Mabel's co-owner Marlar Boon says the restaurant is an ode to her late grandmother, who opened the country's first Burmese restaurant, The Monsoon, in 1978.
Mabel's co-owner Marlar Boon says the restaurant is an ode to her late grandmother, who opened the country's first Burmese restaurant, The Monsoon, in 1978.
Marlar Boon and her husband Ian started Mabel’s in Wellington as a tribute to Boon’s late phwa phwa (grandmother) Mabel, who opened Aotearoa’s first Burmese restaurant, The Monsoon, in 1978.
Since its opening in 2022, the Tory St haunt has become a local favourite, particularly for its nga gyi kyaw (deep-fried fish with tamarind sauce, market price) and Burmese national dish mohinga ($24).
While the pair also run the local bar Crumpet, Boon says being a small business owner is a tough gig, as soaring costs of living and rising production costs make running a business unpredictable.
Marlar Boon opened Mabel's with her husband Ian in 2022. Photo / Marty Melville
Mabel’s is a Burmese restaurant in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. It’s an ode to my late grandmother, Mabel, who was a big inspiration for me growing up.
When did you open the business and why?
We opened the restaurant in January 2022. My partner Ian has a background in hospitality, and I am fortunate enough to be able to share the story of my food, culture and family background through what we do at Mabel’s.
Mabel is my phwa phwa’s name. She was a single mother who immigrated to New Zealand in 1976 and opened the first Burmese restaurant in the country. It was called The Monsoon, and opened in 1978 here in Pōneke.
Mabel's showcases the diversity and complexity of Burmese cuisine in the heart of Wellington.
Mabel’s is a continuation of her legacy, as well as a way to showcase Burmese identity and our family ties with this city. Often we have customers come in who remember Mabel, her restaurant and her work in the Wellington Buddhist community.
How did you get into business?
My background is actually in visual arts, and I have experience in the retail industry.
My husband Ian and our business partner, Dan, own a small cocktail bar, Crumpet, and have been part of the Wellington hospitality industry for many years. Ian had always been supportive of the idea of opening a Burmese restaurant as a way to showcase the food and culture.
We’ve been open for two years now and the response has been incredible. It has been a pleasure to see people enjoy Burmese food for the first time and thank us for their experience.
Myanmar borders India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand, and people are generally more familiar with flavours from those parts of the world.
Burmese cuisine shares certain flavours with its neighbouring countries, but it has its own unique identity. Being able to showcase my culture has been more why I delved into opening Mabel’s.
What has trading been like in the last year?
Working in hospitality has its ebbs and flows. Unlike other more established places, we opened after the pandemic and could prepare ourselves for the shifts in the landscape.
What were the biggest challenges for your business?
Like most people in this country, we are affected by the rising cost of food and ingredients. In the past year, we’ve seen how unpredictable this industry really is.
For example, we might be fully booked on a Friday night and then the next day it’ll be quiet. This makes it hard to roster staff ahead of time. This is happening more often, but we are thankful to our loyal customers and have managed to build a solid reputation in the two years we’ve been open.
What has been your biggest achievement in business?
I am incredibly fortunate to share my food and culture with those who may never have experienced it before. It’s an amazing feeling when someone recognises that and appreciates learning something new.
What advice do you have for other small businesses in the current economic climate?
My advice would be to prioritise your staff and look after each other.
Times are tough right now, so it’s important for us to work together so we can all get through it.
Being a small business owner is especially hard right now, but I also know our city and country are so much better for all the unique businesses we have.
Mabel's co-owner Marlar Boon says the business opened after the onset of the pandemic, which helped them survive in Wellington's hospitality industry.
What are you hoping the coalition Government will do to support small businesses like yours?
Food prices and the cost of living need to come down. Then, hopefully, people will feel more comfortable about spending money.
It would also be beneficial to build more tourist trade now that people are travelling again.
We hope to continue serving our community by bringing delicious food and amazing experiences to our customers.
We’re also looking at expanding Mabel’s to sell homewares and goods, which we are very excited about.
What are Mabel’s community halls?
We hold market days called community halls. We’ve hosted four so far, where a range of local businesses each have a market stall. It’s to bring a sense of community and support local retailers.
They range in stock from homeware, clothing, beauty, outdoor products and other items. The purpose is to give local businesses some support by marketing and sharing our different customer bases and kaupapa with the community and each other.
Mabel’s will be looking at how we can support our fellow Burmese people back home and sell items from Myanmar, and our community halls are a great platform for this.
We usually aim to have one mid-year and one for Christmas shoppers. The best way to find out about them is through our Instagram page.
Alka Prasad is an Auckland-based business reporter covering small business and retail.
