The Place
If there’s any doubt of Shenzhen’s rising status, look no further than the Ping An Financial Center. Over 100 stories of concrete and steel announce an economy to rival any in China; the attached PAFC Mall echoes that with some of the finest fare in the city. Morton’s Grille is emblematic, with premium steaks and grade-A service to match.
From the glass-lined dining room that seats 130, or the seven private rooms, we can spy a few distant hills and the ongoing construction that reminds us this city isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
The Food
These are the days of plenty, with an American-style, Texas-sized feast. The lamp sculpted like a pig – a tradition since the earliest Morton’s The Steakhouse – sets the mood for the kind of satisfaction guests can enjoy.
Servers present the day’s finest cuts, each held to such rigorous standards that the USDA portion of the menu (nearly half the cuts) weren’t available on our visit. We trust reliable vendors will speed their return.
The remaining Australian beef is perfectly sumptuous. The two-inch fillet of the porterhouse (RMB728/650g) is a masterpiece, finely demiglazed so it only needs a touch of sea salt to reach perfection. As with the fall-off-the-bone pork ribs (RMB98), slathered in barbecue sweetness, the portions are massive. But as they remind: “the more you share, the more you care.” Bring friends to share the meat and a fresh, satisfying chopped house salad (RMB58) that mingles a mild, creamy dressing against firm chunks of avocado.
The place deserves more attention during lunch, with set meals as inexpensive as RMB100 (for soup and pasta with meatballs), or up to RMB358 for 280 grams of center-cut ribeye, with a half dozen choices in between. We defy you to save room for dessert: velvet smooth creme brulee (RMB38) and indulgent molten chocolate cake (RMB88) are rich enough to make that pig lamp blush.
The Vibe
For a city at the cusp of China’s economic boom, it’s only right to enjoy a Mad Men-style lunch among the dark leather, woodgrain and stainless steel of Morton’s Grille. It’s ‘casual dining’ ... but business casual or fashion-forward casual. Anyone in the orbit of the towering Ping An will find comfort, welcome and well-fed satisfaction in this echo of swank Americana.
Price: RMB100-1,500
Who’s going: shoppers and workers of Futian, steak lovers
Good for: exquisite dining, power lunches
Nearest metro: Shopping Park (Exit D1), three minutes
Open Sun-Thu 11.30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11.30am-11pm. See listing for Morton's Grille.
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