Henry Onesemo

TALA - Auckland, New Zealand

Samoan chef Henry Onesemo is the Executive Chef/Owner of internationally acclaimed restaurant Tala in Auckland, New Zealand. Tala, which means ‘tale’ or ‘story’ in Samoan, is the world’s only restaurant dedicated to contemporary Samoan food. In the intimate 23-seat space, Onesemo shares stories of his homeland by reimagining and refining dishes from Samoa’s villages, road stalls, and cultural history. He combines traditional methods, such as cooking over fire and the Samoan umu oven, with modern techniques to create perfectly executed dishes in evocative tasting menus that capture the essence of Samoa.

Tala is ranked as one of New Zealand’s top restaurants and was recently named on TIME’s World’s Best Places 2026. Onesemo was also the first Samoan chef to be recognized at The Best Chef Awards, receiving One Knife in Milan in 2025.

Born and raised in Samoa, Henry Onesemo later lived and worked in Hawaii and then Florida, where he met his wife Debby. After training as a chef in Samoa, he worked at Auckland restaurant Meredith’s and then spent time at Michelin-starred Gaa in Bangkok. Henry and Debby Onesemo opened Tala in 2023. Onesemo’s goal is to put the distinctive flavors and stories of Samoa onto the world stage, offering a new modern perspective on its food while sharing ‘faa Samoa’ (‘the Samoan way’) with guests through warm Samoan hospitality.