Hawaii Voice KTV & Lounge is a karaoke bar in a new building on the side streets behind the Keaumoku Street Walmart, but it might as well be in the hutongs, or narrow alleys, of Beijing. The place transports you to another world.

Owner Jack Zhang, 32, is a native of China who emigrated here 11 years ago. He’s been making his American dream come true, opening Hawaii Pot Shabushabu House restaurants in Kapolei and in town. In March he formally opened Hawaii Voice KTV & Lounge (the “KTV” stands for karaoke TV), above his Sheridan Street restaurant.

Zhang wanted to bring a bit of modern China to the local entertainment scene.

“Here you have everything in nature,” he said. “But at nighttime we don’t have any place to go, so that’s why I wanted to bring something special, different, from China here.”

The experience

If you’re in the mood for food and drinks only, you’ll wind up in the large main lounge, decorated with blue velvet furniture and a faux marble bar. There’s a stage and a huge screen for folks who dare perform for strangers.

The real treat, however, are the 10 themed karaoke rooms decorated with chic, plush furniture and ornate furnishings. Some represent a genre of music — rock, soul, blues, etc. – while others reflect different cultures.

There’s a Japan room, with pictures of geisha on the wall, and a China room decorated in the lucky color red with photos of Peking opera singers. There’s even a jungle room with photos of zebras and a steer skull on the wall.

The rooms are intended to provide a bit of inspiration and, of course, keep you coming back for something new.

“Each time, you can feel a little different,” Zhang said. “I don’t want it to be the same, same, same every time.”

Each room is equipped with big screens, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, and rotating disco balls. Thousands of songs from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and the U.S. are on tap through the system, which uses touch pads to order up songs instead of cumbersome books that require you thumb through them.

The drinks

Happy-hour offers include Miller and Coors Lite for $2, with $2 off all other drinks. There’s an intriguing list of signature cocktails ($8, regularly $10), which includes martinis flavored in lychee, chocolate, and Skittles and lemon, as well as familiar favorites like the STP and Cosmo.

Bartender Cedric Benigno said lychee is the most popular, but having not seen a Sexy Mexican on other beverage menus, I tried one. It didn’t disappoint. His preparation of gin, vodka, rum, tequila, squeezed lime, lime juice and cranberry juice went down cool and comfortable, and I felt it for hours.

The food

The lounge has a small menu of inexpensive pupu prepared in the restaurant downstairs. During happy hour, items are half price, and it’s a good deal: $2.50 for small dishes such as fries and edamame, $4 for potstickers or wings and $6 for kalbi and a barbecue mixed plate.

I tried the spicy beef noodles ($6, regularly $12), which weren’t that spicy, but the broth that the thick noodles came in was rich and tasty. I also had the pupu steak ($6), wings, potstickers and spring rolls ($2.50). The portion sizes aren’t huge, but the plates are good for snacking, since you don’t want to be too full to yodel when your turn comes up.

The verdict

It’s easy to see the charm of a place like Hawaii Voice KTV & Lounge. It’s gaudy, glitzy and a bit cheesy, yes, but what better for karaoke? Karaoke puts showbiz on an intimate scale, letting you reinvent yourself with every new song, and Hawaii Voice’s exotic rooms enhance the experience. (By the way, the rooms are also less expensive during happy hour, by about $10 per hour.)

If you’re with a group of friends, small or large, who are ready to cut loose after work, it would be fun to drop in for an hour or three. The friendly staff will keep the food and drinks coming, so your talent will surely emerge.