Apple TV announces new unscripted food series The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina as the Emmy and Golden Globe winner travels across America to reconnect with her family’s culinary legacy and explore contemporary Asian American cuisine.
Apple TV has officially revealed The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina, an eight-episode unscripted food series that puts Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Awkwafina—born Nora Lum—at the center of a cross-country culinary journey unlike anything she’s taken on before. The actor, comedian, writer, and now executive producer dives into her own family history while examining the evolution of Asian American cuisine across the United States.
A Personal Quest Through Food and Family
The series follows Nora as she reconnects with her roots, beginning with the story of her family’s celebrated Cantonese restaurant, Lum’s. Located in Flushing, New York, Lum’s was not only iconic—it was the very first in what would eventually become a thriving Chinatown. Despite being raised in the heart of the business, Nora never learned to cook. In fact, as she openly jokes, she “could ruin an instant ramen.”
That history becomes the emotional backbone of the series. For the first time, she steps into kitchens across America to understand what it truly takes to master Asian cooking, and to discover whether she can reimagine her family’s culinary legacy for today’s generation.
“I’ve never been trusted around a kitchen, so I thank everyone involved for opening that part of my house up to me… Food has been a huge part of my family’s history, and to be able to explore and reconnect with that legacy has been an incredibly rare and very special opportunity,” Awkwafina shared.
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A Cross-Country Culinary Journey
Throughout the season, Nora receives guidance from acclaimed chefs, restaurateurs, and her own lively family members. Together, they help her navigate the world of contemporary Asian American food, blending tradition, innovation, humor, and personal storytelling.
Behind the Series
The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina is produced for Apple TV by Twofour. Nora Lum, David Brindley, Itay Reiss, and Caroline Davies serve as executive producers. The series marks the second partnership between Twofour and Apple TV, following the Emmy-nominated travel series The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy, starring Emmy winner Eugene Levy.
Apple TV Continues Its Momentum
Apple TV continues to expand its slate of premium original storytelling across drama, comedy, film, documentary, and family entertainment. Since its global launch in 2019, the service has earned rapid acclaim, with Apple Originals accumulating 640 wins and 2,915 award nominations and counting—including standout hits like The Studio, Ted Lasso, and Oscar Best Picture winner CODA.
