Morton's The Steakhouse Happy Hour - Volume 3

Let it be noted that the complimentary filet mignon sandwiches at Morton's The Steakhouse happy hour in Lujiazui are no longer served in fours on plates. Servers now come around with a large silver platter loaded with them. At first, one could believe that the bar staff has acknowledged most people were consuming these sandwiches en masse, but it allows patrons not to break off more than they can chew. Each person is given an individual plate on which to place the one, two, or three sandwiches removed from the silver platter. This method prevents waste of washing numerous plates and allowing individuals to dictate how much they would like to eat. The best places to sit for maximum filet mignon sandwich exposure are along the direct exit lines from the kitchen. Along these lines, the attention of the server is gained first and the surrounding tables either get what is (or not) left on the platter or will have to wait for the next wave of filet mignon sandwiches.

Morton's The Steakhouse. Shop 15-16, 4/F, Shanghai IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People's Republic of China. Tel: +86 21 6075 8888. www.mortons.com

Morton's The Steakhouse Happy Hour - Volume 2

The happy hour at Morton's The Steakhouse was so good the first time that it is no surprise another visit was made. Word must have gotten out to the Shanghaiers because the bar area was absolutely packed shortly after the happy hour started at 17:00.

This time seats were taken at the bar to watch the bartenders in action and perhaps get a quicker order of those 120RMB plates of filet mignon sandwiches. The best thing is the sandwich plates were seemingly unlimited. All you have to do was smile and ask the server or bartender to put one more order in for you and the next thing you know, another plate of delicious beef between four fluffy, buttery warm buns with a bit of horseradish sauce were smiling back at you. The "Mortinis" were still tasty and made to order. The bartenders this time did not ask if you would like regular or blue cheese olives in your Mortinis as the servers did the first time. However, they still heeded your requests for the right olive and if they forgot, you got another toothpick-full added to your drink.

The kitchen had taken a little more care in cooking the filet mignon for the sandwiches. The meat was still rare, but at times, it looked like the cuts were on the verge of being cooked medium-rare. At least the awkward chewiness of the meat was avoided so as not to interrupt the flow of the happy hour. Mmm...so good. After about three 38RMB martinis each and multiple sandwiches, the happy hour leaves one feeling full, and happy with a relatively unscathed wallet.



Morton's The Steakhouse. Shop 15-16, 4/F, Shanghai IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People's Republic of China. Tel: +86 21 6075 8888. www.mortons.com

Morton's The Steakhouse Happy Hour

Morton's The Steakhouse is synonymous with American fine dining and prime beef. As a somewhat recent import to Shanghai, it still causes a stir with its quality steaks and high prices, deterring budget-minded diners. However, Morton's has a great happy hour which is not well-advertised on the lifestyle websites in Shanghai (so far). Arriving to the restaurant bar is painless as it is not packed, even during the second half of the happy hour. On the fourth floor of the IFC Mall, patrons are immediately greeted by hospitable staff and a sectioned bar area awaits. The happy hour "mortini" night runs from 17:00-19:00 Mondays to Fridays and includes complimentary filet mignon sandwiches with mustard mayonnaise. There are five martinis to choose from: gin mortini, cosmopolitan, vodka mortini, appletini, and chocolate mortini for just 38RMB each. For the classic martinis, there is a choice to have olives with or without blue cheese. The pours are not skimpy and the martinis are well-mixed.

Morton's claims the prime beef served is never frozen, always served fresh after being aged in a cyro-vacuumed bag. The idea of the care put into their beef will make any carnivore's tongue tingle. After the drink orders were placed, plates of mini filet mignon sandwiches arrive. The bar menu indicates that the filet mignon sandwiches are 120RMB per order should you desire to order it outside of happy hour. The complimentary filet mignon sandwiches make this happy hour an excellent deal because it is like eating a plate of money made with filet mignon. There are four mini sandwiches on a plate with a thin slice of filet mignon between a buttery, toasted, warm bun. The mustard mayonnaise is thinly spread in order to present the filet mignon as the star of this sandwich. The filet mignon is served rare, as a fine cut of beef should be. It was so rare that it even bled onto the bread (pictured). However, the filet mignon was inconsistent as some slices were less cooked than others so your jaw was locked around a chewy piece of raw beef while other slices melted in your mouth against the bun.

Happy hour at Morton's The Steakhouse has to be one of the better happy hour deals in Shanghai. Not only do you get a martini at a great price, but also complimentary filet mignon sandwiches to keep you from drinking on an empty stomach. Fans of the Morton's happy hour only have so long to wait until the rest of Shanghai finds out about their precious happy hour gem.


Morton's The Steakhouse. Shop 15-16, 4/F, Shanghai IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People's Republic of China. Tel: +86 21 6075 8888. www.mortons.com

Noodle Bull on Fumin Lu

Practically every expat I encountered in Shanghai raves about Noodle Bull. It is also cheap at 26rmb for a bowl of noodles and around 5rmb for an assortment of sides like tofu. “Noodle Bull is so good!” “Oh! You have to try Noodle Bull!” Okay, okay. I’m going.

I met a friend there after work and sat down at the communal tables where your menu is rolled up in a vase. The interior is minimalistic with wood furnishing and a large mirror at the back giving the illusion the restaurant is bigger than it is. The holistic, natural look goes with the theme of taking a health-minded approach and omitting MSG. Apparently, there is free wifi considering the number of diners with their laptops out.

I ordered the spicy beef noodle soup with 1.5mm hand-pulled noodles (you can also choose hand-sliced noodles or 5mm hand-pulled noodles) and got some tofu to share. The tofu was quite nice in texture and absorbed the flavor of the sauce it was marinated in.


Out came the noodles. It looked good. There were nice hunks of beef in there. It looked like it should be really good.


It wasn’t. The flavor of the broth was flat, tasting more watered down than anything. Maybe this impression was due to all the MSG-laden food you get in Shanghai. But it did not help that the flavor of the broth was lacking in any body or richness you would expect out of a Taiwanese soup. Where was the flavor? This seeped into the characteristics of the noodles and vegetables, which were also flavorless. I ordered the spicy soup and it did not taste spicy in the least. The only item in my bowl that carried any weight was the few, but tasty pieces of meat.


Was it a bad soup day? Did the stock not marinate enough? Is my Chinese palate becoming more MSG-dependent? Either way, the meal was completely disappointing aside from the tofu and the few pieces of beef. Someone convince me again why Noodle Bull is so good.

Noodle Bull. 1f3b, No.291 Fumin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. 上海市徐匯區富民路291號悟錦世紀大樓1F3B