Hello everyone! 😄
This is Yuzu, a writer for Sarukuma 😀

It’s suddenly become quite wintry lately ⛄️
Today I’m introducing a wonderful spot located in
Jotomachi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City:
《Valeur》 ⭐︎

This restaurant sits on the second floor above 《Pizzeria da Rocco》, the authentic Italian spot along Namikizaka that we’ve featured before on Sarukuma 😄

【Pizzeria da Rocco】Authentic Italian You Can Enjoy in Kumamoto《Namikizaka, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City》

After climbing the stairs at Pizzeria da Rocco, you’ll find Valeur on your right ⭐︎
A cute sign greets you at the top of the stairs ⭐︎

My excitement was through the roof!!

Why? Because Valeur is incredibly popular!!
It has rave reviews on Instagram and beyond,
and I’d been dying to visit for ages 😆
I booked two months in advance and counted down the days!!!!

The restaurant is on the right side of this photo ⭐︎

Open this door and you’ll step into a space brimming with happiness ⭐︎
Now, let’s head inside! Go! Go!!!!!!!!

There are four tables in total 😄
The windows were open for ventilation when we visited 😄

The shumai have gotten even tastier.

My expectations for the shumai were sky high 🤩
I love shumai so much I keep homemade ones as a daily staple at home!!!

Every piece of the interior decor is incredibly stylish 🥰

Here’s the food menu 👍

Spice-Fragrant Fried Potatoes — 850 yen

Easy-to-Eat Century Egg Tofu — 950 yen
(I’ve never tried century egg in my life 💦, but apparently this one is very approachable for beginners ♪)

Steamed Chicken with Rich Sesame Sauce — 900 yen

Asobi-Buta Pork Loin with Aromatic Sauce — 1,000 yen

Shrimp & Avocado with Homemade Citrus Mayonnaise — 1,400 yen

Soupless Dan Dan Noodles — 1,300 yen

Soothing Sweet Almond Soup — 600 yen

Rich Caramel Banana Pudding — 400 yen
(Instagram is full of people raving about how delicious this is!!)

Kumamoto New-Crop Rice Clay Pot Gapao Rice (reservation required) — 2,000 yen for 3–4 servings
(I didn’t know about this and didn’t reserve it 😅)
Definitely book this in advance everyone! 😆

Here’s the drinks menu

Recommended Seasonal Wine Bottle — from 2,800 yen
(Wine is bottle-only)

Heartland Beer (small) — 500 yen

Homemade Plum Wine on the Rocks — 550 yen

Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Sour — 600 yen

8-Year Shaoxing Wine — 650 yen

Aomori Additive-Free Apple Juice — 500 yen

Homemade Green Squash — 500 yen

Homemade Energy Drink (cola-like) — 500 yen
(“Cola-like” — gotta love that straightforward description!!)

Cold-Brewed Jasmine Tea — 400 yen
My friend ordered the lemon squash and loved it so much she ordered a second — sweet and absolutely delicious! 😆

Recommended Menu Items

Here’s what we ordered:

Ethnic Potato Salad
Drizzled with Honey — 850 yen

Honey on potato salad? Sounds odd, right?
But trust me — the combination is absolutely magical!!!

I was completely captivated by this brand-new flavor 😍

Pan-Fried Gyoza — 5 pieces, 1,000 yen

These are 2–3 times the size of regular gyoza.
The plump, rounded shape alone is irresistible 🤩
Valeur reportedly has a huge fan base just for these gyoza ⭐︎

Bite in and the meaty juices flood out — incredible! 😆

Ethnic Green Pepper Salad — 1,300 yen

Squeeze on some lemon and eat it with your hands 😀
It lives up to the “ethnic” name perfectly!
The peppers are crisp and the seasoned mince on top is delicious!!

I’ve recently realized I really love ethnic flavors 😍

It serves 2–3 people, so the portion is generous 😆

Today’s Spring Rolls — 2 pieces, 900 yen
The day’s filling was Pacific saury, and it was fantastic!!
You could really taste the rich, fatty saury inside the spring roll wrapper 😆
It was my first time having saury spring rolls — I’m definitely going to try making them at home ⭐︎

Pork Shumai — 900 yen
Finally, the shumai!! As you can see, they’re big.
The meat is firm and satisfying — delicious with the dipping sauce, but you can also taste the pure pork flavor on its own ⭐︎

Black Vinegar Sweet & Sour Pork — 1,800 yen
This sweet and sour pork features only pork and sweet potato!!!

It’s another super-popular menu item, so I had to try it 😆
Now I get why everyone loves it!!
The pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sweet potato is crispy on the outside, and the whole dish is delicately sweet —so good it’s hard to describe!!

On the staff’s recommendation, we paired the sweet and sour pork with
Homemade Hua Juan (Steamed Buns) — 300 yen.
These soft white buns are amazing dipped in the black vinegar sauce 🤣

Now I completely understand why Valeur is so beloved 👍
Every dish is crafted with care, and the flavors are wonderfully refined ⭐︎

I’m 100% coming back — this is a guaranteed repeat visit 😆
Come experience the happiness for yourself! 😀

Related article ↓

【Pizzeria da Rocco】Authentic Italian You Can Enjoy in Kumamoto《Namikizaka, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City》

Frequently Asked Questions

※Information accurate as of the visit. Prices and hours may change. Please confirm before your visit.