Near and Far Dishes Inspired From Destinations Around The Globe – Yee Rah
This week’s blog post is all about my LOVE for food from around the globe – without having to travel far. Forget the jet lag, forget long hours in the airport and forget salt-laden aeroplane food.
As a travel blogger with Clickstay, I am an avid traveller and I am a huge foodie – 90% of my life is spent daydreaming about destinations I want to visit and the foods I want to try – anyone else the same?
With food and travel on the mind constantly, I jumped at the opportunity to sample some of the food from Yee Rah – located in the heart of Liverpool – 14 Paradise Street. Yes! paradise it is. Before we delve deeper into the delicious food, I want to thank Yee Rah for being so incredibly generous and for helping me celebrate my 21st birthday (pre-birthday!). It was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t wait to share this hidden gem with my readers.
Initial Impressions, Interior and Atmosphere
If a company has done something well, in my opinion, the concepts of the eatery will have a connection – the interior, the atmosphere that is created, the food, the drinks and the presentation of the dishes. Everything comes down to what the company is trying to achieve in their dining experience.
Upon arriving, I was greeted with the aromas of fresh Thai food and a zesty kick of lime lingered in the air; I presume this was from the Meditteranean inspired dishes on the menu.
I was lucky enough to attend the restaurant on a glorious day and I had a wide range of seating to choose from, the terrace was a must in the wonderful sunshine! If you are a people watcher, this is the perfect location on a sunny day.
Georgi, the business manager greeted me as I entered the door and made me feel incredibly welcome. Georgi made this experience wonderful, he shared his knowledge on the dishes, he recommended dishes which are known as the in-house favourites and he also helped me when I had queries and needed to ask specific questions about the dishes. Nothing was too much for Georgi and he went out of his way to ensure the dining experience was authentic, delicious and memorable.
All of the staff were fantastic! They were friendly, they were approachable, they were quick to serve and they allowed me to unwind and relax. Although I was visiting at a peak time, I could still carry out a private conversation in the relaxed atmosphere. The staff were immaculately dressed and had everything under control in a professional manner.
After being seated, we browsed the menu and I also admired the surrounding decoration and soft furnishings. I love it when restaurants make an effort to create an atmosphere through their carefully selected interior pieces. Oriental dark furnishings are combined with vibrant fabrics to reinforce the Thai, Mexican and Chinese roots. The carefully selected colour palette of warm oranges, reds, golds, yellows and a contrasting dark brown strengthens the brand message – incorporating comfort food from around the globe. The eclectic mix of lighting and decoration supports the multicultural vibe and again, reinforces the diversity of the menu available.
What I absolutely love about this restaurant is their array of Buddhas and statues, all of which reminded me of my travels through Asia. Not only do these statutes radiate beautiful vibes but they also transport you somewhere else – making you feel relaxed, energised and ‘the holiday feeling’ certainly fills the room.
I was so impressed with the atmosphere, the interior and the greetings upon arrival and I couldn’t wait to explore more and sample the food. The restaurant was also very clean, tidy and well organised. A good system was created through the front of the house and the waiters and waitresses. Again, allowing this to be the perfect relaxing afternoon.
The Food
The menu was striking, brightly coloured, organised and well divided between the different dishes from around the globe. The menu offers a wide variety of dishes ensuring that everyone in the family is truly satisfied. Portuguese peri peri chicken, British fish and chips, Brazilian mixed grill, Mexican fajitas, Italian focaccia bread and much more! Not forgetting, Yee Rah also have a variety of Thai and Indian curries, jalfrezi and Thai green being popular favourites.
However, if you have a slightly sweeter tooth their dessert menu definitely ticks the boxes; featuring a French-inspired lemon tart and the American favourite – the mighty double chocolate cake.
A hot climate, a humid climate or a cold climate. Food that is rich in flavour, colour and comfort.
All of the food I sampled was from the A La Carte menu which is served all day, every day. The lunch menu is served 12 – 6pm.
To Start
To begin the afternoon of eating I tucked into some prawn crackers, a popular snack in parts of Southeast Asia and often associated with Indonesia and Malaysia. A light, addictive and flavoursome snack to warm the palate.
Whilst I enjoyed the prawn crackers I also drank some wonderful Sanvigila, Pino Grigio Blush Rosé wine; this was a light, dry rosé with a subtle hint of red berry. Yee Rah have a refined list of drinks available, this made it easier to select the wine we wanted. However, the staff were eager to recommend if we were unsure. We also ordered tap water, which was beautiful and fresh with a hint of sliced lemon, a great palate cleanser.
We began by having the traditional Thai classic, Thai spiced chicken satay skewers with an indulgent peanut sauce. The chicken skewers were served with a pickled cucumber relish and fresh, chopped vegetables – the relish was perfectly paired with the rich peanut sauce and the aromatic chicken.
This dish took me back to the street food I had in Singapore. If you are familiar with my blog, you will know that Singapore is ‘a happy place’ for me, so anything that reminds me of the place, gets a huge thumbs up! This dish allowed me to reminisce on my adventures in Asia and allowed me to experience Singaporean food without having to travel 14 hours. This is the first time I have experienced chicken satay skewers like the ones in Singapore! I was so impressed.
The next starter I chose was the prawn tempura; succulent, juicy king prawns in a light, crispy beer batter, served with a sweet and spicy sweet chilli dipping sauce. The squeeze of lemon juice balanced the flavours perfectly and added a subtle tang to the beer batter.
Tempura is a classic Portuguese dish which was brought to Japan, it consists of seafood or vegetables which have been beer battered and deep fried. In this case, I chose king prawns. The prawns were cooked to perfection and had a vibrant prawn flavour coated in a little jacket of warm, crunchy beer batter. These were absolutely delicious and were my favourite of the three selected starters.
Let’s take a detour to Cyprus and sample some salty, melt in your mouth, deep-fried halloumi cheese – A true taste of comfort and it is an essential part of a traditional Cyprus Meze – (halloumi has a texture similar mozzarella or thick feta, except that it has a strong, salty flavour using a brine preserve). This halloumi was firm but creamy and was encased in a beer batter and served with some salad leaves. Sadly, the salad leaves weren’t needed. The halloumi did the talking and was the centre of attention with this dish.
As stated on the menu, it does come served with a garlic mayonnaise, however, in my case, this wasn’t served with a garlic dipping sauce. Instead, I used the sweet chilli sauce, this was the perfect accompaniment. I don’t think this dish needed any salad garnish, however, a sweet tomato relish would work perfect with this deep-fried halloumi and would reinforce the Cypriot roots of the dish.
The three starters were shared between two people, this was a wonderful idea and would make the perfect light lunch with a side of fries. Our food was quick to arrive shortly after ordering.
The Main Event
“Go casual with comfort food from around the world”
I and my dad shared two main dishes and a side order of Pak Choi. This was a great idea as this allowed us to sample flavours from around the world. We chose this option because it was simply too difficult to select two dishes alone, we wanted to sample everything!
Again, let’s travel across the globe to another destination. This time we take a pit-stop in Brazil and sampled the show-stopping mixed grill skewer served with sweet potato fries, grilled lemon, and chargrilled vegetables. The mixed grill included a juicy, tender medium rare sirloin steak (cooked to perfection), lamb cutlet – this was flavoursome and comforting with an earthy and distinct taste. The chicken was char-grilled and seasoned with a variety of spices, this was my least favourite meat from the selection and wasn’t as succulent as I had hoped.
However, the sticky pork ribs definitely won me over! The pork ribs were succulent and the meat melted straight off the bone. The ribs were drizzled with the most addictive smoky BBQ sauce which also made the perfect dipping sauce for the fries. Ordinary fries do come with this dish, however, for an additional £1, I had to upgrade and get the sweet and salty sweet potato goodness instead (they’re my addiction!).
I really enjoyed this dish although it wasn’t something I would usually choose. It allowed me to sample lots of different meats and it also kept things exciting by combining different flavours and textures. I do think the addition of a char-grilled tomato would be absolutely delicious and would definitely add some freshness to the dish. This dish also lacked a dipping sauce or a variety of dipping sauces: a sweet relish, a garlic dip or even a peppercorn sauce. However, despite these two factors, the dish was really enjoyable and it was a flavour sensation.
This dish really was a show stopper, coming served on a giant suspended skewer, it definitely made heads turn in the restaurant and it was worth the attention. Although it was shared between two, this could have easily been shared between three people with extra fries for good measure.
Another main dish I shared was the Yeerah Singapore Noodles. ‘Singapore’ style noodles is a dish of stir-fried vermicelli traditionally seasoned with curry powder, vegetables, and scrambled eggs. On this occasion, Yeerah mixed up the traditional aspects of the dish and made it their own using egg, bean sprouts, carrot, peppers, spring onions, coriander, curry powder and chilli. This is the perfect dish for people who want something light, subtly flavoured and delicate on the palate. Although it contains chilli, it is not spicy, however, this dish does not lack flavour.
I chose the prawn noodles, which was definitely a good choice. However, you can also choose the vegetarian option or choose a variety of meat options too. The prawns were succulent and infused with the spices used.
This dish was executed perfectly and added colour and vibrancy to the table. It came served in a small wok, which definitely reminded me of the street food in Singapore. The presentation of the dish also makes this another show-stopping main, it’s authentic, the food stays warm and it embeds the ethos of the dish and its origin. The dish, despite its name, is not created or eaten in Singapore (as such, however, I have had it there before). It is more of a Cantonese dish and is found in takeaway eateries around Hong Kong.
I couldn’t resist, I had to sample the Pak Choi on the menu, a true Chinese classic. Typically known as a type of Chinese cabbage which is stir-fried and or sautéed in oil. On this occasion, this gloriously green side order came served coated in a garlic and oyster sauce. Rich, soft and subtly crunchy.
Although all of the dishes were from around the globe, the components of the dishes blended well and made this main course option a true flavour explosion. I travelled to destinations around the world, without having to move.
Time For Something Sweet
As they say, you always have room for dessert…
When I was greeted with the dessert menu, I was pleasantly surprised with their hand-selected desserts; frozen yoghurt, warm waffles, lemon tart and chocolate cake – just to name a few. Although there was a variety to choose from, I would have loved to have seen some adventurous options on the menu – for example: coconut sticky rice with mango, Indian inspired desserts – Gulab jamun (mmmm), churros with dipping sauce (everyone loves that!) or a fruit crumble – something warm, comforting and traditionally British. I have a true sweet tooth and I can be hard to please when it comes to dessert. I wanted to sample everything on the menu and I hate sticking to one dessert, so I shared two!
I opted for the tangy and refreshing French-inspired Lemon Tart which came served with a sweet berry compote. The Lemon Tart was soft, had a strong crispy base and was incredibly indulgent and creamy. The berry compote added colour, variety and balanced the flavours of the dish. It was absolutely delicious and went perfectly with a cup of tea.
There was chocolate cake on the dessert menu, could I have really said no to this?
Incredibly indulgent, rich and creamy. This was the dream cake drizzled with a sticky chocolate sauce and served with velvety, fresh, vanilla ice cream. This is the Double Trouble Chocolate Cake, with three delicious layers of chocolate goodness. Each layer was divided by chocolate flavoured fudge and caramel sauce. This makes the perfect sharing dessert and goes perfectly with a coffee.
This cake can be served cold or warm, with ice cream. I opted for the cold variety as it was a hot day and I wanted something refreshing. Although the cake looks incredibly indulgent and dense, it was incredibly light and fluffy. The chocolate didn’t taste artificial, it tastes homemade and authentic – a true American classic achieved to perfection. This cake was simply divine and I would definitely order this again.
I was really impressed with this dining experience and I can’t wait to return and sample some more of the dishes from the menu. YeeRah is the perfect destination for a quick lunch, a celebratory evening meal for a large group or a romantic evening dinner.
Although the restaurant is large, there are areas that are secluded and private. They have ticked all of the boxes in terms of catering to everyone in the family and I truly believe, this is the perfect destination for most occasions. The central location makes this the perfect shopping stop for re-energising. Although I would like to be selfish and hire the chefs to only cook for me, I want you to sample their food and share your verdict! This is a hidden gem in Liverpool One and deserves recognition. Want to go on a holiday through the use of your taste buds? Look no further…
20% off food for students with a Student ID – Monday to Friday
2 – 4 – 1 classic cocktails every Sunday to Friday all day and from 7pm until late on Saturdays.
The lunch menu is available Monday to Friday until 6pm.
Check out their menu for yourself and keep up to date with their adventures using the following links: Menu | Make a booking | Facebook | Twitter
14 Paradise Street
Liverpool
L1 8JFSunday – Thursday – 12noon- 10pm
Friday & Saturday – 12noon – 10:30pm
For Reservations: 0151 709 7897
I hope you liked this week’s blog post, although it was a lengthy one I hope your tummy isn’t rumbling too much!
I feel very grateful for this opportunity and I loved every moment of sampling the food at Yeerah, it was a delicious experience and allowed me to unwind and relax with my dad.
I can’t wait to visit again!
I am back from Singapore and I am back to my usual blogging routine. Remember to keep up to date with my adventures using my social media – linked at the bottom of the page and in the side bar.
Jessica, x
Hey! My name is Jess Ward – I was 15 when I first experienced bullying and depression. 10 years on and I am now a multi-award-winning mental health blogger. Positively Jessica Ward is a blog and location for all things positive. Magnetic colour, mouthwatering recipes and infectious positivity!
Find me on: Web
