Famed Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice is now serving hearty plates at its first stand-alone mall stall in VivoCity.
Near the end of an alley in the mall’s basement is the newest outlet of the family-owned business, which has been drowning plates with its famous two sauces – braised pork and curry – for decades. Not much has changed since it opened in 1930 and its recipes have now been passed down four generations with an emphasis on keeping the tradition alive.
With business at the iconic Jalan Besar shophouse bustling and another in the coffeeshop of ION Orchard, fourth-generation owner Benjamin Goh told Coconuts recently that the mall move was to reach the younger foodies for “more exposure.” although the long queues were mostly older folks when we came for a tasting on Thursday.
The new 50-seater space is a glow-up from its Jalan Besar outlet for sure, but not too many fancy or try-hard interior decisions that might seem foreign. There is a giant framed photo of the third-generation owner with several media shout-outs and dreamy food shots plastered across the walls.
Besides that, food is still served on red hawker plates and its interior keeps it traditional with vintage wall tiles, small ceramic tables and wooden chairs. There’s also a large display window boasting its array of piled-up food like its fried pork and chicken chops, prawns, braised pork and chap chye (mixed vegetables).
The menu might be overwhelming for some but it’s really just variations of the different ingredients, all of which come with rice, egg and cabbage, slathered in their sauces. There are five different sets (from S$5.80) with a choice of Pork Chop or Chicken Chop, Braised Pork Belly and Curry Chicken. Then there’s the Traditional Set (S$8.50) which combines the pork chop and pork belly, and the Jumbo Set (S$11), which has everything.
A new menu item exclusively at the outlet is the Sharing Set for two (S$16.80) which basically has double portions of all the signature dishes.
If that’s not filling enough, you can add their Braised Tau Pok, Fish Cake, Handmade Prawn Roll, Sambal Ikan Bilis, Sambal Sotong and the soup of the day – which is usually the Winter Melon or the Lotus Root soup.
It’s tricky trying to describe the dish without comparing it to a New York Garbage Plate which is a bunch of sinful and hearty food dumped into a plate. It has no intention to appear appetizing but its amalgamation of flavors says otherwise.
Even Goh can’t tell you how their food tastes like, saying it’s “very difficult to describe” and that there’s only one way to find it out for yourself.
Every ingredient is made individually but when stacked together, the flavors are mellowed and overpowered by one another. But it does taste like what they serve in Jalan Besar – runny eggs, and gooey sauces, all not too spicy and salty.
When asked how he would make sure dishes are kept to standard despite being in a new environment, Goh said it’s “difficult” but he personally comes down to taste main dishes like the curry.
Goh added that he never considered selling the business in line with reports that they turned down a S$3 million-dollar offer recently. He said he is now only focused on staying true to the business and slowly expanding its reach one plate at a time.
FIND IT
Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice
Open daily from 10am to 10pm
VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, Singapore 098585, B2-23A
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