Sāmoan chef Henry Lafi Onesemo has been named New Zealand's 2026 Chef of the Year, adding another major culinary honour to a growing list of recognition for his Auckland restaurant, TALA.Onesemo, who hails from Malaemalu, Falealili, owns TALA, an upscale restaurant in Auckland's Parnell suburb kn...
Samoa
Samoans abroad, Business, Culture
By Tautua Vaa
•
27 August 2026, 1:00PM
Henry Onesemo is the owner and executive chef of Tala restaurant in Parnell.
From the village of Malaemalu, Falealili, to one of the world's most prestigious culinary honours, Samoan chef Henry Lafi Onesemo…
Auckland's Tala restaurant, owned by Samoan chef Henry Lafi Onesemo, has become the first Samoan-owned restaurant to earn a…
Hope Faith Kaumatule, a Hawaii-based contestant from the villages of Malie and Puipa’a, is sharing her knowledge and experiences…
"I'm so proud to get to represent the Pacific Islands, but Samoa and also my family, my aiga," Catherine Laga'aia said. "I get to…
Samoan student Alexandrea Ape-Paia has been named the 2026 EY Pacific Business Student of the Year at the University of…
