“All good things must come to an end,” reads a post shared to Super Ling’s Instagram page on Tuesday afternoon.

After nearly three years, the playful Chinese-inspired diner on Queensberry Street in Carlton will close for good on May 1.

“Basically it’s a combination of a load of different factors,” owner Iain Ling, who’s also behind The Lincoln, tells Broadsheet. In particular, he calls out the nearby university precinct running at reduced capacity, and with no new international students due to border closures; the imminent end of Jobkeeper; and the lack of staff.

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“If you had all the reasons on a whiteboard, they’d all stem from one thing – Covid,” he says. “There’s been a lot of soul-searching and … anger towards things you’ve got no control over. But it’s just shit, isn’t it? I’ve never really had to close a restaurant before.”

An integral cog in the Super Ling machine is chef Michael Li (ex-Lee Ho Fook, Restaurant Shik and Movida), who grew up in Mauritius and serves familiar Chinese flavours with gestures to that. Ling’s known him for more than a decade – “I’ve even been to his mum’s house in Mauritius,” he says – so it’s truly the end of an era.

The Li creations we’ll miss most? Those ooey-gooey circular jaffles stuffed with mapo tofu (Sichuan minced pork and soft tofu stewed in an oily, fiery red sauce); the exceptional fresh handmade noodles; and his beef tartare topped with mi goreng noodles.

“Thank you to everyone who has tried us and loved us,” the Instagram post goes on. “And if you haven’t been yet, come and see what the fuss was all about! We’re looking forward to seeing you before the end.”

This is the latest in a series blows for Melbourne’s hospitality scene, which has also lost Hardware Société’s original CBD cafe, Middle Eastern restaurant Bar Saracen, and Ian Curley’s bar and bistro French Saloon (which transitioned from a restaurant to an events space) this year. Meanwhile, St Kilda’s Cantonese institution Lau’s Family Kitchen is closing this month.

Super Ling is closing on May 1. It’ll be open for dinner Thursday to Saturday, and Wednesdays from April 7, until then. Private parties are available at any other times, with an $800 minimum spend for a maximum of 25 guests.

superling.com.au