Morton’s: The sexiest steak on the planet
Where can you have a perfect slab of steak, paired off with a rare vintage wine, fresh seafood plus fresh salads, rare appetizers and decadent desserts baked on site — in other words, an incredible beginning-to-end dining experience — in just one posh setting?
Well, here’s the beef: On opening night of Morton’s The Steakhouse at Uptown East Gate, Bonifacio Global City, the first Morton’s in the Philippines, guests are trooping into this tony resto, raring to find out why it’s famously described as “a cut above the rest.”
We find out soon enough as we gingerly dive into the assorted food offerings as the night gets lusciously deeper. But first, let’s bite into a bit of history and then meet the men who brought Morton’s to the Philippines.
The story goes that Arnie Morton (that’s our guy) and Klaus Fritsch, before they became business partners, were working together in a club in Montreal, Quebec. While changing the club’s menu, Fritsch prepared a hamburger for Morton to sample. Long story short, Morton gushed that it was the best burger he had ever tasted! No wonder it was called the Million-Dollar Hamburger! But why settle for a burger when you can have a whole steak? Thus, in 1978, Morton and Fritsch founded Morton’s The Steakhouse in Chicago.
Flying in from their headquarters in Houston, Texas, Jarrett W. Ingram, Landry’s vice president: international and licensing, looks dapper in a cool crisp suit with a warm smile to match. Landry’s is a multinational restaurant, hospitality, gaming and entertainment company which has partnered with The Bistro Group, a leading restaurant chain in the country, to bring Morton’s Steakhouse to the Philippines.
“To me, the Philippines is one of the most exciting places in the world to develop — economically, culturally, gastronomically,” says Jarrett. “This is the perfect time to enter the market.”
Jean Paul Manuud, The Bistro Group president, agrees, adding, “This is the opportunity area right now. Filipinos are becoming very sophisticated and we believe Morton’s will do very well here.”
We can see that very well as we marvel at the menu: But of course, steak — tagged as the “best steak anywhere.” Morton’s is not called The Steakhouse for nothing. The restaurant serves only the finest USDA-certified prime steaks, a grading achieved by less than two percent of the beef in America. The highest in quality, this beef is abundant in marbling, juicy and flavorful. Moreover, the steaks are cut to Morton’s specifications, with some cuts aged for 23-28 days to render a unique flavor and make the steak oh-so tender. Diners can choose from several cuts: dry-aged bone-in strip, signature cut New York strip, 36oz Tomahawk, Filet Mignon, and a lot more.
A signature dish, Filet Mignon pairs beautifully with the Maine Lobster Tail or maybe some bacon-wrapped sea scallops and grilled shrimps, blue cheese butter or black truffle butter.
A sure winner, too, is any Oscar-Style steak partnered with Jumbo Lump Crab Meat with Asparagus and Bearnaise sauce.
As you can see, this steakhouse is more than a steakhouse. If you’re not a steak eater, Morton’s does not discriminate as it offers an assortment of seafoods, chilled or baked.
But if you’re not really hungry, go for the bar bites, the side dishes like the dynamite oysters that promise to blow you away or the Parmesan truffle fries or the lobster mac and cheese. Or appetizers like the onion rings and truffle corn.
“Everything here is made with premium ingredients and from scratch,” Jarrett is proud to share. “There’s not a single thing in our menu we don’t love and we don’t think you won’t love. If you won’t love it, we will remove it.”
At Morton’s, you can also find some hard-to-find wines and whiskeys, like the Whistle Pig, an awardwinning 100% rye whiskey. The sommerlier can expertly recommend a storied wine (you have 300 choices), which you can enjoy by the glass or by the bottle.
Oh, let’s not forget dessert! “We have a candy apple cheesecake and it’s life-changing,” Jarrett gushes. “I’ve been to steakhouses around the world — some will have good steaks and not good sides. And almost nobody’s got good desserts. You will not want to skip the dessert here.”
Not on our sweet life will we skip the chocolate mousse or the lava cake that takes 30 minutes to bake on site, so you have to order it with your entree.
“Every table comes with a complimentary French onion loaf,” Jarrett reminds us.
He adds with a hint of pride, “From beginning to end, it’s a premium experience you can’t find anywhere else.”
Inviting food lovers to this premium experience, Morton’s The Steakhouse is a sophisticated restaurant with warm tones and subdued lighting, designed around the concepts of coal, fire, and heat. The 200-seat steakhouse has two private rooms that can accommodate six and 12 persons.
“This is the sexiest, best-looking Morton’s on the planet,” Jarrett declares.
Yes, make mine a nice hunk of steak, with some sides and dessert, too!
