Morton's of Chicago

Morton's Famous Hot Chocolate Cake 10/10

Morton's of Chicago is this really famous steakhouse that has chains all over the world. I guess there are two main steakhouses that are famous worldwide for their steaks and prime rib. one is morton's and the other is lawry's. i prefer the former. anyway, its a really nice place to go visit. the atmosphere is really nice and romantically dark if you're planning to bring that special someone and there is a nice open kitchen for you to see into.

the waitstaff is really friendly. after they seat you they'll come with a tray full of the different cuts of steak for you to choose from and a live lobster that sits there and is perpectually being picked up and down and shown off to customers. anyway, the waitstaff are really knowledgable with all the different cuts of steak and you can just ask them anything or tell them what you like. whether you like your steak with more marbling (and hence more flavorful ie prime rib) or more tender instead (the tenderlion and other parts). if you'd like the former get the prime rib. if you're into the latter get the filet mignon.

the prime rib comes in one size and its huge. really. its big. so its highly possible for you to share and if you're a small eater they'd recommend you to. however the filet mignon is smaller and you can ever order the double cut and still finish it on your own. the menu is morton's is supposedly the exact same all over the world, so thats quite interesting. its rare that chains have the exact same menu worldwide since they mostly like to cater to cultural and local tastes.

Prime rib. This is the winner at Morton's. perfectly cooked prime rib is often hard to come by. the ones here are perfectly moist on the inside and full of flavor. you have to get the center cut (so that its medium rare), then get it done "cowboy style", which in mortonspeak means that they put it on the grill for you after cutting your piece of meat from a huge chunk of prime rib. that way its slightly charred and crispy on the outside and juicy and moist on the inside. if you love steak, you have to come here to try it. the prime rib is only available on fri and sat though. 10/10

On a side note, the filet mignon was very good as well. if you like your steaks with less marbling (ie less fatty), go for the filet mingon. served single or double cut. but try the prime rib. you've never eaten steak until you eat prime rib. at least thats what the steak lovers say.

I heard that the mashed potato was great. but i tried it and didn't think much of it. The lobster bisque wasn't that great also. so stick to the steak. the crab cakes were pretty good though. one of the few appetizers i'd recommend ordering. the creamed spinach was fantastic too. beats the one at lawry's hands down.

however, i couldn't decide which was better, the dessert or the prime rib. many restaurants serve a simliar molten chocolate cake, with a warm chocolate filling inside, but this really was fantastic. one of the best i had. perfect texture on the outside with a nice warm filling on the inside. i'd return just for dessert (: its not cheap though. the hot chocolate cake itself costs 30 bucks. interestingly i've recently discovered this place which makes really good souffles too for half the price. its about as good as the ones at morton's. check out the max brenner's post.

all in all, morton's is a really nice place to go to if you have a special occasion to spend on (or just have too much damn money too spend). its kinda pricey but i think its pretty well worth it, as long as you're not paying :P


------------

Editorial

I went back to morton's again with a couple japanese business friends and they ordered the ribeye. when it was served, it looked delicious. it wasn't as big and intimidating as the prime rib, and it looked "cleaner and neater" in a sense. so the next time i went back, i decided to get it. you can get it in two ways, the regular way, or "cajun" style where they add cajun sauce and spices to it. cajun style is not spicy at all, but more of a little salty. it's kind of like gumbo. i didn't mind my food saltier so i got it. it turned out to be really good. the meat was very tender and yet still flavorful because it was highly marbled. i guess not the prime rib has a competitor in my books.

Morton's Steakhouse - Madarin Oriental Hotel
Price - about $75 for filet mignon, $85 for ribeye and $95 for prime rib; sides not included