Introducing new spices and family favorites to the Eastside
BELLEVUE, Wash (Sept. 24, 2012) ?The Bellevue Collection announces today that Eastside Restaurateur Lakshmi Thanu opens Moksha restaurant featuring an exciting new style of Indian cuisine, Karaikudi. The new restaurant?s menu is steeped in a long history of fine Indian cuisine from Thanu?s family, including a new dish to the region, Karaikudi. This unique dish, Karaikudi curry is lamb or vegetables stir fried with onion, garlic, tomato, black pepper, curry leaf, red chile and fennel and is specific to Thanu?s regional home state of Tamil Nadu.
An Indian native, Thanu?s family has opened restaurants around Indian since the 1940?s. His father opened his first restaurant in Sri Lanka. His restaurants with their bright flavors and the best of Indian cuisine quickly became popular and soon the extended family became active in the business.
In addition to Karaikudi, Moksha?s menu focuses on dishes from both northern and southern regions of India with some dishes from old family recipes. ?We will have a good variety of vegetarian and meat dishes,? says Thanu. ?Some dishes may have a slight twist on the traditional versions, but all have a special attention to the unique flavors of my country.?
?I grew up around food and in the restaurant business,? says Thanu. He came to this country to attend the University of Washington in 1995 and first worked upon his graduation as a software engineer for many years before pursuing his passion in the restaurant industry. He opened in 2006 a restaurant in Cross Roads called Spice Route, which has been praised by a wide variety of restaurant reviewers. Moksha is his second restaurant in the region. ?I am delighted to continue my family?s tradition of sharing the food I love with the people of my adopted home through our family owned restaurants.?
Unique in its interior design and d?cor as well, Moksha features elegant lights and one ?conversation piece? light designed by a Japanese artist named Yuri Kinoshita. A Buddhist, Kinoshita calls this specially fabricated light her ?first elephant light? as it is the symbol of Buddha?s Birth. Its interiors are designed by Mesher Shing McNutt, renowned for their architecture and interior design for the developing food service concepts that ?change the way people eat.?
The cuisine is authentic, flavorful, and gourmet. The house specialty is Karaikudi ($13-16), a curry with lamb or vegetables stir-fried with onion, garlic, tomato, black pepper, curry leaf, red chile and fennel. If you?re looking for something spicy, the Pan-Roasted Indian Baby Eggplant ($12) is sauteed in a spicy peanut-coconut sauce with ginger, coriander, garlic, and star anise.
The Shrimp 65 ($12) appetizer features grilled tiger prawns marinated in red chile, curry leaf, garlic, and coriander. Chicken Tikka Masala ($12-14) simmered in a creamy tomato-almond sauce and Lamb Saag ($13-15) served in a smooth spinach sauce are some of the most popular items. Many vegetarian options are offered, including Khadi (pakora dumplings), Lahsooni Saag Paneer(paneer cheese in a creamy spinach sauce), and Three-Bean Makhani Daal with chick peas, kidney beans, and black lentils.
The lunch menu offers a version of ?Thali,? a traditional sampler platter served with your choice of main dish, including Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Saag, Vegetable Korma, and more. For $11-13, this option is an affordable way to try many different dishes.
Moksha is located at 515 Bellevue Square, a street front restaurant located on Bellevue Way between to Boom Noodle and PF Chang?s China Bistro. For more information or reservations, contact (425) 427-5787 or visit http://mokshadining.com.
Photo credit to: @charleskoh
by Jenni Liu
Whether it's eating, taking pictures, or cooking, Jenni Liu has always had a passion for food. Her days are spent in an office, her nights baking up a sugar storm for her dessert catering business (Jenni's Sugar Shop). As a Seattle native, she was seeking a place to share her foodventures in and around the city.
Jenni Liu has written 3 article(s) at EatBellevue.com
Source: http://www.eatbellevue.com/2012/11/local-restaurateur-introduces-karaikudi-dishes-to-puget-sound/
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