'I completely lost it': Tala chef as first Samoan restaurant earns Michelin star

For a brief moment, Henry Onesemo thought he had it all under control. The Tala head chef walked confidently towards the stage at Auckland's inaugural Michelin Guide ceremony on Monday night, convinced he could keep his emotions in check.

"I had that thought before going in there," he laughed.

"There was a little swagger in my walk. I was fixing my necklace. I got on the stage and I still felt like I was peacocking a little bit.

"For some reason I thought I had it. I was like, 'I've got this, I've got this'."

Then came the words from the master of ceremonies that changed everything.

"The first Samoan restaurant..."

"I just completely lost it," Onesemo told 1News. "The waterworks came out. I made an embarrassment of myself. I embarrassed the culture — I'm so sorry Samoa. I wish I did a better job of accepting that. But the emotions just got to me. The moment just got way too big."

Tala made history and became the first Samoan restaurant to receive a Michelin star, as New Zealand officially joined the world's most prestigious dining guide.

Fourteen restaurants were awarded one Michelin star, while Queenstown restaurant Essence received two stars.

Michelin's anonymous inspectors assess restaurants using the same criteria applied across the world, with one star recognising high-quality cooking worth a stop, two stars denoting excellent cooking worth a detour, and three stars reserved for exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.

For Onesemo and wife Debbie, however, the achievement represented something far bigger than a restaurant accolade.

"We realise it's not us," he said. "New Zealand's food scene was finally ready for a Samoan restaurant.

"They celebrated us. They brought us in. Thank God the scene actually changed. Auckland is an amazing, diverse, culturally mixed pot that accepted a Samoan-specific restaurant."

For years, Onesemo had insisted Samoan cuisine deserved to sit alongside the world's finest.

His wife told 1News, "Every other culture's food has taken that journey – from the home kitchen, to the takeaway shop, to a bistro, to fine dining, to Michelin. Why can't Samoan food do that?"

The celebrations continued over breakfast the next morning via video call with Onesemo's mother in Samoa.

Rather than congratulating her son, she reminded him of the responsibility that came with the achievement.

"She made sure that I understood that this is God-given. It can be taken away by God easily as well," he said.

"She's on the video call with both of us making sure I understood that this moment, while it seems like it's about me it's not. It's for the culture. It's for Samoan food. It's for the team. And as she says, 'God's will be done, not mine.'"

Within hours, Tala's inbox had filled with reservation requests, interview enquiries and congratulatory messages from around the world.

Across Auckland, another newly crowned Michelin-starred restaurant was also celebrating.

At Paris Butter, co-owners Nick Honeyman and Zennon Wijlens had already commemorated the occasion with fresh Michelin star tattoos.

"This has been a life goal," Honeyman said. "One of those dreams has come true."

For Wijlens, the achievement wasn't even imaginable a year ago.

"It wasn't on the bingo card last year because we didn't know Michelin was coming," he said. "But as soon as it got announced it was like, 'Well, we can do this in New Zealand. Let's go.'"

Both chefs believe Michelin's arrival validates what local chefs have known for years.

"We felt like we were putting New Zealand on the world stage for the first time," Honeyman said.

"We've always known how good New Zealand cuisine is. Last night we got to level up against the rest of the world."

Honeyman also believes the guide could change career paths for young chefs.

"For us as Kiwi chefs, we left New Zealand to go in search of stars. Now we're going to be able to keep our young chefs here because they can go straight into starred kitchens in New Zealand."

This year's Michelin Guide covers Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, but many in the industry hope it won't stop there.

"I think some of the best restaurants in the country are through Waikato, Hawke's Bay and Marlborough," Wijlens said.

"There are incredible chefs there. There's no doubt that if it wasn't a national guide last night, they would have been on stage with us."

He hopes Michelin eventually expands its reach.

"I really hope so. It is a pilot programme... but it will expand."

Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy said the initial focus on four destinations was largely practical, with those centres accounting for almost two-thirds of the country's restaurants.

He said the guide would now be embedded before any future expansion was considered.

Tourism New Zealand believes Michelin's arrival will have benefits well beyond restaurant kitchens.

The organisation estimates the guide will attract up to 36,000 additional international visitors, generating around $185 million in visitor spending over time.

"We know trying local cuisine is a real interest," de Monchy said.

"What we have on offer isn't necessarily that well understood.

"Michelin is a world-acclaimed platform that we can now use to explain that to people."

He said the launch also provides a globally recognised platform to showcase New Zealand's food and beverage industry.

"We want to drive some urgency for people to make a booking here."

Food writer Anna King-Shahab believes the guide has already achieved something significant.

"To have New Zealand put on the map internationally for its culinary standards is exciting."

She hopes the recognition eventually extends even further.

"I'd love to see things like traditional New Zealand fish and chips recognised in the future."