The dessert
Watalappan: The Sri Lankan Dessert You Should Order
Watalappan is a Sri Lankan steamed custard made from coconut milk, kithul palm treacle or jaggery, eggs, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves. It is dense, dark and set like a crème caramel, but with a smoky-caramel depth from the palm sugar rather than the clean sweetness of white sugar. It is served chilled at Rawana in Milan, alongside caramel pudding and cheesecake.
- Address
- Via Giuseppe Cesare Abba 7, 20158 Milano
- Open
- Mon, Wed, Thu 12:00–15:30 and 17:00–23:00 · Fri 12:30–23:00 · Sat 12:30–15:00 and 18:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–23:00 · Closed Tuesday
- Phone
- 324 796 5832
Most people finish a Sri Lankan meal thinking they don't want dessert. Then a small dark dish arrives and they change their mind in one spoonful.
What's in it
- Coconut milk — The body. Richer than dairy, cleaner on the finish
- Kithul jaggery or treacle — The whole personality — smoky, mineral, almost like dark muscovado with an edge
- Eggs — The set. It's a custard, so it's steamed, not baked
- Cardamom, nutmeg, cloves — Warmth. Spice in a dessert, used the way Sri Lankan kitchens use it everywhere else
- Cashews (often) — Scattered on top for texture
Kithul is the key. It's tapped from the fishtail palm and boiled down, and it does not taste like sugar — it tastes like caramel that has been somewhere. Substituting brown sugar makes a nice pudding and a different dessert.
What it actually tastes like
Imagine a crème caramel with the sweetness pulled back by a third, the dairy swapped for coconut, and a layer of dark treacle and cardamom underneath. Denser than panna cotta. Less sweet than tiramisù. Cool, spiced, faintly smoky.
For a Milanese palate: it's closest in spirit to a budino made with muscovado, and it works beautifully after a spiced meal because sugar and fat are what actually settle chilli heat. That's not an accident — it's how the meal is designed.
When it's eaten in Sri Lanka
Watalappan is a Sri Lankan Malay dish by origin and is strongly associated with Eid and with celebration meals — the dessert that appears when the family table is full. It has since become a national dessert eaten year-round, but it kept its occasion-food character. It's the sweet you make for people, not for yourself.
What else to finish with at Rawana
- Watalappan — the one to order if you order one
- Caramel pudding — lighter, more familiar, good for a table that wants both
- Cheesecake — for the person who was never going to order the coconut one
Order one watalappan and one caramel pudding for a table of four and let people fight over the first.
Where to eat watalappan in Milan
At Rawana Bar & Restaurant, Via Giuseppe Cesare Abba 7, 20158 Milano — Dergano area, Municipio 9. Closed Tuesdays. Book a table or call +39 324 796 5832.
New to the cuisine? Start with what to order the first time.
Come and eat it, rather than read about it.
Via Giuseppe Cesare Abba 7, Dergano, Milan. Book online, or call and someone who works in the room will pick up.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
And if it isn't here, just call. Someone who actually works in the room will pick up.
Watalappan is a Sri Lankan steamed custard made from coconut milk, kithul palm sugar or jaggery, eggs and spices including cardamom, nutmeg and cloves.
Dense and set like crème caramel, but less sweet, with a smoky caramel depth from palm sugar, a coconut base and warm spice from cardamom and nutmeg.
Yes, traditionally. It uses coconut milk rather than dairy. It is not vegan, because it contains eggs.
At Rawana Bar & Restaurant, Via Giuseppe Cesare Abba 7, 20158 Milan, where it is served chilled alongside caramel pudding and cheesecake.
It contains no wheat by recipe, but Rawana's kitchen is not a dedicated gluten-free environment. Tell the restaurant if you have coeliac disease.