Lulu La Delizia

When word got out that Joel Valvasori-Pereza was taking his final bow at Lalla Rookh, Italian food fans around Perth began wringing their hands. Where would they get their fix of hearty, northern Italian-style cooking now?

Subiaco. At the end of 2016, Valvasori-Pereza began welcoming guests at Lulu La Delizia, an intimate osteria named after his grandmother who immigrated to Perth in the ‘50s from Italy’s Friuli region. In the same way that Luigia Valvasori introduced her grandson to the tastes of Italy’s north, Valvasori-Pereza passes on this knowledge to diners, one bowl of pasta at a time.

While Lulu’s pasta selection features plenty of Friulian action – cjalsons, semi-sweet agnolotti filled with dried fruit and spices, and triangular-shaped fusi istriani are some of the regional signatures diners can try – Valvarosi-Pereza is no one-region chef. His garganelli has its origins in neighbouring region, Emilia-Romagna.

Pasta is the focus, but a delizia ("delights") menu covers everything from stuzighet (the Friulian word for antipasto) to dulc (sweets). The wine list is a mix of Northern-Italian and local producers.

A recipe from Lulu La Delizia is featured in The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook. Buy your copy at shop.broadsheet.com.au.