Teo Heng KTV (Suntec City)

Teo Heng KTV at Suntec City is the chain’s Marina Centre branch, on level 3 of the mall, and the busiest of its outlets by some distance. Singing here is charged by the room by the hour rather than by the head.

Rooms come in three sizes, from a small one seating four up to a large one for ten, starting around $13 an hour before 7pm and rising after that. You bring your own food and drink — that is the model, and the only rule is no alcohol. The song library covers English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean, though it does not always carry the newest releases. Board games have been added for the stretches when nobody wants the microphone.

It suits groups on a budget, office teams from the surrounding towers, and families — the rooms are non-smoking and alcohol-free, which is much of why parents use it. Split a large room ten ways at the off-peak rate and the cost per person is close to nothing. The rooms are plain rather than plush; the money has gone into the sound rather than the sofas. Booking is by phone only, and a weekend evening needs one.