As a child in India, Cheetie could often be found in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother watching, and learning as they prepared daily meals. Her family held strongly to their culinary heritage, thoughtfully passing on generations old technique and authentic preparation. At the age of 8 she arrived in the US and settled in the Bronx, NY. Immersed in a world of various ethnicities, Cheetie was exposed to new cultures, flavors and food. Daily lunches at friend’s houses opened her eyes to a blending of culinary ideas inspired by Korean, Chinese, Thai, Eastern European and South American dishes.  

 

Upon moving to North Carolina, she embraced the area's culture of readily available, renowned agriculture, and incorporated these seasonally evolving foods to fit her multi-cultural menus at Garland. Cheetie’s cooking is created in a refined and thoughtful way, filled with imagination and rebellion. It is unassumingly delicious. Her food may seem “foreign” but is rather an interpretation of local ingredients made through the eyes of someone who grew up in India, New York City and the South. 

 

An active supporter of various charities, Cheetie is highly devoted to contributing to the community that has given her so much. She has cooked at The James Beard House, Blackberry Farm, Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium, Terra Vita Festival, Farm to Fork, Atlanta Food & Wine just to name a few. 

 

In 2017 and 2018, she was nominated semifinalist for James Beard Award’s “Best Chef: Southeast” and was profiled in the New York Times in October, 201