Yesterday I went to ASK, the pizza and pasta chain, in Basingstoke for dinner with friends. We chose ASK as we’ve eaten here before and they’ve always been able cater for me, and also they had a very good deal for a two course or three course meal so the others were armed with vouchers. Sadly these only ever cover pizza and pasta dishes, but as long as I can order something safe I’m happy.
Now, as long as you order something on their main menu they can advise you of which meal is safest. They have a huge folder listing each meal and the ingredients and allergens they contain. I was able to enjoy a delicious salmon dinner and I felt very confident that it did not contain any ingredients which would have been dangerous for me. My questions were dealt with politely and knowledgeably and the huge folder of meals with their ingredients backed up the waitresses initial suggestions. I was pleased she double checked and we all enjoyed a very pleasant evening.
The only slightly concerning incident happened when a separate waitress arrived to serve salt, pepper and parmesan. All quite normal at an Italian restaurant, however the cheese was served using a grater which meant shavings were distributed widely over the plate and table around… I saw it coming and whipped my plate out of the way; my allergy is not so severe that I cannot be around others consuming dairy/cheese, but this was just a little alarming. What if I’d been away from the table when this occurred? It is very possible that cheese shavings could have been sprayed from both sides and in front of me if I and my guests had not, after the first showering, advised the waitress of a safer way of serving the parmesan, away from my dairy free meal.
To be fair, she was not our waitress, so she hadn’t been aware of my dietary requirements and any danger was quickly averted. A very pleasant meal was had by all, despite the very strange mood lighting which was dipped even lower whilst we were eating which gave the false impression that it was now the dead of night. When we left the restaurant into bright sunshine I was all confused but very pleased to be back out on the beautiful English summer weather.
I didn’t take a picture of my tasty salmon dish, but I did finish the meal with a very refreshing mint tea.
So what is my verdict on eating at ASK with allergies? As long as you don’t mind watching your friends gobble down delicious looking pizza and pasta dishes followed by cheesecake and plum and pecan pie while you delicately sip mint tea, then it’s fine. They are trying very hard to cater for those with allergies and I felt quite safe, however they were not able to offer any allergen advice on their specials, which were not in the big folder of information. Don’t even look at the specials. The Pork Belly was calling to me but I had to leave it well alone as it seemed impossible to find out what was in it! apart from the obvious pork. Also, keep your eyes open. Beware of the parmesan!
7/10 for ASK. Thanks for a lovely meal.
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