Angelo Cristella,Matteo Ernandes,Federico Zanellato and Piero Fonseca from Avoja.Michela Boncagni“[I want to do this] for my community,for the friends of my kids who go to school here,to show them what good pizza should taste like,” he says citing a shortage of quality pizzerias in the north.
Zanellato refurbished the existing wood-fire pizza oven,shipped in some new furniture,and recruited Matteo Ernandes,a seasoned pizzaiola with Matteo Double Bay and Da Orazio at Bondi Beach on his CV.
The 𝄒nduja pizza with red capsicum and spicy salami.Michela Boncagni“We selected the flour together. Matteo is hands-on through the whole process:he mixes the dough,ferments it,stretches it and cooks the pizza,” he says.
The duo has settled on a pizza style Zanellato describes as contemporary rather than traditional Neapolitan. “We use a slightly lower temperature in the oven so it can crisp up without burning. We get rid of a lot of the moisture so it’s not as chewy as a traditional Neapolitan pizza.”
The four-cheese pizza on the menu at Avoja. Michela BoncagniZanellato has a couple of early recommendations. The four-cheese pizza ($26) with manchego,smoked provolone,gorgonzola and ricotta,finished with some drizzled truffle honey and candied walnut. The fine-dining chef is also a fan of the 𝄒nduja pizza ($25) with red capsicum and spicy salami.
The chef and his LuMi team also created a selection of small dishes for the menu,with a tuna crudo (with nectarine and capers),octopus with chickpeas,and zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta,parmesan and lemon. It wouldn’t be a Sydney menu of the moment without burrata so Avoja offers it as an add-on with garlic bread.
Avoja – it’s Italian for “hell yeah”.Michela BoncagniAvoja is a group effort spin-off from the LuMi team. Zanellato’s partners in the northside venture are LuMi restaurant manager Angelo Cristella and sommelier Piero Fonseca.
What does Avoja mean? Zanellato says it’s Roman slang for “hell yeah”.
Open lunch Sat-Sun;dinner Tue-Sun.