Tokki is so fun! It’s a warm vibe inside, thanks to the kind and attentive staff and owners, and the bunny decor.
I went on a Sunday night for Karaoke. Meeting some other folks through a Meetup group, who turned out to be good company.
I’d never been to karaoke before. I enjoyed the way ordinary people gave singing a try – and the rest of the crowd encouraged them, especially when the singers made extra effort/hammed it up. One of the owners also put himself in the queue a couple of times to sing during the night. Our waitperson said in fact, “He always sings.”
I did not sing on the stage (I truly cannot carry a tune unless matching someone else’s voice. But in future I might practice a song beforehand, which you can do with karaoke versions on YouTube, in order to try at least once). But I happily sang along to others’ choices during the night.
In a review beforehand I’d seen cocktails with a very cute, tiny plastic bunny floating on a dried slice of clementine, so I ordered a mocktail with a bunny. This came, and along with the comfortable, welcoming server’s demeanor made me happy right away.
It was a very diverse crowd, which I really enjoyed. Many backgrounds were represented, and that was also reflected in the music choices.
Apparently “Sweet Caroline” is the all-time favorite sing-along song for karaoke. And it made it’s appearance on that night. See the video below. Also represented were classic country, Taylor Swift and others. One woman with an especially good voice mentioned during her time on stage that she had just completed chemo. There was a table of young men in black hoodies that looked like friends celebrating something together. Two tables of birthdays, because we all sang to them. A group of what seemed to be women friends out together having fun. And what looked like some regulars in the back right of the entrance wearing plaid flannel shirts and cowboy hats. And my group of 3-4. My companions had all done karaoke before. One had a list of songs he was working through, keeping track of which ones he’d sung so far.
There was an app available where you could check on your phone which songs were in the karaoke database there at the restaurant, and then sign yourself up. Or you could walk up to the DJ on the stage and tell him your information.
Apparently kids are welcome before 9 pm in Colorado, at restaurants with a liquor license. (This info was gleaned from an online review, unverified.) I got there at 6 pm that cold night in February and by the time I left at 9 pm, the place had a few one-person seats and one two-top open.
Local food critic Matthew Schniper‘s review in the Indy from June 15, 2022 sums up the interior, “Little needed to be done with the swank jazz club interior [the location was a former jazz club] — dim-lit and moody, with a striking red tile bar-back — though they’ve added some fun neon bunny imagery (Tokki means rabbit in Korean) and a TV that streams K-pop videos in one corner. The stage remains for live music nights (with its top-of-the-line sound system) and otherwise anything from blues and jazz to whatever the owners are in the mood for plays overhead (softly enough to have conversation heard).”
In my experience, the feel of a place (or event) really comes down to the personality and character of the hosts, and these owners seem fun and relaxed, encouraging community to come together, mix and enjoy themselves in a welcoming environment. I surely did.
Note: This place is hidden. No signage viewable from the street/parking lot. GPS will take you there, but then there’s nothing to indicate its location in the shopping center. It’s tucked back behind the pizza place. Walk between the buildings to get there. 🐰
