A Tala As Old As Time

Tim Warren

Wandering around in the back lanes of Auckland’s Parnell you discover quite a few things you just didn’t know existed.One of those things should be Tala restaurant. With a chic minimalist design and limited seating space you know you’re about to receive excellent attention with you walk through the unassuming door.

Tala is the brainchild of Henry Onesemo. The Samoan word “tala” means “story” or “tale”. For chef Henry Onesemo, Tala is where he tells his own tales of Samoa through familiar ingredients presented with a contemporary twist.

“Dishes like ‘raw ramen’ were inspired by my childhood, where eating raw ramen noodles was a beloved treat,” says Onesemo. “Drawing on that food memory of the crunchy, salty noodles and sweet, chewy dehydrated vegetables has been the inspiration for a fun, modern twist on a childhood favourite.

“My goal in showcasing Samoan food is to retain the food memory but refine the dishes and make Samoan food ‘fashionable’,” he says.

Tala combines The experiences of the family growing up in Samoa and presents them with a fresh twist that will entertain your palate. Offering two chefs menus , a long one and a longer one – it’s a pleasure to relax and accept with glee and excitement.

With every tasty morsel that comes your way from banana chips with a curry spread through to the raw ramen noodles, you’re going to be entertained and impressed every step of the way. Every dish comes with a story and every step or chapter of the story you take the more you understand about the culture through the food.

The service is charming and often you’re being served by the person who made that very dish at the beautiful open kitchen that’s all part of the same room. It makes for divine experience and highlights what can happen when you pick the best of a culture and present it in such a high class yet fitting way.