Why go
Mohinga and ohn-no khao swè are both noodle soups, but one is built around fish broth and rice vermicelli, the other around chicken, wheat noodles and coconut milk. A noodle salad such as nan gyi thohk offers a third texture. Comparing these dishes makes the variety easier to navigate.
The full story
Mohinga brings rice vermicelli into a fish broth flavoured with onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Its accompaniments can include egg, fish cake or fritters. Ohn-no khao swè takes a different path: wheat noodles and chicken sit in a coconut milk broth. If you would rather try a salad, nan gyi thohk uses thick rice noodles with chickpea flour, chicken and a dressing sharpened by lime. Khauk swè thoke is another noodle salad, with wheat noodles, vegetables, dried shrimp, fish sauce and lime. The range extends beyond noodles. Danbauk is a rice dish related to biryani, served with chicken or mutton and contrasting accompaniments such as mango pickle. Around Dawei, kat kyi hnyat combines rice noodles with seafood or meat, bean sprouts and egg. For something sweet, shwe yin aye layers jelly, tapioca and sago in coconut milk. These names are useful signposts: fish broth, coconut broth, dressed noodles, spiced rice and a cool dessert are distinct choices rather than variations of one generic Burmese dish.