Flames Of The Forest - Mowbray River Road, via Port Douglas. Ph:    07 4099 3144   

Flames of the Forest in the Mowbray Valley behind Port Douglas could be called flames in the forest because your meal is served under the canopy on the banks of the Mowbray River. I suppose you could call it bush tucker.

From the moment you’re handed your arrival champagne and sampled an hors d’oeuvre the odyssey begins, because, as dining experiences go, this is more like a journey into the heart of two very different Australias. Of course there’s the great Mod Oz nosh but there’s also the indigenous welcoming party and dreamtime storytelling of the local bama people, the Kuku Yalanji, traditional custodians of the rainforest. Between them, and the stunning nocturnal forest environment, they feed your body and maybe even your soul.

But don’t panic, this ain’t no tacky theatre restaurant. For starters, the food’s too good. Dining banquet style, at tables of ten, (maybe making new friends and swapping phone numbers), from a set menu that includes tiger prawns, spiced barramundi steamed in banana leaf, sumac and dukkah encrusted chicken breast and steamed vegies from the nearby tablelands. It all makes for a wonderfully mixed evening of full flavoured delight, a true fusion dining experience. What’s more, they’re generous with the servings, just as they are with topping up your wine glass.

Before they let you at the sweets, though, two Kuku Yalanji brothers, Bilgamu and Goyu, arrive to put everything into context. Here, as you sip your wine and enjoy a selection of tropical fruits and tarts for dessert, you learn about the traditional life of the forest dwelling peoples of north Queensland. Then, when they kill the lights for a mo you have the chance to experience the fabulous soundtrack of the forest at night.   

To top it all off, you don’t even have to worry about driving, because Flames pick you up and bus you in and out. What’s more, if you ask nicely, you can book the place out and arrange an alternative menu, wine list, alternative entertainment all the way up to floorshow pyrotechnics. In fact, my dinner chum was busy imagining all kinds of private party scenarios. Next time, for sure.

Flames Of The Forest

Post a review,