Apple TV just dropped a trailer for its new television program, Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook, which features the actress teaming up with chefs across the country to reconnect with her family’s culinary history. In addition to a few celebrities, the trailer revealed that San Antonio’s Curry Boys BBQ and its chef team participated in the show. 

MySA reached out to Sean Wen, co-founder of Curry Boys BBQ, to learn what it was like filming with Awkwafina for the Apple TV program. Wen said that his chef team (which includes Andrew Ho and pitmaster Andrew Samia) showed the movie star that they do things a little differently in the heart of Texas.

“The big thing was definitely that we showed her brisket and how we add our kind of Asian spin to it,” Wen said in a phone conversation. “In this particular episode, I think it was Thai-infused curries with Texas barbecue, and then we also had a more Chinese-inspired flavor in a pork belly dish that we made.”

The premise of the show is driven by Awkwafina’s desire to reopen her family’s restaurant, Lum’s, which was founded by her great-grandfather, Jimmy Lum, in the 1950s. The challenge is that the Crazy Rich Asians star cannot cook. Wen told MySA that the actress was very hands-on with the filming and that the production quality on The Unlikely Cook was next level. 

“The show is really her kind of reconnecting with her roots when it comes to her family’s cooking, and that was genuinely felt in the filming,” Wen said. “Obviously, as an Asian American as well, there was a lot of that that we connected on, and a lot of what she said resonated with us.”

Curry Boys BBQ currently has three locations, two in San Antonio and one in Nashville. Earlier this year, the team behind the eatery published its first cookbook, Asian Smoke, which features more than 100 recipes, including several from the restaurant’s menu. Wen brought up the book when he spoke about being chosen to collaborate on an Apple TV program. 

“I think it goes to show that there’s such a diverse culinary scene here in San Antonio,” Wen said. “You can connect with your roots anywhere, even in a place that may seem unlikely. And for us, that’s San Antonio.”

Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook premieres on Apple TV on November 6.