TALA has made history as the first restaurant in the world to receive a MICHELIN Star for contemporary Samoan food.
The Auckland restaurant’s incredible achievement was announced last night at a ceremony in the central city, where the inaugural MICHELIN Guide New Zealand 2026 was unveiled.
TALA’s One MICHELIN Star followed a rigorous judging process of visits by MICHELIN Inspectors, who dine anonymously to assess restaurants for the famed global culinary guide.
TALA is the world’s only restaurant dedicated to modern Samoan food. It is owned by Executive Chef Henry Onesemo and his wife Debby and opened in Parnell in late 2023.
Henry Onesemo grew up in Samoa, and his Samoan heritage inspires the innovative dishes he creates using traditional cooking (open fire and umu) alongside modern techniques.
An intimate 23-seat restaurant, TALA (which translates as ‘story’) combines relaxed fine dining with warm traditional hospitality rooted in ‘fa’a Samoa’ – the ‘Samoan way’.
Henry Onesemo received a standing ovation at the NZ International Convention Centre, holding the flag of Samoa while receiving the One MICHELIN Star award from the International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, Gwendal Poullennec.
Henry says his dream has always been for TALA to show Samoan food in a new light and the recognition from MICHELIN is a huge step on that journey.
This is such an honour for all of us at TALA. We have always believed that Samoa deserves a place on the international culinary stage and MICHELIN agrees! The world is ready for Samoan food – we can’t wait to welcome more guests to TALA to experience fa’a Samoa. Fa’afetai tele lava.
Henry was also proud to be one of just four New Zealand chefs selected to appear at the MICHELIN Tasting Pavilion, an exclusive culinary celebration held immediately after the ceremony. Henry and his TALA team prepared three dishes for local and international VIP guests and he says it was another highlight in an incredible night.
To cook and serve Samoan food at the first-ever event for the prestigious MICHELIN Guide in New Zealand was a dream come true. For Samoa to be part of that historic moment was really special.
What is a Michelin Star?
Established in 1900 by the French tyre company Michelin, the Michelin Guide is widely-considered the world’s most trusted verdict on quality dining.
The three tiers
Michelin awards stars on a three-rung ladder:
- One star: high quality cooking, worth a stop.
- Two stars: excellent cooking, worth a detour.
- Three stars: exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.
Three Michelin Stars are exceptionally rare and represent the highest recognition, which shows how prestigious even a single star is.
How stars are earned
There’s no application process or fees to pay to be considered for a Michelin Star. Anonymous inspectors will dine at a venue unannounced, paying for their own food and assessing the venue based on five criteria:
- Quality of ingredients
- Harmony of flavours
- Mastery of technique
- The personality of the chef expressed through the cuisine
- Consistency both across the menu and over time
Tala's Accolades
Since opening nearly three years ago, TALA has quickly become recognised nationally and internationally.
Its exceptional food and unique dining experience has seen it named one of TIME’s World’s Greatest Places for 2026, ranked 3 Hats in the Cuisine Good Food Guide and awarded Supreme Winner in the Viva Top 50 Restaurants 2025.
Henry Onesemo was also the first Samoan chef to be recognised at The Best Chef Awards, awarded ‘One Knife’ at the international event in 2025 for his work at TALA in championing Samoa’s food and traditions.
