What To Expect From This Exclusive Evening at Tala, Auckland’s Lauded Fine Diner

Henry Onesemo champions Samoan food at Tala, his award-winning fine diner in Auckland. He and wife Debby opened the restaurant in 2023 with the goal of moving Samoan food out of the “generically Pacifika” category, sharing more of his culture’s stories and flavours that he felt had been limited to market stalls and takeaway.

“When we created [Tala], it wasn’t just about opening a restaurant,” he says. “We want to tell a good Samoan story and leave enough of a cliffhanger.” For him, it’s also about paving a path for the next generation of chefs.

Every dish at Tala (which translates to “story” in Samoan) shares a narrative, taking diners on a journey through Samoa’s heritage and influences, as well as some of Onesemo’s childhood memories growing up.

In Samoa, it’s customary for guests to be welcomed into a fale talimalo, which is a separate building to a home, and offered something to drink. “When [guests] first come into the door, we offer them tea, made from smoked manuka wood chips and desiccated coconut,” Onesemo says. “That grabs your attention.”

As part of the signature Chef’s Journey, diners are shown the raw main course when they arrive, before it’s cooked using the umu Samoan method, which Onesemo likens to an above-ground version of a hāngī. “To witness the traditional method of cooking from start to finish was always something I wanted to do in a restaurant. Pulling that off twice a night has been a blessing for me.”

Head chef Tommy Hope (ex- Attica and Sid at The French Cafe joined the team in June, bringing a track record of working with indigenous food. “His experience on that level has helped refine the look of the dishes,” Onesemo says. “There’s a certain kind of approach he has to cooking that meshes with the ethos of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

On September 24, Tala will host a one-off dining experience of the Fāgogo Journey for $110 per person (usually $165), exclusively for Mastercard cardholders.

The set menu starts with one of Onesemo’s childhood memories. “Growing up, we used to pick fruits like mango before [they were] ripe, so it’s quite sour. But we would dip it in salt or sugar, or if you had money, you’d buy Raro [a powdered cordial mix],” Onesemo says. At Tala, the fruit – pineapple in this case – is dusted with powdered li hing mui (salty dried Chinese plum) and served with juice made from smoked Granny Smith apples.

Other snacks include Onesemo’s version of a taro chip (“another thing growing up we gravitated to”) topped with curry sauce, pomelo and seaweed. The pisupo is a nod to corned beef, introduced to Samoa before World War I during the German and American occupations. “Corned beef has become a huge part of Samoan food culture. You’ll often see it at weddings, funerals and saofaʻi [ceremonies] – boxes of canned corned beef as one of the offerings,” Onesemo explains. His take on it showcases 55-day dry-aged beef sirloin served with ginger oil, crème fraîche, daikon and burnt onion.

Further along the menu, the popular Roadside BBQ features pork ribs with cumin salt, honey fermented with ginger, and a chicken broth. But Onesemo’s soft spot is for the copra: a dessert of coconut sorbet, fresh and freeze-dried lychee, liquorice gel and pieces of pavlova, all served in a smoked coconut. Copra, the coconut kernels that coconut oil is extracted from, was an export commodity during the German occupation in the early 1900s, while the pavlova is a “salute to Aotearoa”.

Given all the rave reviews, recognition and awards Tala has received in New Zealand since opening, this special degustation – with reduced prices for Mastercard cardholders only – is one not to miss.

An Evening at Tala is a Priceless Experience hosted by Mastercard, in partnership with Broadsheet, on September 24. Tickets cost $110 per person for the set menu and are available now, exclusively on priceless.com.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Mastercard.