Photo credit: Jerome Warburton.
Award-winning contemporary Samoan restaurant TALA has launched a new menu crafted by Executive Chef/Co-Owner Henry Onesemo, and appointed Tommy Hope as new Head Chef.
Hope joins TALA from Sid at The French Café, where he was Head Chef for the past two years. The Auckland-raised chef also spent nine years in Melbourne, working at Town Mouse and Embla and then as sous chef at Kiwi Ben Shewry’s renowned restaurant Attica, before returning to New Zealand in 2022.
New Perspectives
Henry says he is delighted to welcome a chef of Tommy’s calibre and expertise to the TALA team. “Our goal in opening TALA has always been to raise Samoan food to the next level and take our guests on a journey where we deliver the flavours of Samoa in an unexpected, fun and thought- provoking way,” says Henry. “Tommy’s experience in top restaurants here and in Australia will bring new perspectives to what we do at TALA.”
“I’m incredibly excited to step into this role and explore the depth and richness of Samoan cuisine,” adds Tommy. “It’s an honour to be part of a movement that celebrates tradition while pushing creative boundaries.”
New Menu Captures Samoan Moments
Tommy’s appointment comes as the restaurant launches a new menu with a raft of stunning new dishes that sit alongside TALA favourites like the signature, Umu Chicken.
Inspired by Henry’s life growing up in Samoa, and the culture and history of his homeland, the new dishes at the Parnell, Auckland-based restaurant use culinary techniques inspired by his recent travels overseas with wife and TALA co-owner Debby.
‘Copra’ is a coconut dessert that takes its name from the dried coconut flesh used mainly for extracting coconut oil. Copra production was a major industry during the German occupation of Samoa in the early 1900s and remains a significant export today. Henry’s love of the smoky aroma from the copra process inspired the new dessert and its presentation.
The ‘Snacks’ selection includes soft boiled quail eggs that are peeled and rolled in a burnt hay ash served with a carrot sauce and oil for dipping. A simpler version of this dish was a special occasion favourite for Henry growing up, served only on White Sunday (an annual national celebration of children in Samoa) or on his birthday.
Fa’a Samoa
Another stand-out menu addition is ‘Roadside BBQ’ This dish celebrates an iconic Samoan food experience and a special historical element of fa’a Samoa (the Samoan way).
‘Roadside BBQ’ was inspired by the smoky flavours of the distinctive BBQ stalls dotted along Samoa’s roads and is presented on a laulau ‘platter’. Traditionally, these platters were woven from individual coconut fronds and used when serving honoured guests.
The modern mats used in ‘Roadside BBQ’ reflect TALA’s contemporary approach and add another subtle layer to guests’ experience of Samoan hospitality at the award-winning restaurant.
“Anyone who has been to Samoa knows the mouthwatering smell of roadside barbecue, and locals always have their favourite stall,” says Henry. “I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective on that experience to TALA and to draw on our cultural traditions like laulau as part of that.”