NZ’s first Sāmoan restaurant to win big

A restaurant, dedicated to contemporary Sāmoan cuisine, has received two hats and named ‘New Restaurant of the Year’ in the prestigious Cuisine Good Food Awards.

Tala, a snug and intimate modern eatery in the heart of Parnell in Auckland, offers a taste of the Pacific flowing back to Sāmoa.

Tala, which means ‘story’ or ‘tale’ in Sāmoan, is owned by chef Henry Onesemo and his wife Debby.

Tala owners Henry Onesemo and wife Debby /Photo/Manja Wachsmuth

Tala was established in November 2023 and in an interview with Pacific Days, Henry Onesemo shared his gratitude for being the first Sāmoan restaurant in New Zealand to be recognised through the awards.

“A lot of humility and gratitude and respect … I just moved here 10 years ago and just opened a restaurant here in New Zealand and it was probably the easiest thing for me to do because of the work that people that have come to New Zealand before me and have laid the groundwork so that somebody like me can dream a dream and can come and accomplish it as easy as possible,” he said.

Born and raised in Sāmoa, Onesemo said his culinary journey took off at a young age.

Tala offers three forms of set menus, each showcasing the beauty of traditional Sāmoan cuisine and heritage, through an innovative contemporary dining experience /Photo/Manja Wachsmuth

Before settling in Tāmaki Makuarau, he worked in the military at the Hawaii National Guard. He also worked in the United States and Thailand.

Onesemo also reflected on what inspired and bolstered his determination for Tala Restaurant. One was his time working with renowned Sāmoan chef Michael Meredith.

“That's a huge part of a confidence booster for me. When I first ate at Meredith's, this was, again, 10 years ago, me, and my wife first ate there and the food was so amazing. I was blown away.

“It really clicked that, for me and my wife, if New Zealand was allowing somebody like him to prosper, then there is room for a Samoan restaurant in New Zealand.

“It just has to be presented the right way and then be backed up by the core values of what I was brought up with.

“But the lessons I took from working under him are invaluable and all the benefits that I received just by working with him … he teaches a lot of the same things.

Onesemo said it was important to incorporate the Sāmoan culture and values in his culinary approach, especially in the Cuisine Good Food Awards /Photo/Manja Wachsmuth

“It's not like the Gordon Ramsay that you see on TV. He's very kind, very generous, very patient. I was very fortunate to have learned from somebody like him.”

Tala offers three forms of set menus, each showcasing the beauty of traditional Sāmoan cuisine and heritage, through an innovative contemporary dining experience.

Onesemo said it was important to incorporate the Sāmoan culture and values in his culinary approach, especially in the Cuisine Good Food Awards.

“We knew what we were going up against, the giants that are out there, with the big money that they throw into the outfits, the big money they throw into the PR.

“But we knew that if we just focused more on being specific about being Samoan, being true to that, having our values of servitude, gratitude and respect reflect what we put on … that's what we were, that's basically what's most important to us to showcase that Samoan can go to that next level and compete with these guys.”

“I think that the ultimate goal for Tala was to always inspire the next one," said Henry Onesemo /Photo/Manja Wachsmuth

Henry hopes Tala can inspire other Sāmoan chefs to open their restaurants to bridge the gap between high-end dining and more accessible options.

“I think that the ultimate goal for Tala was to always inspire the next one. So when we opened this, me and my wife, our mission, we saw where the Samoan food was at in New Zealand. So it was at the night markets and the takeaway.

“There was nothing else in between. So we figured if we go on the far end of the spectrum and then try and draw a straight line from there, we can inspire other Samoan chefs, and Samoan businesses to then fill in those gaps.”

Tala is open from Wednesday to Saturday for lunch, 12pm-2pm, and dinner, at 5:30pm-9pm.

For more information visit their website at https://www.tala.co.nz/

Watch the full interview below.