I recently attended a keynote at the World Indigenous People's Conference on Education (WIPCE) in Auckland, New Zealand. The keynote, titled something like the Indigenous Chef Collective, immediately caught my eye. Ever since missing out on going to Owamni (by James Beard winner Sean Sherman, an American Oglala Lakota Sioux chef) in Minneapolis, I've been on a mission to seek out Native-led culinary experiences. While these spaces are more common here in Hawaiʻi, I've found that the most profound dining experiences often happen when you aren't looking for them.
Discovering Chef Henry Onesomo
Among a panel of gregarious chefs, Chef Henry Onesomo stood out for his quiet, thoughtful presence. Having recently earned One Knife at the Best Chef Awards 2025, he is likely the only Samoan chef to hold such a prestigious honor.
What drew me to him was his philosophy: while his food is "fine dining," every dish is a moʻolelo tied to his upbringing in western Samoa. He spoke powerfully about pisupo (canned corned beef) as a colonizing food, and how he is reclaiming and "decolonizing" it within his kitchen. Besides growing up in Samoa, at 17, Chef Henry joined the military and spent time in Hawaiʻi so there is a connection around this perspective on food as a political tool for island people.
The Experience at Tala
Realizing his restaurant, Tala, was right in Auckland, I immediately booked a lunch reservation while the keynote was still going on.
Pro-tip: When traveling solo, lunch is often the way to go. It's easier to snag a last-minute seat, and at $85 NZD (approx. $60 USD) for the prixe fixe menu, it is significantly more accessible than the dinner service.
Finding the restaurant is an adventure in itself. Tucked away in an alley alongside small shops, it has no street-facing signage. I walked past the door twice before the host stepped out to guide me in. I was seated at the high-top counter, giving me a front-row seat to the kitchen's artistry.
The Menu
The meal was a slow dance of elevated island flavors. While I skipped the palolo (a marine worm delicacy knows as the "caviar of the South Pacific") -- a decision I now regret and was ignorant about -- the rest of the menu was unforgettable:
- Smoked Apple Juice: A surprising start; the smoke had a savory depth reminiscent of bonito.
- Seasonal Fruit: Upscale li hing pineapple on a bed of shaved ice.
- Snacks: (top 2 pics) - the top left is a chip with jabong or pomelo pieces with some kind of savory seasoning like a curry. The snack in the nest with the sauce was so good that I forgot to take a picture of it. It looks like blackened quail eggs. Serving "snacks" in fine dining is about playful decolonization of the snacks he grew up with.
- Pisupo: This was a standout. A take on canned corned beef served like a Peking duck bao, paired with incredibly unctuous fresh mushrooms. (middle row)
- Roadside BBQ: Infused with Szechuan pepper, and manuka honey. Cooked over a charcoal fire, it was fatty, charred, and meant to be eaten with your hands.
- Panipopo & Koko Samoa: Traditional hot beverage from roasted cacao bean served alongside sweetbread rolls in coconut sauce--a comforting, nostalgic finish. Reminds me of summer nights camping near the beach.
- Copra: ($17 NZD add-on) A refreshing dessert of dried coconut and lychee. (bottom row)
The Verdict
The atmosphere at Tala is a rare balance of refined and "home." It began quietly, but as a table of Polynesians nearby began to laugh and talk, the room filled with a familiar warmth. As one diner put it: "Samoans, we like to eat. . .I was worried, but this is good!"
The staff is impeccably trained -- attentive but never invasive-- and the kitchen operates with a calm, intentional pace. The food is truly ʻono, taking humble ingredients and elevating them into high art.
Update (March 2026): I've been sitting on these photos since November, but a recent email from the restaurant gave me the nudge to finally post this. Tala was just named to Time Magazine "World's Greatest Places" 2026 list. TIME lists 100 extraordinary destinations around the world to visit and stay. Tala is the only restaurant in the Oceania region to be chosen by TIME. Hoʻomaikaʻi!
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