i. Biography
Henry Onesemo is Executive Chef and co-owner of Tala in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand, and head chef at Tala in Auckland, New Zealand. The throughline in his work is not a straight line but a set of disciplines brought into one kitchen: training, performance, service, and leadership, each contributing a different kind of control to the same daily task.
The Path
Training at Village in Malaemalu, Falealili, Samoa and Samoa gave Henry Onesemo the base layer of his practice. The next stages moved across settings that ask for exact timing and composure: dancer at Hawaiian luau show in Hawaii, performer at Walt Disney World in Florida, United States, and member of the military at United States military in America. Each role demanded a different discipline, but all of them sharpened the same core habits—attention, coordination, and the ability to work within a larger system. Today, Henry Onesemo brings that range into the concentrated demands of Tala as head chef, Executive Chef and co-owner. In that setting, leadership is practical rather than rhetorical: it is the work of keeping memory, movement, and obligation in the same frame while the kitchen runs.
The Work Today
At Tala in Auckland, New Zealand, Onesemo’s role as head chef sits alongside his position as Executive Chef and co-owner at the Parnell restaurant. The signatures here are precise in what they point to. Raw ramen comes from a childhood habit of eating raw ramen noodles as a treat, carried into the menu as a remembered taste rather than a decorative reference. Umu chicken uses banana leaves and a traditional hot-stone oven, keeping the method visible and the technique tied to Samoan cooking practice. Those dishes give Tala its shape: a childhood snack, a traditional oven, and Samoan hospitality translated into a contemporary Auckland dining room without losing their source. The work is direct about what it is drawing from, and the restaurant’s strength lies in that clarity.
Signature
Henry's signature dishes include raw ramen, Chef’s Journey, Fāgogo Journey, umu chicken, and vaisu. Together, they sketch the contours of a cooking style that is personal, rooted, and deliberately expressive, moving between recollection, narrative, and technique.
In Their Words “Our dream has always been to show Samoan food in a new light, to tell its stories, introduce guests to fa’a Samoa (the Samoan way) and to share our Samoan hospitality.” “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!”
Acclaim
Henry Onesemo has received The Best Chef Awards — One Knife (2025). Henry's honors include One MICHELIN Star.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Henry
What is Henry Onesemo's current role?
As of 2026, Henry Onesemo is Executive Chef and Co-owner.
Where did Henry Onesemo train or study?
Henry Onesemo trained at Village in Malaemalu, Falealili, Samoa and Samoa.
What recognition has Henry Onesemo received?
One MICHELIN Star (2026).
