Mabel’s is a Burmese restaurant on Tory St that opened in January2022.
Marlar Boon and her husband Ian started the restaurant as a tribute to Boon’s late phwa phwa (grandmother) Mabel, who opened Aotearoa’s first Burmese restaurant, The Monsoon, in 1978.
A post from Boon on Mabel’s Instagram page said they were ready for the next chapter.
“We have missed our kids terribly (Ian has worked nights all of our eldest son Maxim’s life) and are looking forward for some Summer 2025 downtime, celebrating my little brother’s wedding and catching up with extended whānau.”
Boon acknowledged eating out during “these times” was a special treat for many people but said this was the best way to support them and their staff in the restaurant’s final days.
“We want to make sure we maximise everyone’s hours and send everyone out with a bang.
“There will be no popups or any future kai iterations of Mabel’s. We are out.”
Mabel's showcases the diversity and complexity of Burmese cuisine in the heart of Wellington.
Boon thanked the staff at Mabel’s and said anyone would be lucky to have them.
“Thank you to all the Mabel’s fam, past and present, for your mahi and support.”
Boon asked people to come and have a drink with her and Ian.
“Please tell everyone and share our news we would love to see you one last time.”
She also thanked Ian.
“I have so much love and admiration for you and working alongside you has only deepened that.”
Popular bakery Myrtle also announced it will close this month, one week after being crowned the city’s best bakery. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Boon said her family came to Aotearoa in the 1970s because of the civil war in Myanmar.
“Coming here was out of need and that need continues for many of our people in Myanmar enduring the longest civil war in history.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the reason all of us call Aotearoa home and I feel extremely privileged and grateful for my family to have been given the means to live somewhere filled with opportunity and safety.”
For example, they might be fully booked on a Friday night and then the next day it’ll be quiet which makes it hard to roster staff ahead of time, Boon said.
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
