Ask for Alonzo Presents Seasonal Sicilian Dishes Across Six Hong Kong Locations

As Hong Kong's summer heat reaches its peak and appetites lean towards lighter, fresher flavours, Ask for Alonzo is doing what it does best: reaching into the Italian culinary tradition and finding something that resonates perfectly with the season.

This August, the city's beloved neighbourhood Italian trattoria introduces Taste of Sicily — a selection of limited seasonal dishes drawing on the sun-drenched flavours of Sicily's eastern coastline, where the shadow of Mount Etna falls over volcanic soil that has nurtured some of Italy's most distinctive produce for millennia. The result is a cuisine that is defined by fresh-caught seafood, bountiful vegetables, bold herbs, and an instinctive use of citrus and olive oil that lends brightness and vibrancy to everything it touches. For Hong Kong diners navigating the humidity of summer, Sicilian cooking arrives at precisely the right moment: its seafood-forward philosophy and citrus-driven flavours offer the light, palate-cleansing eating that the season calls for, without sacrificing an ounce of depth or character. It is the kind of food that makes you feel cooler simply by eating it.

Available from 15 August to 15 November 2026 at all six Ask for Alonzo locations across Hong Kong, the Taste of Sicily menu is offered as a three-course set at HK$358 per person, including a starter, pasta and dessert. An optional HK$88 add-on includes the Sicilian Octopus as a main course. Every dish is also available à la carte for those who prefer to mix and match with Ask for Alonzo's much-loved signature selection.

Taste of Sicily Dishes

Yellow Tail Crudo (HK$138 à la carte) — fresh orange, mint, Sicilian olive oil, lemon zest, pistachio

Crudo — Italy's answer to sashimi — has been a cornerstone of Sicilian coastal cooking since the days when fishermen from Favignana would dress their catch raw with nothing more than lemon and sea salt at the water's edge. Here, at Ask for Alonzo, thinly sliced Japanese yellowtail is laid across a plate of citrus oil made with freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice, finished with Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil, chopped fresh mint, and a scattering of crushed pistachios. A gentle touch of Italian long hot red pepper brings warmth to the raw fish without overpowering its clean, delicate flavour. The result is a plate as striking to look at as it is to eat — vivid in colour, fragrant with citrus and herb from the first bite.

Rigatoni alla Norma (HK$168 à la carte) — Eggplant two ways, tomatoes, Sicilian olive oil, ricotta salata, fresh basil

Named in tribute to Bellini's celebrated 1831 opera Norma — itself born in Catania, Sicily's great eastern city — this dish earned its name when the Catanese playwright Nino Martoglio tasted a plate so perfectly composed that he declared it "una vera Norma": a masterpiece.

The eggplant is prepared two ways — roasted until tender and folded into tomato sauce with chilli flakes before being tossed through al dente rigatoni. The dish is topped with crisp fried eggplant for contrasting texture and finished with crumbled ricotta salata — a pressed, salted variety quite distinct from fresh ricotta, with a firm texture and a deep savoury character that ties the flavours together.

Sicilian Octopus (HK$238 à la carte) — Fingerling potatoes, salsa verde, cherry tomatoes, lemon, olives, Sicilian olive oil, whipped ricotta

Octopus is a favourite ingredient in Sicilian coastal cuisine, much like how Hong Kongers are passionate about tender grilled octopus. At Ask for Alonzo, the octopus is gently poached before being finished over a hot grill to achieve smoky, tender flesh. It is served alongside fingerling potatoes, a bright herbal salsa verde, sweet cherry tomatoes, chopped giant olives with a meaty bite and a mild, buttery flavour, and finished with lightly whipped ricotta and a generous drizzle of Sicilian olive oil.

Olive Oil Orange Cake (HK$78 à la carte) — Sicilian olive oil, orange syrup, mascarpone

Sicily's citrus heritage runs deep: it was Arab traders in the ninth century who first introduced orange cultivation to the island, transforming both its landscape and its pastry tradition in ways that endure to this day. This moist, golden cake is built on Sicilian extra virgin olive oil in place of butter, creating an unusually tender crumb and a subtle grassy depth that matched very well with the fresh orange flavour. A warm orange sauce is poured over the cake as it comes from the oven, before it is served alongside a light mascarpone that balances the citrus warmth with a gentle touch of creaminess.

Sicilian Drinks to Match

A selection of Sicilian-inspired beverages is available to accompany the menu, each designed to complement the season's bright, citrus-forward flavours.

Sicilian Lemonade (HK$48 · non-alcoholic)

Drawing on the same citrus tradition that runs through the entire menu, this refreshing non-alcoholic drink blends fresh lemon juice with bittersweet orange extract and a touch of orange syrup, topped with sparkling soda for a bright, effervescent finish. Sharp, aromatic and lightly sweetened, it pairs naturally with the Crudo and gives non-drinkers a genuinely compelling option at the table.

Gazossa Rossa (HK$68 · low-alcohol spritz)

Named after gazosa, the traditional Italian lemonade soda found at every Sicilian bar and street kiosk since the early twentieth century, this low-alcohol red wine spritz reimagines the classic format with Sicilian personality. A pour of light red wine is blended with cranberry juice for depth and a vivid ruby colour, then topped with soda for a bright, fruit-forward effervescence that makes it as easy to drink as it is to look at. Served in a wine glass, it is the aperitivo equivalent of a Sicilian sunset refreshment— vivid, refreshing and exactly right for a Hong Kong summer evening.

Averna Sour (HK$88 · cocktail)

Amaro Averna has been produced in Caltanissetta, in the heart of Sicily, since 1868 — a closely guarded recipe of Mediterranean herbs, citrus peel, roots and spices that defines the island's digestif tradition. Here, it is shaken with fresh lemon juice into a cocktail that balances bittersweet and bracingly bright notes. It is an outstanding digestif alongside the Olive Oil Orange Cake, where the herbal depth of the Averna mirrors the grassy olive oil in the cake, though it is equally enjoyable throughout the meal as a more complex and characterful alternative to wine.

All Ask for Alonzo outlets are open daily for all-day dining. Monday through Friday, the opening hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, they are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information and reservations, please visit askforalonzo.com or follow @askforalonzo on Instagram.

About Ask for Alonzo

Ask for Alonzo is a neighbourhood Italian trattoria built around the pleasures of classic pasta, honest ingredients, and the kind of unhurried hospitality that makes you feel immediately at home. Named for Alonzo, a mysterious family man whose love for home-cooked meals and pasta led him to establish this gastronomic haven. The restaurant brings the essence of Italy's Mediterranean provinces to life through its delightful culinary offerings, with a menu centred on well-made pasta, timeless dishes built for sharing, and Italian family dining traditions that encourage long evenings at the table.

Conveniently located across six Hong Kong neighbourhoods — Wan Chai, Quarry Bay, Tai Hang, Happy Valley, SoHo and Sha Tin — and with an international outpost in Warsaw, Poland, Ask for Alonzo is renowned for delivering fresh, wholesome comfort food in an inviting atmosphere that celebrates Mediterranean seasonality, family-style Italian cooking and excellent value for money.

About Deadly Rabbits Concepts

Founded in 2019, Deadly Rabbits Concepts is a Hong Kong-based dining group dedicated to crafting high-quality yet affordable European dining experiences. The group's name draws inspiration from the whimsical world of Monty Python, paired with the delightfully absurd sense of humour that permeates Poland, the homeland of Bart, the group's founder, who believed that the F&B industry should embody fun and light-heartedness.

The group is also the driving force behind several of the city's beloved neighbourhood dining spots, including Ask for Alonzo at six Hong Kong locations, À Poêle French Bistro in Quarry Bay, and Qué Pasa Spanish Tapas Y Vino in Tai Hang. In September 2025, the group marked a major milestone with the opening of its first international Ask for Alonzo outpost at Varso Tower in Warsaw — the tallest building in both Poland and the European Union. Building on this momentum, the group also launched The Slavic Social, a modern Polish restaurant and cocktail bar at Hilton Warsaw City, which doubles as the business club The Slavic Lab. With a growing presence across Hong Kong and an expansion into Europe, Deadly Rabbits Concepts remains committed to spreading culinary joy across borders.

Taste of Sicily Seasonal Menu

• Available from 15 August to 15 November 2026 at all six Ask for Alonzo locations in Hong Kong. All Sicilian dishes are available à la carte, or order as a three-course set for HK$358 per person (starter, pasta and dessert)

Locations

Wan Chai:

8 Star Street, Wan Chai (Tel: +852 6500 8405)

SoHo:

18 Bridges Street (Tel: +852 8489 7847)

Happy Valley:

17-19 Wong Nai Chung Road (Tel: +852 2891 2236)

Quarry Bay:

G/F, PCCW Tower, 979 King's Road Tai Koo Place (Tel: +852 2856 2911)

Tai Hang:

11 Lin Fa Kung St. West Tel: (+852 3101 8045)

Sha Tin:

Shop 165, level 1, New Town Plaza Phase 1, 18 Sha Tin Centre Street, Sha Tin (Tel: +852 9429 1548)

Website

www.askforalonzo.com

Instagram

@askforalonzo

Opening Hours for all Locations
Open daily: Monday to Friday: 11:30 am to 10 pm; Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays: 11 am to 10 pm