Born in Focsani, he worked in Germany, Italy and on cruise ships after finishing secondary school, where he learnt the art of cooking, however, he chose to return to Romania, settling in Timisoara, where he now runs two restaurants.

Valentin Pupaza fell in love with Timisoara, where he explored his customers' tastes: varied, just like the city's cultural and multi-ethnic diversity.

Having made the transition from the kitchen to entrepreneurship, he now runs two restaurants in the heart of Timisoara, each with a different culinary focus, ranging from refined Mediterranean menus featuring the aromas of seafood to pork and lamb dishes rooted in the traditional cuisine of the Banat region. For almost a year, he has been experimenting with new recipes and combining flavours to create distinctive tastes that will keep customers coming back, as Banat prepares to become a European Region of Gastronomy in 2028.

During Timisoara's year as European Capital of Culture in 2023, one of the restaurants he manages hosted the 'Brancusi Gastronomy Workshop' on the occasion of the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the great sculptor. The chefs created original Romanian-French menus inspired by some of the artist's most representative works. Customers were served a selection of dishes, including 'The Table of Silence' (smoked goose breast terrine served on a bed of polenta with plum sauce), 'Bird in Space' (foie gras terrine with red onion and cranberry preserve and mango puree), 'The Gate of the Kiss' (steamed trout fillet flavoured with ginger and aromatic herbs, turmeric and parsley potato dumplings, lemon and orange sauce), 'The King of Kings' (Tournedos Rossini accompanied by foie gras, black truffles and a selection of vegetables) and 'The Wisdom of the Earth' (dark chocolate mousse on a parsnip sponge base, served with raspberry coulis flavoured with aniseed and pink pepper).

Valentin Pupaza first entered the world of gastronomy by working at his uncle's pizzeria in Timisoara.

'I was born in Focsani, in a mountainous area, where I grew up until 16, after which I moved to Timisoara (...). My first experience in the world of gastronomy was at my uncle's pizzeria. I then went to work as an assistant at another pizzeria and started learning the trade. I really enjoyed it and carried on. After finishing secondary school, I went to Germany, where I attended culinary school. In Germany, I learnt the importance of discipline in the kitchen and in absolutely everything we do. German cuisine is relatively simple compared with ours, which is much more complex and varied, with a wide range of soups and dishes that require considerably more work. In Germany, the cuisine was much simpler, mainly schnitzels and dishes that were easier to prepare. From Germany, I moved to Italy, where I also trained as a pizza chef and cook for a year and two months. There I learnt a great deal more, from pasta and pizza to beef and Italian dishes, which are largely based on fish. I also worked on cruise ships for a while, an experience that gave me the opportunity to discover cultures and cuisines from around the world and work to international standards. I could have continued my career abroad, but I chose to return to Romania and invest the experience I had gained here,' he says.


At the age of 24, driven by great ambition, he took the risk of becoming an entrepreneur. Having learnt how to make pizza dough, chop onions and tomatoes and balance the flavours of sauces and soups, he was ready to take the next step.

Valentin believes that Timisoara, despite being a cosmopolitan city, still has considerable room for improvement when it comes to culinary culture and the behaviour of customers visiting his restaurants. He wants to teach them that 'you do not go to a restaurant to order the same food you eat at home, but to enjoy something different and more refined.'

During his training, the young entrepreneur learnt that a menu should be designed according to the venue and its location. Traditional Romanian food is not necessarily suitable for a fine dining restaurant, and menus must be adapted to the market and the profile of local customers.

From a kitchen apprentice, Valentin Pupaza has progressed to organising cooking courses himself for those who want to learn the trade. However, they must follow the discipline and structure he insists upon: every kitchen must be properly organised. The head chef assigns apprentices to different sections, such as the grill, pasta, frying pans and salads, and establishes the necessary workflows so that everyone is prepared for any situation.

For some people, moving abroad is a lifelong dream. Valentin's journey has taken a different direction: he gained experience in the West but wanted to return home and develop his own business using the skills he had acquired across Europe. For ambitious people who know what they want to achieve in life, opportunities do not simply appear; they create them themselves.

'I chose to return to Romania because this is where my roots and family are, and where I felt I could build something lasting. The experience I gained on cruise ships gave me an international perspective on gastronomy and hospitality, but I wanted to bring everything I had learnt back home. I saw the potential of Timisoara and Banat and believed I could contribute to the development of local gastronomy through investment, job creation and quality culinary experiences. For me, true fulfilment was not simply about building a career abroad, but about creating something valuable in Romania and leaving behind a project I could be proud of,' Valentin Pupaza explains.

Looking to the future, the young entrepreneur says that 'Banat - European Region of Gastronomy 2028' represents an exceptional opportunity for his team to showcase the culinary wealth of the region.

'Banat is a multicultural region where Romanian traditions have met and complemented Serbian, Hungarian, German and Swabian influences over the centuries. In preparation for 2028, we are developing special menus, themed evenings and gastronomic experiences that will highlight both traditional Romanian cuisine and the multicultural nature of Banat. We are considering bringing old recipes back into the spotlight, working with local producers and reinterpreting certain dishes in a contemporary way while preserving their original flavours and identity,' the entrepreneur says.

He believes that the two restaurants he manages allow him to pursue this goal from two different perspectives: through the authenticity of Romanian cuisine on the one hand and the diversity of international menus and culinary influences specific to Banat on the other.

'We also want to prepare some culinary surprises so that every guest discovers not only delicious dishes but also the story, traditions and multicultural nature of this region,' Valentin Pupaza adds.


One of the restaurants he manages has a particularly interesting history, operating from a historic building dating back to 1914.

'I have travelled all over the world and visited many countries, but I still came back here. I was drawn to this restaurant, I adore it, I wanted it very much and I want to do something more with it (...). As it is an entirely special place, with a rich history, I do not want to disappoint people. Instead, I want to attract them through its elegant interior and exceptional menus featuring traditional Romanian dishes cooked in the oven. (...) For me, 'I Choose Romania' means choosing to return home, invest in Timisoara and contribute to promoting Romanian and Banat gastronomy. The experience I gained abroad helped me understand that we can also create gastronomic experiences in Romania that meet international standards while preserving the authenticity and hospitality that define us,' Valentin Pupaza concludes. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)