What is there not to love about scissors cut curry rice? These messy plates of rice are often topped with a generous drizzle of saucy curry and gravy, plus various ingredients that are hand-cut with scissors— hence the name. Yishunites need not travel to other parts of the country for their curry rice fix— simply drop by Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice.
Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice is a stall within a coffeeshop at 732 Yishun Avenue. The stall is pretty hard to miss, as it features the image of an adorable cat on its signboard.
Diners can choose their own ingredients from the selection displayed at the counter a la economical rice, with choices including eggplant, vegetables, fishcakes and various proteins. They can also opt for pre-curated sets, which cost either S$4.50 or S$5.50.
What I tried at Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice
I decided to peruse the pre-curated sets available at Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice and found that Set E (S$5.50) caught my eye the most. This set consisted of a chicken or pork cutlet, curry chicken, cabbage and a fried egg, plus a drizzle of curry sauce and gravy.
I started off with the chicken cutlet, which was a little small in size but nice and crispy on the outside. The meat was tender and flavourful, and the chicken cutlet as a whole had a nostalgic taste.
The chicken curry portion of the dish consisted of two thirds of a chicken wing cooked in curry. The flesh of the chicken was tender and tore apart easily, though the portions were a tad small. The curry sauce was pretty standard with a lightly spiced aroma.
Kim’s Curry Hainan: Shiok mala Hainan-style curry rice sets from $3.50 at Toa Payoh
I loved how the fried eggs at Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice had a runny, gooey yolk— breaking apart the egg and mixing the yolk into the rice added a pop of creaminess to the dish. The curry sauce and gravy that had been drizzled on top of the dish adequately provided some well-needed sauciness to the rice. The curry had a very mild spice to it and a slight coconut milk aroma, while the gravy had a light savoury taste, albeit masked by the stronger profile of the curry.
I would have preferred for there to be more curry sauce and gravy drizzled on top to truly capture the messy essence of scissors cut curry rice.
Set B (S$4.50) caters more towards those who aren’t into curry— this plate of rice comes topped with braised pork, cabbage and a fried egg drizzled with gravy.
I could taste the thick, starchy gravy a lot better in this dish— it was pretty savoury, though it was a tad one-dimensional. However, it effectively made the rice more flavourful.
The braised pork pieces had a good ratio of fat to meat, and were tender to bite. The fried egg also had a runny yolk like the one in Set E, which I appreciated. The cabbage on the side was soft and slightly sweet, pairing beautifully with the more savoury elements of the dish.
While the flavours of Set B were not as intense as traditional Taiwanese braised pork rice, the dish was pretty satisfying and reasonably priced, making it a good alternative.
Final thoughts
While the food at Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice was not mind-blowing, I appreciated how homely and comforting it was. Compared to other scissors cut curry rice stalls, the amount of sauce drizzled on top was not as generous, though still adequate in providing the dish with enough moisture and flavour.
I’d say that Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice is a good spot to grab an affordable and decent plate of curry rice while in Yishun. If their pre-curated sets aren’t filling enough for you, you can even choose to add ingredients of your choice to your rice! Why not check it out the next time you’re wandering around the neighbourhood?
Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$6 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 3.5 / 5
Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice
732 Yishun Avenue 5, #01-380, Singapore 760732
Legend Scissors Cut Curry Rice
732 Yishun Avenue 5, #01-380, Singapore 760732
