It seems that bone-in beef is all the rage in Hong Kong these days and it's because regulations that restricted the import of these cuts were recently amended.

This is good news for diners as meat on the bone is usually tenderer and more flavorsome. Morton's has recently added a few new items to the menu, including a thick-cut, bone-in ribeye.

However, let's start with the starters. We began our meal with a couple of seafood starters, including a shrimp dish called Shrimp Alexander. The shrimp were large, firm, meaty. Lightly coated with some crumbs and cooked and served with a healthy amount of butter, these shrimp had a bit of crunch from the crumbs and were juicy and succulent inside.

We also enjoyed the crab cakes, which are a signature dish at Morton's. The crab cakes exceeded expectations as they were made with chunks of crab rather than bits and pieces and had the natural sweetness of fresh crabmeat.

Morton's is famous for steaks and large American-sized portions. We tried the new menu item, grain-fed USDA bone-in ribeye, cooked medium-rare. The meat was very tender with lots of rich beef flavor.

This is a large cut of meat, so sharing is recommended, but if you love beef, this would most definitely be a good choice.

If you're a fan of peppercorn, then the five peppercorn-rubbed prime strip steak is the steak to choose. One of my fellow dining companions usually has mustard with her steak, but once she tasted the sauce made with black, white, red, green and dark green peppercorns, she opted not to add the mustard.

The sauce was definitely the star of this dish. Made with the five types of peppercorn and cognac, the creamy sauce makes you want to use a nob of bread to soak up any that may still be on your plate. The beef was good, though not as tender as the ribeye, so order the ribeye if you prefer a softer texture.

For those who prefer a lighter main, the Chilean sea bass fillet a la nage served with jumbo lump crab, asparagus and sauteed vegetables in a creamy lemon, white wine and butter sauce is a delicious choice. Sea bass is a meaty white fish and was not overwhelmed by the buttery, creamy sauce. As with the peppercorn steak, the sauce for this dish was also the star.

Morton's serves a number of desserts with many being brought to the table on the dessert cart, including key lime pie, New York cheesecake, and fresh berries and cream.

After all the fairly heavy dishes, my preference is to have the fresh berries and cream and a cup of coffee, but it's also hard to resist a bite or two of the key lime pie. Hot desserts are also available, including the popular warm chocolate cake.

Overall, Morton's is a great place to enjoy good-sized portions with a group of good friends. The service is attentive and the staff is friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is always sociable and a bit festive.

sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/22/2013 page8)