New Tastes...

Ask, Headingley

Last Thursday, I went to Ask whilst visiting my sister Jasmine in Leeds. We had been given £30 in vouchers by our mum to spend there, which rather than meaning we got a free meal, just meant that we both splashed out with 3 courses and paid what we would have done for 1!

We ordered a bottle of the house white wine between us (my last drink for a month!) and got two starters to share - the new pepperoni filled Panzerottini (dough balls) with olive oil and balsamic for dipping, and battered calamari, a family fave. Both were piping hot, really good sized portions and perfect for sharing.

We both opted for seafood pasta for main; mine was one of the specials - angel hair pasta with king prawns topped with crispy ham in a light lemon, garlic, chilli and tomato dressing, and Jasmine had the ravioli stuffed with crayfish, crab, salmon and ricotta in a creamy tomato sauce. Mine was nice, but I prefer sauces that are a bit more substancial and the dressing made the meal feel more like a warm pasta salad. I loved that it was with angel hair pasta though, as it is one of my favourite varieties. Trying Jasmine's I understood why she has gets it every time she comes to Ask, as it was amazing, stuffed full of seafood and the sauce was deliciously creamy and indulgent.

We both still had room for dessert (just!), so I got an almond, plum and pistachio tart with vanilla ice cream, which was sort of an Italian twist on a traditional English bakewell, and Jasmine went with simple lemon tart with creme fraiche, a great palate cleanser with a bit of zing.

The bill altogether with a tip came to £65 - a bit pricey for a high street chain Italian in my opinion, but the food and service were very good, and we did both have a lot to eat! At least we had our Tesco vouchers to knock half off.