Bendigo’s best pizza: Luchiano’s Pizza voted as region’s best pizzeria

With Italian food running through her veins, this is what Bendigo’s best pizza maker believes sets her apart from the rest.

Luchiano’s Pizza owner Juliette Kabalan outside her McCrae St store in Bendigo. Picture: Zizi Averill

The secret ingredient to making Bendigo’s best pizzas is love, according to Juliette Kabalan.

Following in her father’s footsteps the second generation cook has continued the family tradition of serving the classic Italian cuisine and has done since she was too short to reach the counter.

“They used to put me on a milk crate to reach the counter,” Ms Kabalan said.

Now, Mrs Kabalan runs her own business in Bendigo alongside husband Rabih Kabalan.

Luchiano’s Pizza has been serving hungry diners since 2011, and this month the family restaurant was voted Bendigo’s best pizza shop for 2021.

Mrs Kabalan said the secret to the perfect pizza was simple – “it’s the love”.

“We love pizza … and we show our love with the product,” Mrs Kabalan said.

“We don’t produce a product we wouldn’t eat ourselves.

“And all of our customers are family to us.”

Mrs Kabalan said everything from the dough bases to the sliced onion was prepared fresh for every day for the evening’s dinner takeaway rush.

And her skilled team is able to turn an order around within ten minutes, thanks to their industrial oven which cooks the pizzas in just six minutes.

Mrs Kabalan said her McCrae St store’s speciality was a beloved family recipe, which controversially included pineapple.

“I love pineapple on pizza,” she said with a laugh.

Ms Kabalan said other controversial pizza toppings, like seafood, were also on the menu.

“You’ll be surprised how many anchovies we go through,” she said.

“There’s a generational divide, the older people still love it but young people don’t.”

But there was only one pizza trend Mrs Kabalan said she could not bring herself to serve, despite customers’ demands.

“Spaghetti pizza, everyone wanted it,” she said.

“(But) I hated the taste of it.

“Pasta belongs on a plate.”

Watch Luchiano’s Pizza serve up a slice on our Instagram, @TheBendigoNews