“Each year it seems like dozens of grilling cookbooks hit the market before summer, but none in 2026 have arrived with quite the heat of Asian Smoke. ... If you’re grilling out this summer, think beyond the basics with Asian Smoke.” —Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2026
Make your barbecue more exciting, colorful, flavorful, and adventuresome than you ever imagined possible by mastering the amazing smoke-kissed recipes in Asian Smoke. Who would have guessed that an unassuming mid-size pink stucco restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, would become one of the most celebrated citadels of barbecue in the US, and even in the world, less than five years after it first opened its doors? Yet that is what has happened to Curry Boys BBQ, the brainchild of
Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen—the Curry Boys—who, by the by, now have
two James Beard Best Chef nominations to their names, alongside dozens of other accolades from leading barbecue experts.
Ho, Samia, and Wen use traditional Texas-style barbecue and smoking techniques, and even traditional cuts like brisket and ribs, but they infuse everything with the deeply soulful aromas and flavors of Thai cooking (mostly), and of other Southeast Asian and pan-Asian cuisines (to a lesser extent). The flat-out delectable results draw long lines of fans and spectacular reviews on Yelp and in the food media. In this, their first book, they reveal their secrets for home cooks. The recipes include:
- Thai-Style BBQ Shrimp with Penang Curry Butter on Toasted Baguette
- Grilled Thai Sriracha Buffalo Wings
- Thai Street–Style Smoked and Grilled Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
- Smoked Brisket and Thai Green Curry with Roasted Cauliflower
- Smoked Lamb Shank and Thai Massaman Curry with Roasted Carrots and Potatoes
- Smoked Pork Belly Bánh Mě
- Thai-Inspired Green Curry Smoked Mushrooms
- Honey Sriracha Pulled Pork Sandwich with Pickled Green Papaya and Penang Mayo
- Nam Jim Jaew Party Ribs
- Smoked Coconut Cheesecake
The old barbecue is US Southern and still damn good. The new barbecue is global, full of exciting new flavors. Dip your toes in the latter with this colorful, photo-rich, delectable book as your guide.
In 2016, Andrew Ho and Sean Wen left their business careers to found Pinch Boil House and Bia Bar, an Asian street food–themed restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, focused on crawfish (and shrimp and fish) boils and beer—things familiar to the culinary cultures of both Texas and Southeast Asia. In 2020, they teamed up with Andrew Samia, San Antonio’s best young pitmaster and the chef/owner of South BBQ, to launch Curry Boys BBQ. Remarkably, within three years, the trio had earned two James Beard Best Restaurant nominations for Curry Boys BBQ, had appeared on numerous national television BBQ and food shows, and had been featured in Texas Monthly, on CNBC, and in the leading big-city newspapers in Texas. All told, the two Andrews and Sean now rank among the top ten or so chefs in the world who work—and play—at the natural and delectable intersection of Asian BBQ and Southern/Texas-style BBQ.
