With the cost of living crisis continuing to rumble on in the UK, most Brits want to make sure they choose the right restaurant when heading for a meal out these days. If we’re going to spend our money on dining out, we want to ensure it’s worth the cash.
That’s why I headed down to test out ASK Italian’s new spring menu. ASK Italian say their new offerings “introduce fresh, bold new plates that are perfect for feasting” and inspired by the Italian way of life. New additions include the arrival of the Truffle Honey Prosciutto Pizza A Mano. The drinks menu also now features playful cocktails, including the Pepperoni Negroni, Hot Honey Margarita and Cherry Limoncello Meringue Cocktail.
Diners can enjoy three sides for £12 too, to make the most of the new menu. For a limited time only, you can also enjoy a free Spritz of your choice each time you dine this May, simply by downloading and signing up to the ASK Perks Rewards App.
View 8 ImagesI got to try out ASK Italian’s spring menu(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
With the new menu in hand, I decided to choose the Bruschetta Pizzetta to start. This is stone-baked Wildfarmed dough baked with pomodoro sauce, topped with slow-roasted tomatoes, baby plum tomatoes, rocket, ricotta salata and balsamic glaze.
I love bruschetta and I love pizza, so I thought I would enjoy this – and I did. The slow-roasted tomatoes were fresh and delicate and combined perfectly with the balsamic glaze. I also added a bit of chilli oil on top to give it an extra kick.
While we were waiting for the starter, the manager also brought some of the new Crispy Pepperoni nibbles to try. I wasn’t sure about these at first, however they seriously are addictive and I found myself enjoying them more and more as I couldn’t stop eating them.
I tried the Pollo Roquito pizza as a main, which is topped with roast chicken breast, Roquito pepper pearls and balsamic red onions. This comes on a tomato and mozzarella base and baked in the oven, then topped with Fior di Latte mozzarella, crispy prosciutto and rocket.
8View 8 ImagesI choose the Bruschetta Pizzetta to start(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
8View 8 ImagesThenew Crispy Pepperoni nibbles were seriously addictive(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
Considering the pizza is topped with a lot of my favourite things, I didn’t think they’d be able to go wrong. And luckily they didn’t as there was a good amount of topping on the pizza and the dough was light and airy.
You could also tell that good quality ingredients were used and that each component complimented the other.
We also tried the Sea Bass alla Mediterranea as a main, which is oven-baked Sea Bass topped with slow-roasted tomatoes, black olives and capers. This is served on a bed of roasted potatoes, mushrooms and spinach with a buttery white wine sauce.
The sea bass was perfectly cooked, and the buttery white wine sauce tied everything together beautifully. There was also a great contrast between the rich sauce and the salty punch of the capers and olives. Meanwhile, the bed of roasted potatoes and mushrooms absorbed the wine sauce perfectly.
8View 8 ImagesThe Sea Bass alla Mediterranea comes topped with slow-roasted tomatoes, black olives and capers(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
8View 8 ImagesYou can currently get three sides for £12(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
As mentioned above, you can currently get three sides for £12, so we went for the Bolognese Bites, Hot Honey Luganica Sausages and the Seasoned Roast Potatoes.
I have to say, out of the three, the sausages were my favourite. These come with a smoked chilli jelly, which was such a tasty addition, that I kept going back for more.
The roast potatoes were also perfectly seasoned and crisps, and the Bolognese Bites were a surprising hit too. These are crispy bites filled with bolognese and pasta served with a spicy tomato dip. They definitely reminded me of Arancini balls, and whilst I must admit I’d still order Arancini over the Bolognese Bites if they were on the menu, they definitely were still tasty.
For dessert, we went for the new Chocostachio Bomb. This is a velvety chocolate and pistachio mousse, encased in a golden blowtorched Italian meringue.
The dessert, which is the restaurant’s “take on a baked Alaska”, definitely caught me surprise by how light it was.
View 8 ImagesThe Chocostachio Bomb was surprisingly light(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
I had expected it to be a bit rich and sickly, however it was subtle enough that you could definitely enjoy a whole bowl (despite the fact we shared it).
I was also expecting the meringue to be hard, however was surprised to find it was smooth and silky.
For drinks, I went for the Hugo Spritz, which is elderflower, Prosecco, soda and mint. This had just the right amount of sweetness and went down so quickly that I fear you could drink several down straight away if they were put in front of you.
I also tried the Hot Honey version of the Margarita Italiana and I think I made the mistake of drinking it right after my dessert, making it seem extra sharp. However, once I’d got used to it, I really enjoyed it. I have to say, I’ve never really had a spicy margarita so it was something completely different for me but I enjoyed the warmth of chilli, which perfectly balanced the sweet limoncello.
View 8 ImagesThe Peach Bubble Tea and the Hugo Spritz were seriously tasty(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
Other cocktails that look fun include the Candy Cloud Bramble, which comes with a pink candy floss cloud and the new Cherry Limoncello Meringue. I was going to try the latter, however after my feast of starter, main and sides and a dessert, I didn’t think I could handle anymore.
My dining partner stuck to mocktails instead, so she tried the Peach Bubble Tea, which is iced tea shaken with peach and passion fruit puree, with strawberry flavoured popping boba. The pea tea is very understated, but you understand why when you get the sweetness of the bubbles. It’s a lovely, fruity flavour those and not too sickly.
She also tried the Crodino mocktail, which is pretty much a non-alcoholic version of an Aperol Spritz. It seems like my dining partner thought it was ‘apple’ and had never heard of Aperol, so it wasn’t her cup of tea, but this is great for any Aperol lovers out there who want to stay away from alcohol.
View 8 ImagesWe also tried the Crodino mocktail and the Hot Honey version of the Margarita Italiana(Image: Samantha Bartlett)
Overall, I really enjoyed the new menu and they have some really innovative and fresh options to try for spring and into summer.
The three sides for £12 really stood out as a great deal and they have some amazing cocktails and mocktails on offer if you’re just going for drinks and desserts.
There is a lot of competition when it comes to Italian food, but ASK are definitely up there amongst the High Street brands when it comes to their top quality pizza and pasta dishes.
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The service was also lovely too, and the staff couldn’t do more to accommodate us.
I definitely will be visiting with friends again soon!