Nobody was extra shocked than Sean Wen, Andrew Ho and Andrew Samia when the trio was nominated for a James Beard semifinalist award for the Finest Chef: Texas class in each 2023 and 2024.
“It was not on our radar!” Ho says. “We’re all self-taught. I didn’t even find out about it till my spouse informed me.”
Now the buddies, who’ve made a reputation for themselves with their Southeast Asian-Texas barbecue combos, have one other shock. In an unique interview with the Scene, they reveal they’re opening an outpost of their Curry Boys BBQ restaurant in Riverside Village in Inglewood in early 2025.
From left: Andrew Ho, Sean Wen and Andrew Samia
Wen, Ho and Samia, all of whom additionally personal different restaurant companies in San Antonio, began making their fusion dishes in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meals have been derived by combining their favourite dishes from their Texas roots and Southeast Asian traditions.
“We have been sitting on our palms the entire time and thought, ‘What if we did a very loopy pop-up?'” Wen says. “‘Someplace individuals can come and get one thing new, contemporary and thrilling?’ So we mixed our eating places, barbecue and curry. We didn’t know the way it might be acquired, and it ended up being fairly well-received.”
The three met Nashville’s Adam Lathan (one of many house owners of The Gumbo Bros within the Gulch) whereas cooking collectively at an occasion in New York pre-pandemic. They turned quick buddies, and so they bounced their thought off of him and saved him up to date as its success grew.
By February 2023, they moved from their unique 2020 shack to a extra everlasting location throughout the road. In July 2024 they opened their second Curry Boys BBQ, additionally in San Antonio. All of the whereas, they’d been speaking to their pal Lathan about determining a approach to work collectively.
They just like the Nashville meals scene, frequently consuming at Degthai, Noko, Redheaded Stranger, SS Gai and Fats Stomach after they come to city to go to Lathan. They thought Nashville diners have been extra adventurous than San Antonio diners, so that they began exploring doable restaurant areas. The restaurant in San Antonio’s St. Mary’s neighborhood is in a freestanding home, and Wen needed the identical vibe in Nashville — all whereas Lathan was telling him that was a needle in a haystack.
“The blokes have been tremendous adamant,” Lathan says. “They stated, ‘We want 1,500 sq. toes in a freestanding constructing, and it must be in East Nashville, as a result of that is an East Nashville idea, and it’s bizarre.’ We’d hang around at any time when they have been on the town. And I’d inform them, ‘There’s no such factor.’”
However then that very factor materialized. When Lou closed earlier this 12 months, the freestanding home in Inglewood’s Riverside Village turned accessible. The house is strictly what the 4 of them needed: freestanding, sure, and likewise with a porch and house for a smoker. The encircling neighborhood reminds Wen of St. Mary’s. It’s obtained a local-focus vibe, and the Curry Boys BBQ menu is completely different from different meals accessible on the intersection (which can be residence to sushi, pizza, a espresso store, Mediterranean meals, sandwiches, breakfast tacos and extra.)
Future residence of Curry Boys BBQ
When Wen, Ho and Samia opened their first Curry Boys BBQ location of their self-described “shack,” they wanted a approach to stand out in a crowd. They painted the constructing pink to be noticeable and likewise as a nod to the brightly coloured buildings in Thailand, from which they draw culinary inspiration. The colour has turn into a signature for his or her model, and so — and this has been the subject of a lot chatter within the neighborhood — they’re portray the McGavock Pike constructing pink. (It was white when occupied by Lou and blue when it was Fort Louise.) The brilliant facade is throughout the road from Sabell’s vibrant orange.
However extra vibrant than the paint is the menu, which features a brisket bowl with inexperienced curry, curry queso and chips, Thai salad and extra. Smoked edamame is served with a candy Thai sauce, and creamed corn comes with curry powder on prime. Pricing for Nashville hasn’t been finalized but, however most entrees are within the $13 to $15 vary.
Curry Boys BBQ will likely be positioned at 1304 McGavock Pike.
