Sāmoa makes Michelin history as TALA earns the first-ever star for Pacific centred cuisine

A Sāmoan restaurant in Auckland has made culinary history after becoming the first Sāmoan eatery in the world to be awarded a Michelin star.

A Michelin star is one of the world’s top restaurant awards, given to places judged to offer outstanding food, skill and consistency.

TALA, based in Parnell, received the honour in the inaugural Michelin Guide for Aotearoa New Zealand on Tuesday night.

It also marks a major milestone for Pacific cuisine on the global stage.

The restaurant is co-owned by Executive Chef Henry Onesemo and his wife Debby Onesemo, and is built around a deeply Sāmoan identity rather than a wider Pacific label.

TALA’s menus focus on storytelling through food with set dining experiences such as the ‘Chef’s Journey’ and ‘Fāgogo Journey’.

Speaking with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Henry says the recognition still feels unreal.

“It still hasn't really sunk in, the magnitude of Sāmoa getting its first Michelin-starred restaurant. But I'm really excited for the culture, for Sāmoa,” he says.

Since opening in November 2023, TALA has quickly risen through Aotearoa’s fine dining ranks.

Watch Henry Onesemo receive his restaurant's first Michelin star on Radio Samoa below.

It was named New Restaurant of the Year at the 2024 Cuisine Good Food Awards and received two hats in the same year before moving up to three hats in 2025.

TALA has also gained international recognition including a knife award at the Best Chef Awards in Milan last year, supported by a NZ$2000 travel grant from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the cultural and economic development agency of Auckland Council.

At the centre of TALA’s dining experience is an approach rooted in Sāmoan tradition. The restaurant uses an umu, or earth oven, prepared during service so guests can see the cooking process from start to finish.

“In the restaurant, we make an actual umu [traditional above-ground earth oven] that we start from when the guests sit down. By the time they finish, we serve it. I don't think I've ever gotten comfortable with the idea of taking something from the umu and then serving it on a fine dining plate.

“But when the guests appreciate it at the end of the night, let us know that they've experienced something that they've never experienced before, it lets me know that maybe Sāmoan food is changing what fine dining is instead of fine dining trying to change Sāmoan food.

Listen to Henry Onesemo’s full interview below.

He said the Michelin star validates what he has long believed about Sāmoan cuisine.

“I always kind of knew that Samoan food had its place among the global elite and I guess the Michelin Guide validated that thought last night. It's a great milestone for us, for the culture and I'm super excited for it.”

The menu also draws on historical influences across Sāmoa’s past including British, German, and American colonial periods as well as the impact of Chinese labour migration on local food traditions.

These stories are reflected through each dish alongside cultural practices such as hand-washing rituals before dessert.

For Henry, who was born and raised in Sāmoa, the star provides global validation for island cuisine. He says this proves that traditional cooking methods belong among the elite.

Henry says his approach is about celebrating difference within Pacific cuisine, not grouping it under one label.

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

“We always noticed that people love to group us together and label it Pacific or Pasifika. I always felt like I lost my identity when we were being grouped within that word.

“The best way to start being specific is food because it is specific. Oka [raw fish dish] in Sāmoa is different from Ika mata [Cook Islands raw fish], it's different with Kokoda [Fijian raw fish].”

Henry hopes the recognition will open doors for more Pacific chefs to build their own culturally specific restaurants and be recognised on the world stage.

TALA is one of 14 restaurants awarded a Michelin star in New Zealand’s first guide, with Queenstown’s Essence receiving two stars at Tuesday's historic launch.

For more information, click here.