This restaurant needs no introduction, Morton’s The Steakhouse at Mandarin Oriental just turned 21 in Singapore. The open secret to longevity in the F&B industry is keeping a high standard of consistency in food quality and culinary skills. To up the ante in this coming-of-age year, Morton’s the Steakhouse is offering a limited edition menu with interesting dishes to entice your taste buds.

Strawberry, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad ($28++) is a refreshing appetiser to prepare your stomach for the heavier meat dishes later. The ingredients are like what its name suggests, fresh cut strawberries, arugula and creamy goat cheese are topped up with candied pecans and drizzled with a minty Greek yogurt dressing. The sweetness of the juicy strawberries juxtapose with the slightly bitter and nutty arugula very well, the goat cheese is a perfect ingredient in bridging the gap.

After a salad, you may be more or less ready for bolder flavours. Nueske’s Bacon Steak, Soy Caramel ($20++) is strongly infused with soy caramel sauce, five-spice powder, cracked five-peppercorn and soy sauce. The smoky bacon steak is packed with flavour, a little too peppery but still manageable for my palate.

The main of all mains, Prime New York Steak Flight ($168++) presents three different steaks; Certified Black Angus All-Natural has a clean and lean taste of the beef, USDA Prime is delightfully tender and flavourful, and Snake River Farm Premium Wagyu Strip lives up to its reputation for beautiful marbling and richness in taste. The wagyu is undoubtedly my favourite of the three. The steaks come with a blue cheese fondue that tastes sharp and deliciously garlicky. I do not see the need to eat the steaks with the cheese fondue but it is really addictive. I wish I had some fries to go with the dip.

If you like a line of suitors, the fancy steak flight is just the thing. However, if you want a dependable and honest-to-goodness piece of steak, you can opt for the 12.oz Bone-in Filet Mignon ($138++). Cut from the small part of the tenderloin, a bone-in filet mignon offers intense flavours of an expertly grilled beef.

Despite its fame for steaks, Morton’s has also displayed culinary finesse in seafood with Seared Sea Scallops with Lobster & Caviar Butter ($98++). Four perfectly seared scallops lie on a king-sized bed of sautéed arugula, oyster mushrooms, sweetcorn, and lobster meat, surrounded by a sea of caviar butter. Extravagant and well-executed. These sweet shellfish have a firm and juicy bite and there is still a translucency sheen at their centre. This dish is so delectable, I would order it over the steaks.

Do we want to eat some humble cauliflowers after all the elaborate meat dishes? Yes, we do, especially when they are Roasted Cauliflowers with Romesco Sauce ($28++). Paired with the piquant creamy sauce, the crunchy cauliflowers are very delicious. This is a great accompaniment to all the meat dishes featured in the menu.

I wish some of these dishes make it to the all-season menu. The steaks are expectedly great but I am particularly impressed with the seafood and vegetable dishes.

Morton’s The Steakhouse
Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Fourth Storey, 5 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039797
Tel: +65 6339 3740
M- Sat 5.30pm – 11pm, Sun 12pm-9pm

Food: 8/10
Value: 6/10
Décor/ambience: 7/10

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–Opus Grill & Bar, Hilton Hotel: Top Steakhouse with Freeflow Wine, and DURIAN COCKTAIL
–Wakanui, Marina One: New Zealand Meat, Japanese Steakhouse

Written by Cheang Shwu Peng.