Aka Kitchen Honolulu

Our server Chase was attentive and friendly, but the other staff members who were helping him tried to rush us through our meal. On two occasions, they brought us new plates before we had finished eating our previous courses. They didn't ask if we were ready for the new plates, and they ignored us when we said we were still eating. Chase came back to clear our table and apologize, but it was clear that he was not the one who was rushing us. Despite the rushed service, we enjoyed our meal at Morton's. The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was elegant and sophisticated. We would recommend Morton's to others, but we would advise them to be prepared for the possibility of rushed service.

The world food duo dined at Morton’s, The Steakhouse, in the Ala Moana Center as I had a gift certificate. Alas, it was misplaced but we went anyway as I’d never had dinner there, just business lunches. Our reservation was for 6pm but we arrived a little early … Whoa, the restaurant was already packed with diners! I perused the wine list; it took a while because the lighting was very subdued … I finally picked out a 2017 Justin Justification as I couldn’t find the right pinot noir. Jonah opened the bottle expertly but spilled a bit on my hand and the table when pouring it … The table was blessed! A round of pre-sliced bread arrived … warm and soft and oh so tasty! The wine needed time to breath so it was good that service was leisurely. Niccole was our server … we opted to share a Caesar Salad; luckily for us because a full order would have been way too much. My partner opted for the ribeye with truffle butter and I chose the dry-aged NY Strip with Bourbon Sauce Au Poivre. Our sides were The Troy and the Baked Corn Souffle. The Troy was button mushrooms and fried onions; I’d expected something more. The star was the Baked Corn Souffle … It was creamy, but retained the texture of the niblets … Simply delicious! My fellow foodie liked her ribeye; the truffle butter was wonderful. My dry-aged NY Strip was flavorful but somewhat tough … I should have asked how many days it was aged. I find that 45 days is the tipping point; anything less is not worth the extra money. However, my steak was less expensive than the prime steaks so I wonder if it was choice, not prime. We ordered the Morton’s Hot Chocolate Cake and the Affogato. I asked for an espresso as most affogatos don’t have enough coffee. This one was different; it had tequila in it and was served in a martini glass. More a drink than the coffee over ice cream that I expected. I like it, but didn’t need any more alcohol. The hot chocolate cake was great … Soft, moist and the molten chocolate just oozed out. It was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some raspberries. Service was attentive but not obtrusive; we enjoyed a leisurely dinner over 2 hours … Just right, in our opinion. Quibbles: I would have wished for a few more options for appetizers … my partner is allergic to shellfish so we would have liked something besides the bacon and Wagyu meatballs. That’s what pushed us to order a salad. The portions are generous and the prices reasonable for a steakhouse. Recommended: 4.5 stars.