Fired Up Pizza

"Fired Up Pizza is a little stall with a portable wood fired oven, situated next to Pantry Fresh, and it is one of the best pizzerias in Melbourne. Looks are so deceiving as I have been to Pantry Fresh many times to buy eggs but have never really taken notice of the dark tent in the corner until now. If you walk past the bins and take a right, there are some tables with seats (About 3 under cover and 3 partially covered) and there are heaters for the cooler autumn/winter weather. There is quite a bit of parking available. It's a family run business (Running the last 3 years) with the pizzas made by husband Giuseppe and his wife. My partner actually only intended to buy 1 pizza to try but the way Giuseppe explained the menu, he was convinced to get two instead. A true pizzaiolo, Giuseppe is so passionate about the menu and the ingredients. Very friendly and approachable guy, who clearly loves his job. The menu isn't massive but the ones we tried really packed a punch in flavour. We had the Porcina and one of the specials, which had lobster and prawn with a tomato base. The pizza base was very thin and light, cooked through which allowed you to really taste the toppings. The crust was light, fluffy and crispy. I was told they ferment their dough for 120 hours to make it that texture. I couldn't decide which I liked better between the 2 pizzas. The combo of toppings were delish. Porcina pizza - I love truffle and I love mushrooms - would have it again. The porcini is imported snap fresh from Italy. The seafood pizza had a fantastic sauce - handmade tomatoes with capsicum and chilli. It was sweet, savoury with a little kick - paired with the seafood, it really gave complex flavours. I've tried lots of different pizza places in Melbourne and I don't know if it's because I'm ignorant about genuine Neapolitan/Italian cuisine, but I notice some other authentic woodfired Neapolitan pizza's lack in toppings which can be disappointing. Fired Up satisfies with every bite, it had a good ratio of topping and pizza base. We paid $74 for 2 pizzas. The Porcina was $30 and the special lobster and prawn was $44. I do think that is pricey for take away but I don't think Fired Up skimps on the quality of the ingredients and the taste. One pizza is adequate enough to feed 1 adult and these days I find when eating out, the budget sits around $30-$40 per person anyway. I can't believe this place wasn't packed all the time, given the quality and taste of the food but I can understand that there might be limitations due to it being a literal 'hidden' gem with a very unassuming location and limited dining area. I highly recommend if you're looking to try excellent authentic pizza but be prepared to pay a bit more cause it's not your average takeaway or cheap eats. We'll definitely be back!"

"By far 1 of the best pizzas I've had. A fantastic, light dough topped with fresh ingredients on a Napoli base! A simple recipe with an amazing flavour! Giuseppe's attention to detail makes the pizza stand out from the rest. Highly recommend!"

"Typically not a pizza lover, I went to Fired Up Pizza on the recommendation of my daughter and her fiancé and was completely BLOWN AWAY. Everything we ordered were AMAZING. We had the Porciutto, Gamberetti, Fired Up Pizza Special and theIr special for the day that had lobster and shrimp on it (sorry, I didn’t catch the name!). This pizza joint hat serves authentic Neapolitan style wood fired pizza from a humble tent has converted me into a pizza lover in this one meal. Unfortunately, I won’t get to have this in my home country. If I was Melbourne based, I will keep this restaurant on my regular rotation, for sure. Bravo!"