My friends Kyle and Colin have their birthdays a few days apart in early January. We started the celebration at the mind-blowingly expensive Morton’s of Chicago steakhouse over in IFC in Pudong.
The first thing I will mention is that the service at Morton’s is excellent.
Kyle and his lobster bisque
Andrew and his New York Strip
Sides sides side sides
That’s hash browns, asparagus, mashed potatoes and creamed spinach
Dessert tray offering. We ended up with an Apple pie, the cheesecake and the chocolate thing on the lower left.
So, Morton’s is very expensive. At least 50% more than what you’d pay in the US or Hong Kong or Taipei. But as a once a year or twice a year extravagance, they do it very well. The atmosphere is very comfortable, old school Chicago steakhouse. Piped in jazz standards, Sinatra, Billie Holiday. Excellent aged steak (I think Australian – only Roosevelt’s in Shanghai serves American . .. and that place is more expensive). The steak was perfectly cooked – in fact they confirm with you when you order rare or medium rare – pink with warm center. And the service; when I called to reserve, they asked if it was a special occasion (hence the printed menus), plus they gave Kyle a free dessert and took birthday photos and had the staff sign them.
Again, not cheap at all. But it was really a great dinner.
PHONE:6075 8888
ADDRESS:IFC Pudong,
4/F, 8 Shiji Da Dao,
near Lujiazui Huan Lu
From there, we proceeded across the river to the Waldorf Astoria to have drinks at the famous Long Bar. Big Bird was back in town too! Martinis, cigars, steaks.
Andrew at the Long Bar
Kyle and Jercy
Welcome back Big Bird!
The next evening we went out to the Yongjia Lu location of Kota’s Kitchen to celebrate Colin’s birthday.
Then we ended up at the bowling alley, where Colin found his old boss
Yes, the prices are eye watering at Morton’s. I’m pretty sure Moons steakhouse does US beef because when I mentioned to a friend who works there that I had been to Morton’s she adopted a superior tone and said “oh, they serve Aussie beef there”.
@WoAi – Hmmm, but Morton’s steak – at least I found – to be very much superior to Moon’s. If your friend wants to let me try for a reduced price, I could write up a comparison. Actually I will say, that even if Morton’s serves Aussie beef, it is still the best steak I have had in this country – by a large large margin.
I think it was just a predictable put down of the competition. I also enjoyed Morton’s although the price is the reason I’ve only ever been once. I’m planning to try their happy hour next week though which gets you half price cocktails and free steak sandwiches.
@WoAi – when there was a Morton’s in the Entertainment Building in Central, we used to go post work to eat steak sandwiches for like 1.5 hours (and have drinks) then they moved to TST which was sad.
Well that is exactly why I still have not been for the happy hour. Pudong (even Lujiazui) is to us what TST is to people who work in Central. We’re going to have to sneak out of work around 5pm. Not a serious crime by any means, but also not something to be proud of. Or I could just leave work at 6pm and catch the tail end of it.
Actually my job has flexible working hours. So if I show up at 8am, I can leave guilt free at 5pm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
If I showed up to work at 8am I also could leave guilt free, but it’s extremely unlikely I would ever be seen at the office before 10am! In all seriousness, the bigger issue is that there’s about 5 of us (expats) and leaving on mass before the official end of the day wouldn’t look so good (to the local staff) no matter what time we arrived.
Morton’s steaks are certainly tasty (and spendy@ equivalent 400-800 HKD where I am for the whole dinner)…any thoughts on Ruth Chris’s?
Personally, I prefer a nice (aged even better, aged and prime grade even better) ribeye or NY over a nice fire anyday
@WoAi – I work at a big company and people are always going in and out and off to meetings and travel, so leaving doesn’t look bad at any time.
@nulle – I used to LOVE love love Ruth’s Chris. It was the first expensive steak I ever had (way back when there were like 3 branches, New Orleans, some other place and Beverly Hills. My dad took me to the Beverly Hills one). Now, I think its too . . . common? Too much of a chain? I’m not sure. Not that I’m turning it down, I’d gladly welcome a Ruth’s Chris in Shanghai. I think in HK, you have so many options (Wooloomooloo, Craft, Wagyu, BLT, Dakota Prime . . . plus Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris and all of the 5-star hotels) that I’d rather go some place non-chain-y. (I welcome chains – like Starbucks and McDonald’s and Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris, until there are better non-chain options)
A colleague just asked me to recommend a steak joint for him to try this weekend but not at the Morton’s price range. Any suggestions? Pinnacle Peak at City Hotel is all I can think of, or Moon’s!
Char? Strip Prime?
I would like to try Char.
I went to Strip Prime about a year ago and it was FREEZING cold in their more posh section. Can’t remember what the food was like but I think it was pretty pricey and by the sound of it, Char is too:
“For 4,700rmb for 3 people, we all left with a pretty bitter tastes in our mouths”
To quote one reviewer on Smart Shanghai.
Hmmm, I might just tell him to go to Mr & Mrs Bund. Their steaks were decent and much cheaper.
If you’re going to believe SmartShanghai reviews – Mr and Mrs Bund has gone way downhill. Anyways, I wasn’t thinking straight last night – I forgot the two mid-priced steak eateries – New York Steak & Burger in Tianzifang and Shanghai Slim’s at Sinan Mansions.
I’ve only eaten at Shanghai Slim’s before – and the steak was good, but it felt like a very well “cooked at someone’s house, not a restaurant” steak.
Yes, I take your point, there are far too many suspicious “reviews” from one time posters, and as a former restaurant waiter, it’s clear to me many complaints are just fussy people whinging. But I hope at least the prices quoted are not subjective!
You’re not doing a good job of selling Shanghai Slims. Can it be that with all the steak joints in Shanghai there STILL isn’t a decent one for a decent price?
Everyone has told me New York Steak & Burger is that place. I haven’t been, so I can’t put forth an opinion.
Then it looks like we need to give it a try.
I mean separately of course, not together. That would be gay!
Two men can have dinner without it being gay.
Great, shall we say 7.30?
Sure!