ASK Italian is a UK-based restaurant chain that serves traditional and modern Italian cuisine. The restaurant prides itself on providing authentic and high-quality Italian food in every dish. ASK Italian claims to use the finest ingredients, fresh herbs, and spices that are sourced from the sun-kissed hills of Italy. The restaurant has gained a reputation for offering some of the best Italian dishes in the UK, but are these claims genuine or just a marketing gimmick?
ASK Italian claims to use only the best ingredients available to create its dishes. The restaurant sources its ingredients directly from small independent farms in Italy, ensuring that the freshest and highest-quality produce is used. ASK Italian has maintained a partnership with Natoora, a leading online retailer of organic fruit and vegetables, to ensure that its ingredients are sourced from the best suppliers.
To maintain the authenticity of its dishes, ASK Italian has hired expert chefs who have trained and worked in Italy. The chefs have extensive knowledge of Italian cuisine and use traditional cooking methods to create the flavours and aromas of Italy. The restaurant also offers a range of gluten-free and vegan options to accommodate the dietary requirements of its customers.
One of the highlights of ASK Italian’s menu is its pasta dishes. The restaurant claims that it makes all its pasta fresh in-house every day. This practice ensures that the pasta is fresh, retains its texture, and absorbs the flavours of the sauces it is cooked in. The pasta at ASK Italian is rolled out manually, ensuring that each strand of pasta is uniform in thickness, and the dough is kneaded using traditional methods to ensure that it has the perfect consistency.
ASK Italian’s pizza is also a customer favourite. The restaurant claims that it makes its pizza from the finest Italian flour, slow-proving the dough to ensure that it has a light and crispy crust. The pizzas are topped with authentic Italian ingredients such as buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and Parma ham. ASK Italian also offers a range of vegetarian and vegan pizzas for customers who prefer non-meat options.
The restaurant’s desserts are also worth a mention. ASK Italian claims that it makes all its desserts fresh on-site, including its famous Tiramisu. The dessert is made in the traditional way using mascarpone cheese, savoiardi biscuits, and top-quality coffee, ensuring that each slice is rich, creamy, and filled with authentic Italian flavours. The restaurant also offers a range of other desserts, including Chocolate Amaretto Cake, Honeycomb Cheesecake, and Pannacotta.
ASK Italian has received positive reviews from both its customers and critics. The restaurant has won several awards for its food, including the Casual Dining Awards’ Best Italian Restaurant and the PAPA Awards’ Best Pizza Chain. These accolades highlight the restaurant’s commitment to providing authentic Italian flavours in every dish.
Despite the restaurant’s claims, some customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the authenticity of its dishes. Some have commented that the restaurant’s pasta is not ‘al dente’ enough, while others believe that the quality of some ingredients, such as the mozzarella cheese, does not match Italian standards. However, these complaints are few and far between, indicating that the restaurant’s claims of authenticity are generally viewed positively by its customers.
In conclusion, ASK Italian claims to offer traditional and modern Italian cuisine made with the finest ingredients, and it appears that the restaurant lives up to these claims. The restaurant has gained a reputation for providing some of the best Italian dishes in the UK, and its numerous awards and positive reviews support these claims. While there have been some complaints about the authenticity of some dishes, these criticisms are minor, and the majority of customers seem to be satisfied with the restaurant’s offerings. If you’re looking for authentic and high-quality Italian food in the UK, ASK Italian is definitely worth a try.