Eat To The Beat With Chef & Guitarist Cheetie Kumar Of Ajja In Raleigh

Radio Cherry Bombe

The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network

Restaurants, 591312, Business, Arts, Food Radio, Interviews, Kerry Diamond, Female Chefs, Radio Cherry Bombe, Entrepreneurs, Society & Culture, Women, Careers, Women In Food, Food, Cherry Bombe Magazine, Talk Radio, Chefs, Restaurateurs

4.6 • 592 Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today’s guest is Cheetie Kumar, self-taught chef, rock and roller, and restaurant industry champion. She and her husband Paul are the owners of Ajja, a restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, that celebrates the bold, beautiful flavors she loves. Ajja means “come over” in Hindi and Urdu, as Cheetie explains, and it’s the perfect word to describe their buzzy neighborhood spot. Cheetie is also vice president and a board member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which represents indie operators across the country. Cheetie and the IRC are fighting to keep restaurants around the country alive and thriving, a cause we can all get behind. Tune in to learn about her childhood in the Bronx, how life on the road with Cheetie’s band led to her becoming a chef, and what she means by the stupidity of ambition. Thank you to Vivienne Culinary Books for supporting our show. Click here for tickets for our Summer Tastemaker Tour. Subscribe to Cherry Bombe’s print magazine. More on Cheetie: Instagram, Ajja restaurant, Independent Restaurant Coalition More on Kerry: Instagram Past episodes and transcripts

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi, everyone.
0:05.7	You are listening to Radio Cherry Bomb, and I'm your host, Carrie Diamond.
0:09.6	Coming to you from Cherry Bomb H.Q. in Manhattan.
0:12.8	Today's guest is Cheedy Kumar, self-taught chef, rock and roller, and restaurant industry champion.
0:19.3	To know Cheaty is to love her, as you're about to find out.
0:22.5	She and her husband Paul are the owners of Aja, a restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina that celebrates
0:28.1	the bold, beautiful flavors she loves. Ajah means come over in Hindi and Urdu, as Chidi
0:34.0	explains, and it's the perfect word to describe their buzzy neighborhood spot.
0:39.0	Cheedy is also vice president and a board member of the independent restaurant coalition,
0:43.5	which represents indie operators across the country.
0:46.6	Chidi and the IRC are fighting to keep restaurants around the country alive and thriving,
0:51.4	yes, a cause we can all get behind.
0:54.3	Tune in to learn about her childhood in the Bronx, how life on the road with Cheety's band led to her becoming a chef,
1:00.5	and what she means by the stupidity of ambition.
1:04.9	Our chat was recorded during my visit to Raleigh, Great Food Town.
1:08.7	Stay tuned for Chidi Kumar.
1:11.2	Next up on our summer tastemaker tour presented by the Visa Dining Collection by Open
1:15.9	Table and Visa is Austin, Texas. We're headed to the gorgeous Commodore Perry Estate on
1:21.0	Friday, June 27th for an afternoon of great food, connection, and conversation.
1:26.3	We'll be joined by special guest Sarah Hurd,
1:28.9	Tracy Malichick Ezekiel, Amanda Turner, and Alley, Corey, some of the most exciting culinary
1:34.4	talents in Texas right now. As always, there'll be delicious bites, a panel chat, and plenty
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.