A year has passed since my last trip to Australia. It was my third time there and as this time I was taking my girlfriend for her birthday, I wanted to visit a part of Australia that I hadn’t been to before, but which would be stunningly beautiful enough to give her a taste of what that great country has to offer. One place that I had sadly missed on my original travels was the Daintree Rainforest, and when we got there it certainly didn’t disappoint.
This ancient rainforest is picture perfect natural beauty. The rich lush flora covers a huge area. In fact at Cape Tribulation the rainforest meets the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef. Being in such an unspoiled part of the world, it’s hard not keep stopping to just stand still and stare in awe at how the world may have looked millions of year ago.
We were lucky enough to book several nights at the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa, an award winning luxury spa with a perfect location nestled right in the rainforest. We stayed in one of their “bayans”, tree-house style individual chalets dotted in amongst the forest.
The humid tropical heat meant during the night the windows needed to be left open with just a fine wire mesh between you and the pitch black of the rainforest night with all of its exotic sounds. In fact it took me a couple of nights to get used to the cacophony of squeals, squawks and other even odder noises that are projected from every square inch of the forest.
We went for dinner at their in-house Julaymba Restaurant. It did amaze me as I looked around, surrounded by trees from all sides and above, frogs chirruping in a fresh water pond next to me and even a bandicoot running around my feet under the table! Being in this remote location I wasn’t expecting miracles, but it appears they have Jesus working in the kitchen turning local ingredients into the most delicious fusion food.
We feasted on succulent yabbies (a native freshwater crayfish), hearty salads using local rainforest berries and nuts, local fish and much, much more. Yet the flavours in my mouth could have come from a top London or New York restaurant…how do they do it?
It turns out it wasn’t Jesus at all but Mark O’Brien the Head Chef, a man with a real passion for taking traditional Australian “bush tucker” and transforming it into delicious modern dishes with a twist.
He gave me some of his signature salt and pepper crocodile, succulent crocodile shoulder coated with a crisp, punchy salt and pepper tempura style batter. A real delight to eat and worked fantastically well some good Aussie beer!
Mark and I chatted about our mutual love of food, and it turns out he had worked in several top London and Australian restaurants during his career, and that well travelled experience shone through in his food. A philosophy held at the hotel is a strong link with the local Aboriginal people and their deep connection with the rainforest, Mark shared and executed this concept brilliantly, and I must agree, I always feel food is one of the best ways to share in another people’s history and culture.
Mark’s colleague in the front of house was Ronnie, again a worldly wise and experienced man with a great knowledge of wine and all thing booze related (my kind of guy!) . He was a real gem, especially when he gave us a tasting of exotic port style liquors. We ended up purchasing a Purple Mangosteen flavoured one, fresh and fruity with white port qualities and a bottle of Black Sapote which is known as the chocolate pudding fruit, so dark and rich I am saving it for Christmas as it is going to be a great alternative to sherry with my mince pies. Both were made by the Shannonvale Winery.
Magnificent breakfasts where abound too. I opted for the full English with extras on my final day and as you can see from the picture it was spot on! Better quality ingredients and a much, much better view than my local greasy spoon has to offer 🙂
The use of fresh local ingredients delivered with flair in the middle of a rainforest must surely be noted as an amazing achievement, and the knowledge and service from all the staff is truly World class.
It was with some sadness that we had to leave that magical place (we even had to book ourselves in for an extra night), not just for the food, the people we met or the majestic rainforest itself, but the whole experience.
What’s the most remote or surprising place you have found high quality food and service? Please share as maybe it will prompt me into planning my next trip
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Welcome back, I hear the trip was fabulous 🙂
And the food looks good, nice to see the breakfasts are good.
@SarahArrow Thanks Sarah, as you can read above the trip was amazing! Have to save up to go back 🙂
I had some amazing food just before reaching Uluru [Ayers Rock] – was out of this world.
@LynnTulip It’s seems to be something the Australians are good at 🙂
Sounds deliciously fattening. 🙂
Mary, Oh it was…it ticked all the boxes 😉
Daintree certainly sounds a beautiful place to visit, and the food surprising! My wife and I recently went to a steak and seafood restaurant in The Woodlands, Texas. Well, there are plenty of steak and seafood restaurants here, but this was different.
First, the portions were huge (it IS Texas, after all). The service was excellent, the wine list extensive, and the cuisine spectacular. My wife had the best calamari she had ever tasted, crisply battered and served on a bed of salsa made from sliced pickled jalapenos, sliced pickled onio (not the British kind!) and fresh chives. I thought I had experienced everything you could do with calamari, but this was a new one!
That alone would have made a meal for two, but I had ordered pork chops. The waiter explained, as he served them, how they take a chunk of pork and smoke it with the ribs at the top and using some kind of marinade. The juices flow down the meat. The waiter carved the pork into three pieces – the bottom part, where the juices concentrated, giving an excellent flavor, the middle part, a little more tender, and the ribs where the meat just falls off the bone.
The whole served with apple sauce and mashed potatoes. I had expected one, or maybe two, pork chops, but I got a feast! There was clearly no way we could eat all of that, so some of it went home with us and served two more meals for two people! Normally, I won’t eat restaurant leftovers, but for this I made an exception.
The restaurant in question is Perry’s, and we were there for lunch on a Friday. It was packed! I believe the dinner menu is even better …
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Alan, You have my mouth watering with the description of that pork! I haven’t been to the wonderful Lone Star State in way too many years. I need to go back soon, as they do meat the way I like it 🙂
OMG, You certainly paint a picture with words….I could almost hear the night life! Not so sure about salt and pepper crocodile though ;). I guess my most adventurous meal would have to be deep-fried squirrel in Kentucky!
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Rachel, Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the post, the sights and sounds there are truly exotic! Squirrel is supposed to be pretty good, a few restaurants in London serve it so perhaps I should go try it one day 🙂
Hi Michael. Wow, you just let me go there in my mind. Sounds fabulous. I just have one question, though: Does crocodile taste just like chicken? LOL.
I’m not a world traveler. When I was young, I didn’t have the money, and now I don’t have the body, but my husband and I go on a Caribbean cruise every year. We sail almost exclusively on Holland America line, and their food is fabulous. My palate it very much looking forward to the upcoming one, as I know it will be delicious.
Thanks for giving us such a great foodlog.
All the best,
Leslie
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Leslie, Haha no it doesn’t taste like chicken! It isn’t a strong flavour so takes to any seasoning well. Hey the Caribbean has some delicious and exotic foods, I would love to go there myself 🙂
It sounds amazing, Michael — all of it! The food, the location, the atmosphere of the place… I’m not likely ever to get there, so it’s nice to feel as if I am, through your telling of your experience!
Willena
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Willena, It’s an amazing location for sure. Like a lot of Australia…and a lot of the world! It doesn’t matter where on the planet you live or visit, it’s the experience of nature and natural beauty wherever you find it. That could even be your own backyard barbecue!
The way you write I feel I can taste the food as you speak of it and it looks so perfect in your photos.
Allen, Thank you I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The food there was excellent and truly world class 🙂
I have good memories of the Daintree Rainforest. We normally stay at home for Christmas but this particular year my husband was visiting Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane for functions that I was invited too. With two round Australia air fares paid we added 3 more for the children and took off for a month’s tour.
Christmas day we visited a rainforest water hole. Lunch for us consisted of a picnic and we spent most the day cooling off and swimming in the crystal clear lake. Not gourmet food but a day always to remember.
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It may not have been gourmet food Sue but the experience sounds amazing! It certainly is a magical place there 🙂