Broadcast HQ
Broadcast HQ is a collaboration between 40 Hands and Tippling Club so there's supposedly good pedigree behind this multi-concept spot. The rustic place, with its deliberately unfinished decor, smoothed cement floors, exposed red brick walls and backpacker-favoured Little India locale makes Broadcast HQ the offbeat kind of place that quirky individuals will love.
The adjoining music records shop, and upstairs bar and club, further lend credence to the indie rocker vibe of this place. There are headphones for personal listening at every table as well, although I have no idea why anyone would prefer listening to music, which is quite the anti-social thing to do, over meaningful conversations with their lunch/dinner mate(s). I guess I'll never understand why some people spend their entire dinner tweeting or facebook-ing their online friends instead of actually talking to their dinner companions. What's the point of going out with your friends for dinner if you're gonna ignore them and spend the entire time on chatting on twitter/fb?!?
Finding parking at the very limited parallel parking only Little India stretch requires more luck than gambling at the IRs so you may want to turn into Kelantan Lane, off Jalan Besar, and park at the multi-storey carpark, then walk over to Broadcast HQ. Broadcast HQ is closer to the Jalan Besar end than the Little India side anyway.
Also, it's probably prudent to make reservations because it's quite popular.While the coffee certainly lived up to its heritage, the food was a bit of a hit-and-miss. Service, though, was pleasantly upbeat and energetic, like Energizer Bunny on steroids. It's probably the kickass coffee and alternative rock music blasting throughout the restaurant.
I'd heard so much about the truffled mac & cheese so it was quite the letdown at first bite. The Crack & Cheese with Truffle ($16) was a lot milder than we'd expected. It lacked the layered depth and creamy richness of really good mac & cheese. It didn't help that the truffle taste was too faint. And, at $16 a pop for a relatively tiny portion, this was a tad overpriced. Nice, but lacking in oomph.
The star of the Broadcast St Louis-Style Ribs ($30) has gotta be the Miso and Black Pepper (orangey hued side) and Tamarind with Maple Syrup (darker tinged side) sauces. Unique and lip-smackingly good, the miso black pepper had a finger-licking umami Asian flavour while the tamarind maple syrup had a more intensely smoky tangy sweetness. Marinated well, the flavour soaked right into the bones but the ribs would have benefited from another half hour on the grill. The meat, while delectably fatty, didn't have the requisite fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The masala bean stew was a very welcome unique on the typical baked beans accompaniment as the Indian spice mix enlivened the beans. Pickled cucumber and a corn kernel-sweetened coleslaw completed the fit-for-2-big-eaters ensemble.
The Latte ($5.50) was thick and rich and full-bodied and creamy. If you love your coffee strong, this would be it.
For an occasional coffee drinker like me, the Iced White Coffee ($6.50) would probably suit you better. This was still rich and creamy, but not as strong and potent like the latte.
Broadcast HQ
109 Rowell Road
Tel: 6292 4405
Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6pm to 12midnight
Thursdays and Fridays from 6pm to 1am
Saturdays from 12noon to 1am
Sundays from 12noon to 10pm
Closed on Mondays
Website: www.broadcasthq.com
The adjoining music records shop, and upstairs bar and club, further lend credence to the indie rocker vibe of this place. There are headphones for personal listening at every table as well, although I have no idea why anyone would prefer listening to music, which is quite the anti-social thing to do, over meaningful conversations with their lunch/dinner mate(s). I guess I'll never understand why some people spend their entire dinner tweeting or facebook-ing their online friends instead of actually talking to their dinner companions. What's the point of going out with your friends for dinner if you're gonna ignore them and spend the entire time on chatting on twitter/fb?!?
Finding parking at the very limited parallel parking only Little India stretch requires more luck than gambling at the IRs so you may want to turn into Kelantan Lane, off Jalan Besar, and park at the multi-storey carpark, then walk over to Broadcast HQ. Broadcast HQ is closer to the Jalan Besar end than the Little India side anyway.
Also, it's probably prudent to make reservations because it's quite popular.While the coffee certainly lived up to its heritage, the food was a bit of a hit-and-miss. Service, though, was pleasantly upbeat and energetic, like Energizer Bunny on steroids. It's probably the kickass coffee and alternative rock music blasting throughout the restaurant.
I'd heard so much about the truffled mac & cheese so it was quite the letdown at first bite. The Crack & Cheese with Truffle ($16) was a lot milder than we'd expected. It lacked the layered depth and creamy richness of really good mac & cheese. It didn't help that the truffle taste was too faint. And, at $16 a pop for a relatively tiny portion, this was a tad overpriced. Nice, but lacking in oomph.
The star of the Broadcast St Louis-Style Ribs ($30) has gotta be the Miso and Black Pepper (orangey hued side) and Tamarind with Maple Syrup (darker tinged side) sauces. Unique and lip-smackingly good, the miso black pepper had a finger-licking umami Asian flavour while the tamarind maple syrup had a more intensely smoky tangy sweetness. Marinated well, the flavour soaked right into the bones but the ribs would have benefited from another half hour on the grill. The meat, while delectably fatty, didn't have the requisite fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The masala bean stew was a very welcome unique on the typical baked beans accompaniment as the Indian spice mix enlivened the beans. Pickled cucumber and a corn kernel-sweetened coleslaw completed the fit-for-2-big-eaters ensemble.
The Latte ($5.50) was thick and rich and full-bodied and creamy. If you love your coffee strong, this would be it.
For an occasional coffee drinker like me, the Iced White Coffee ($6.50) would probably suit you better. This was still rich and creamy, but not as strong and potent like the latte.
Broadcast HQ
109 Rowell Road
Tel: 6292 4405
Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6pm to 12midnight
Thursdays and Fridays from 6pm to 1am
Saturdays from 12noon to 1am
Sundays from 12noon to 10pm
Closed on Mondays
Website: www.broadcasthq.com
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