, sausages, spam, rice cakes and a healthy portion of kimchi and fiery chili paste. Be sure to order the large-sized beers with this one, as well as an extra set of napkins for wiping off your forehead. The kimchi bibim noodles provide a good accompaniment. Served cold, these buckwheat noodles are equally spicy with kimchi and chili paste, but the heat is tempered by both the noodles and cucumber, carrots and other vegetables.

Also worth seeking out is the pork cutlet, either a chop or the tenderloin. Those in the know say the tenderloin is the way to go; it's served with a katsu sauce and cole slaw along with an interesting cross-section of ketchup and mayo.

There’s plenty more to try, including pig feet with sea snails, fried chicken legs, grilled pork ribs and, of course, tteokbokki rice cakes that lean to to the spicy side — and that’s a good thing.
Food isn’t limited to the main lounge area, either. Those in the karaoke rooms can order from the full menu, and Gangnam GT offers combo specials that combine the hourly cost of the room with a mix of food items.

The booze here will fuel the courage needed to step up to the mic, while the food will provide the comforting salve needed for the subsequent bruised ego. And occasionally — through the hiss of your bubbling hot pot stew, the chattering conversation of the table, or the blare of the big screen TV — the wafting strains of overly confident, off-key vocals will slip through the air as well.

Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke is open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, and from noon to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at 1930 South Havana Street unit 15 in Aurora. Find more information at gangnamgt.com.