FOOD VIXEN
ALL ABOARD THE FV PRAWN STAR – Marlin Marina , Cairns
As a food blogger I ’ m constantly on a seafood diet . I see food and then I eat it . Yeah I made a funny I know but out of all the food I photograph and eat what I lust after the most is fresh seafood . I simply can ’ t get enough of the stuff and up here in the Far North we ’ re lucky to be blessed with no shortage of it . On the Cairns waterfront alone there ’ s a tonne of restaurants and takeaways where you can have your fill with the fruits of the sea . Recently a fellow sea-foody and I found ourselves down at ‘ E ’ Finger on the Marlin Marina checking out a waterfront seafood restaurant with a difference . In operation since July 2014 the revamped trawler FV ‘ Prawn Star ’ has become a bit of a Cairns icon with locals and tourists alike lining up to devour platters of oysters , fresh cooked prawns , bugs , mud crabs and even salmon sashimi .
The afternoon that my sea-going friend / colleague and I went to try ‘ Prawn Star ’ for the first time we made sure to arrive a little before sunset . Not only is this the best time to be at the marina but we knew that Prawn Star ’ s popularity would soon result in a line up . It appears the fair winds and following seas were on our side and we managed to snavel a tiny secluded table on the starboard beam ( that ’ s the midway on the right for all you non sea going folk ). The price of the seafood I found to be very reasonable and pretty much on par with most other seafood retailers in Cairns . Along with my dining buddy who hails from the Torres Strait and myself whose parents owned a seafood wholesale factory for 35 years we ordered a veritable feast of fresh cooked
seafood washed down with a glass of wine ( for me ) and an ice cold beer ( for him ) from the now licenced prawn trawler .
Whilst waiting for our order we delighted in how nice it was to be on a boat that wasn ’ t pitching violently after our recent encounter with some rough seas off the East Coast . With the smell of fresh cooked seafood wafting through the air before we knew it our seafood platter brimming with prawns , bugs and oysters had arrived . The juicy endeavours were the highlight for both of us dipped in a generous serving of seafood sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon . The Prawn Star is also a great spot to watch people take their afternoon stroll along the boardwalk as you toss the odd prawn head to a greedy school of Archer Fish below .
The popularity of the Prawn Star has seen it rated as one of the top restaurants in Australia on a Hong Kong website which is understandable given the scenic location , relaxed vibe and fantastic fresh and local produce cooked right in front of you . This popularity has also seen the fleet expand to soon include the newly refurbished ‘ Prawn Star Too ’, which is great news for those that don ’ t like the idea of lining up for a seat as they will also be taking bookings . Fresh seafood , a glass of wine and good company onboard the FV ‘ Prawn Star ’. Seriously could not think of a better way to spend the afternoon !
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