2019 Midwest Foodservice Expo

Barkha Daily
Chef and Owner
the cheel / the baaree


As a child growing up in a small neighborhood in Kathmandu, Nepal, Barkha Limbu Daily loved food but was not as keen about cooking. At 6 years old, while her friends were playing outside, she was in front of the stovetop cooking with her mom. She resented feeling like she was just being groomed to be a good wife. However, one day, when she watched her family bite into the savory pieces of grilled and simmered wild boar, something clicked. Eyebrows went up, nods of approval were exchanged, and the praise they gave made her beam with pride. That was the moment her passion for food started to simmer. Barkha’s father, who grew up in Burma, gave her the chance to travel with him to places like India, Hong Kong, and Thailand, which not only opened her eyes to new things, but her taste buds, too. She is thankful to her mother, father, and grandparents for those opportunities, encouraging her adventurous spirit, and for showing her how to express love through food. in July of 2014, she took courage, left her promising career, and went with her gut to start her own restaurant in Thiensville called the cheel. The decision turned out to be a good one because as it has only been 4 years since the opening, the cheel has won over 40 awards from M Magazine, Travel Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Magazine, Yelp and Trip Advisor. From the Himalayas to America’s heartland, this business owner serves something special. When she is not cooking, Barkha loves to travel the world, dance, eat amazing food, golf, and spend time with her husband and three dogs.

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