Tatsuya Arai, Tatsu French Restaurant

chef of Tatsu RestaurantTucked away in a Prairie Village suburb, Tatsu’s French Restaurant has been surprising customers for more than 20 years. The restaurant is named for its Japanese chef, Tatsuya “Tatsu” Arai, who was trained in the art of French cooking while living in Japan.

He began his career as a pastry chef, and the Blanc Mange is just one example of his exquisite desserts. Though it’s served cold, the creamy Blanc Mange and sweet raspberry coulis create a delicate end to a rich winter meal.

Blanc Mange

2-1/8 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon gelatin powder
1 teaspoon almond essence
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Coulis:
1 pound raspberry purée
2 cups sugar
1 whole lemon
Fresh berries to decorate
1 mint sprig

Bring milk and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil, add gelatin and stir. Let mixture cool, then add heavy cream and almond essence. Put mixture in small cups and refrigerate. To make coulis, mix raspberry purée with sugar and lemon juice, warm and use it to decorate the plate. Add fresh fruit and mint on top. Serves eight.