A Dessert Tour of Lettuce with Pastry Chef Juan Gutierrez
Let your sweet tooth lead the way
You may know Pastry Chef Juan Gutierrez from appearing on The Ultimate Baking Championship this past season or winning Season 1 of Netflix’s School of Chocolate, but did you know he’s the creative genius behind some of your favorite desserts at Lettuce?
From viral sensations like Crying Tiger’s Crying Tiger Dessert to unforgettable sweet endings like Miru’s Black Sesame Mochi, get to know a few of his signature creations below.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Marcona-Almond Caramel Bar
A buttery crust topped with a rich mix of Marcona almonds and golden caramel
Chef Juan says, “The entire Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! dessert menu is gluten-free and made for sharing. For the Marcona-Almond Bar, I took inspiration from my favorite candy bar, a Snickers, folding toasted almonds into soft caramel over a vanilla cookie.”
Make a reservation at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Crying Tiger
Crying Tiger Dessert
A chocolate tiger filled with wild Thai banana crémeux and finished with foster sauce
Chef Juan says, “When they told me the name of this restaurant was going to be Crying Tiger, I knew it needed something really different and bold, something that everybody would remember. So I taught myself how to make molds and do 3D design. I also took inspiration from the popular Southeast Asian chocolate-covered banana dessert and incorporated wild Thai banana for its beautiful aroma and sweetness.”
Make a reservation at Crying Tiger
Gus’ Sip & Dip
Our Very Special Chocolate Cake
A decadent layered chocolate fudge cake topped with a dollop of whipped cream
Chef Juan says, “This cake will bring you back to the best memories—nostalgia in every bite. Imagine that feeling of being younger and getting that chocolate cake your grandma used to make. This is it.”
Gus’ Sip & Dip is first come, first served.
Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club
Genmai Chocolate Truffles
Bite-sized chocolate truffles with Japanese puffed rice and Symphonia caramel ganache
Chef Juan says, “I wanted to make a dessert that is easy to eat, especially here at Kitty’s, where the focus is on the incredible cocktails. This bite-sized dessert is perfect to pair with any cocktail, with beautiful caramel notes, toasted genmai and dark chocolate.”
Make a reservation at Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club
Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Basque Cheesecake
A rich, creamy cheesecake with a caramelized top and gooey center
Chef Juan says, “When you think about cheesecake, we imagine that traditional New York-style cheesecake. This is so different and unique. From the Basque region of Spain, it’s meant to look like it’s melting—that’s what you want to see. We caramelized the top to give that really crunchy, caramel sensation.”
Make a reservation at Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba!
Miru
Black Sesame Mochi
Charcoal-vanilla ice cream with black sesame praline and mochi sponge
Chef Juan says, “This dessert has a big part of me and my heart because it was the first dessert I made for Lettuce, and it’s still one of my favorites. I really wanted to create something monochrome, with layers of texture and temperature, from hot mochi to charcoal ice cream and black sesame praline.”
Miru
Miru-Ishi
Okinawa black sugar cake with genmai crémeux and salted caramel
Chef Juan says, “Rice is a huge part of Japanese gastronomy and culture, and I really wanted to pay homage to that. Genmai, or toasted brown rice in Japanese, is featured throughout in the ice cream and caramel. When thinking about its shape, I wanted it to embody a beautiful Japanese garden.”
Mon Ami Gabi
Raspberry Almond Tart
A raspberry tart with almond crème, served with raspberry sauce
Chef Juan says, “Frangipane, a sweet almond-based filling, tends to be a little bit more dense because of the almond flour. In ours, we combine equal parts frangipane and pastry cream to create more of a custard than a cake, making a nice and light, custard-y filling that pairs really well with the raspberries, which are sourced locally.”
Make a reservation at the Mon Ami Gabi location nearest you
Ramen-san
Ube Tiramisu
A playful remix of the classic tiramisu with an ube spin
Chef Juan says, “One of the things I love about Japanese culture and gastronomy is the bright colors it brings. Bold colors come naturally from ingredients like ube, with its beautiful purple. People are really enjoying seeing that these days, especially as desserts move away from food coloring and toward natural ingredients.”
Make a reservation at the Ramen-san location nearest you
RPM Steak
Lemon Meringue Pie
A graham cracker crust filled with lemon curd and topped with toasted meringue
Chef Juan says, “To put a bold RPM twist on a traditional steakhouse dessert, we crafted a beautiful lemon custard, but the real showstopper is the towering meringue.”
Make a reservation at RPM Steak
Sushi-san
Matcha Tiramisu
Mascarpone cream and matcha-soaked ladyfingers, finished with matcha powder and strawberry-yuzu sauce
Chef Juan says, “The matcha tiramisu is a riff on the classic tiramisu, inspired by the strawberry matcha trend. I wanted to bring together the red and green of the strawberry and matcha to create something that looks like a matcha drink but has the textures of a tiramisu.”
Make a reservation at the Sushi-san location nearest you
Sushi-san – Nashville
Hand-Dipped Cones and San-daes
Creamy Hokkaido milk soft-serve
Chef Juan says, “Food to me is about showing people something completely new. We transformed the nostalgic soft serve we all grew up with using creamy Hokkaido milk and natural flavors like ube and matcha to create a truly unforgettable statement.”
Make a reservation at Sushi-san – Nashville
Summer House – Las Vegas, Lincoln Park, North Bethesda, Disney Springs® West Side
Wild Thai Banana Cookie
A brown butter cookie filled with gooey, wild Thai banana
Chef Juan says, “One of my favorite things to eat is banana bread, and I wanted to transform that into a cookie. By using incredibly sweet, dehydrated Wild Thai bananas, we created the perfect bite: chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside.”
Make a reservation at the Summer House location nearest you
The Cookie Bar by Summer House
Strawberry Matcha Cookie
A cookie with ribbons of strawberry and matcha
Chef Juan says, “Matcha is just taking over. But when you use it, it’s really important to understand the different types. We use ceremonial matcha, which is a really high-grade variety, and you’re definitely going to taste the difference in the flavor and quality of your dish.”
Visit The Cookie Bar by Summer House
Tre Dita
Tiramisu Classico
A traditional tiramisu elevated with coffee crémeux
Chef Juan says, “The idea behind this dessert is to stay true to what a Nonna would serve you—a comforting, craveable dessert that transports you straight home. Ours is topped with a beautiful chocolate plaque featuring a Pegasus pattern to give you the perfect crunch.”
