Top Vancouver Italian Restaurant: Ask for Luigi

It’s no secret that Ask for Luigi is one of the top, casual Italian eateries in Vancouver. This year, they are ranked in the top 50 of Canada’s best restaurants. And despite being located on the edge of Gastown in a less than tourist-friendly area, pasta lovers will gladly line up outside Ask for Luigi to await their chance to indulge in their fresh, handmada pasta. A while back, a few friends and I went to Ask for Luigi for a weekday lunch.

Retro-Inspired

Ask for Luigi is a small restaurant which seats only about 32 people. The interior is very retro-inspired resembling a vintage recreation room with wood panels.

I love the large bright windows overlooking the quiet street.

What We Tried

Our group of four tried the following dishes for lunch:

Porchetta, tonnato sauce and crispy artichokes
Bread and e.v.o.o.
Parmesan risotto, pancetta, cauliflower and pangrattato
Sagne e pezzi, lamb sausage, chickpeas and kale
Rigatoni and bolognese
Fusilli puttanesca and albacore tuna confit
Panna cotta with almond biscotti and plums

To start, the porchetta, tonnato sauce and crispy artichokes was quite a dreamy appetizer. The thin salty pork slices complimented the luscious, rich, creamy and “fishy” tonnato sauce and crispy artichokes. Outstanding.

Next we had four pasta dishes. As a risotto lover, the parmesan risotto, pancetta, cauliflower & pangrattato satisified my cravings. The texture was just perfect – thick, creamy and al-dente. Then there was the salty sweet pancetta, crunchy cauliflower and pangrattato. This dish got my lips smacking.

The Sagne e pezzi, lamb sausage, chickpeas and kale was another favourite of mine. The lamb sausage had a nice spicy kick to it. I quite enjoy chickpeas at home (a good source of protein!) so chickpeas with pasta is right with me.

The Rigatoni and bolognese was a tasty, hearty and meaty dish that had excellent flavours. That shaved Parmesan on top was heavenly.

The Fusilli puttanesca and albacore tuna confit was the least enjoyable because it tasty too fishy!

To finish off a fantastic meal, there was the panna cotta with almond biscotti and plums. The panna cotta had a silky, smooth texture that was just firm. The plum sauce was strong and some of us found it too tart.

Overall Impression of Ask for Luigi

The lunch at Ask for Luigi was fantastic and left me lingering for me. Delicious, fresh, hand-made pasta in a casual setting. I’m planning to visit them for brunch soon! Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://www.askforluigi.com/