More morton's

Morton's Steakhouse is a meat lover's paradise, with its seafood extravaganza of an ocean platter and the signature main course of T-bone steak. [Photo by Fan Zhen / China Daily]

American steakhouses are making their presence felt in China, and one of the latest to make an impact is Morton's from Chicago. China Daily's food team looks at the formula that makes Morton's a global name for beef on the plate. Amanda Lee, Sun Ye and Fan Zhen report.

There is a certain ritual to dining at Morton's, and it's the same in Chicago, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and most recently, in Beijing.

Location is the first ingredient, and most Morton's are found in top-class hotels. In the Forbidden City, the host is the Regent Beijing right next to Jinbao Jie and Wangfujing, where the real estate prices rise to rarefied heights.

On the second floor, the signature white signage is hard to miss as you step out of the elevator.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, and diners can watch and smell their food, as it is prepared.

But while you wait, there is that famous list of Mortinis, the restaurant's double martini cocktails, both shaken and stirred with exotic ingredients, such as those that go into the Ginger Lychee Mortini, a blush pink drink that is designed to appeal to ladies who dine.

But, served with a slice of cucumber, it still has bite, exactly as a good martini should. The spice of the ginger against the bitter gin was balanced with the sweetness of lychee.

The next ritual is choosing your meal. A waiter pushes a trolley of ingredients close and begins singing their praises, pointing not just the individual cuts of beef, but the cornucopia of tomatoes, broccoli and asparagus that will adorn the meat in salads and side dishes.

At Morton's, they do not compromise on size and you can be sure that each portion is full-blooded American.

By the time the waiter finished his well-rehearsed introduction, we were ready for another Morton signature - the onion bread, although in the bitter Beijing winter, it had gone from oven-hot to table-warm.

But the thought of the appetizer, a baked ocean platter, kept us in high spirits.

It was a wondrous platter, worthy of Neptune's best. Oysters Rockefeller, crab cakes, breaded shrimps, scallops wrapped in bacon were all fighting for attention. The crab cakes score an undisputed victory, as they have from Singapore to Shanghai. They were more crab than cake.

The oysters were fresh and succulent but what held it all together was the creamed spinach and cheese topping.

But the surprising star was the apricot relish that came with the scallops. Black peppercorns gave the sweet apricots a spicy kick and it was absolutely delicious. Morton's may be a steakhouse, but it is this seafood platter that steals the show.

Lobster bisque and Caesar salad preceded the steaks and their side dishes. Our carnivorous choices were filet mignon and T-bone, both medium-rare, thoughtfully served on warmed plates.