Eastside Restaurateur Lakshmi Thanu will open Moksha restaurant Sept. 24 at Bellevue Square. The restaurant will feature a new style of Indian cuisine, Karaikudi.

The new restaurant’s menu is steeped in a long history of Indian cuisine from Thanu’s family, including a new dish to the region, Karaikudi, which features lamb or vegetables stir fried with onion, garlic, tomato, black pepper, curry leaf, red chile and fennel. It is specific to Thanu’s regional home state of Tamil Nadu.

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.”

Thanu’s family has opened restaurants around Indian since the 1940’s.

“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 upon graduation worked as a software engineer before pursuing his passion in the restaurant industry. In 2006 he opened the restaurant Spice Route in Crossroads. 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.”

Moksha features a “conversation piece” light designed by Japanese artist Yuri Kinoshita. A Buddhist, Kinoshita calls this specially fabricated light her “first elephant light” as it is the symbol of Buddha’s Birth.

Moksha is located at 515 Bellevue Square, a street front restaurant located on Bellevue Way between to Boon Noodle and PF Chang’s China Bistro.

For more information or reservations, contact 425-427-5787 or visit http://mokshadining.com.