Cantonese dim sumin east Berlin.

Aroma East’s appeal lies in how many kinds of dim sum you can try in one meal. Har gow, siu mai and rice noodle rolls arrive in separate portions, with baskets and small plates made for passing around. Whether you favour the freshness of prawns, sweet-savoury char siu or soft sticky rice, there is something to suit.

Start with the familiar steamed dishes: har gow combines prawns and bamboo shoots, siu mai brings pork and prawns together, and char siu bao adds a soft, fluffy bun. Xiaolongbao is another popular choice. The differences are in the wrappers as much as the fillings.

Rice noodle rolls offer a different kind of softness. Thin rice sheets wrap prawns, char siu or beef and are eaten with the sauce on the plate; there is a meat-free version too. Sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed ribs in black bean sauce and chicken feet with black beans and peppers are more substantial. Rice, fermented-bean fragrance and meat take the meal beyond a few baskets of dumplings.

For something pan-fried, try turnip cake with ham: the fragrant seared surface contrasts with its soft centre. Ham sui gok wraps pork in glutinous-rice dough before deep-frying, giving another texture altogether. Choosing something steamed, pan-fried and deep-fried makes the differences clearer than choosing by filling alone.

Roast duck, char siu, crispy pork belly and soy-sauce chicken offer plenty for meat lovers. A plate of roast meat adds richness to a dim sum meal, while dry-fried beef rice noodles can serve as the main staple for a fuller dinner.

Among the sweets, lotus-seed buns are steamed and sesame balls are fried; sesame-filled tangyuan and taro rolls bring their respective flavours. After several fried snacks, a steamed bun or tangyuan makes a softer finish.

The eastern branch is at Warschauer Straße 62. Its bright dining room suits both friends meeting up and family meals. Part of the pleasure is choosing a few favourites, then trying something unfamiliar from a neighbour’s steamer. A meal that starts with familiar dim sum can end with a new discovery.