Indian restaurant opens in Moscow

Vegetarian, Indian-American, traditional Indian fare offered in Eastside Marketplace for family atmosphere

Married+couple+Deepika+Dhawan+and+Manoj+Kumar+followed+their+college+student+children+to+Moscow+to+open+their+business.

COURTESY OF PIXABAY

Married couple Deepika Dhawan and Manoj Kumar followed their college student children to Moscow to open their business.

SARINA SHARPE, reporter and columnist

Karma, a new Indian cuisine restaurant, opened Monday in Moscow, Idaho.

Karma is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to their press release, and is located at 1420 S Blaine St. Suite 19 and 20.

The restaurant is co-owned by Deepika Dhawan and Manoj Kumar, a couple who moved to Moscow primarily so they could stay close to their children as they enter university life.

“It’s kind of a stupid story behind why [we chose Moscow],” Dhawan said. “My husband wanted to be close to the kids — we have a few daughters — and I kept saying, ‘Let them alone, let them alone,’ and he said, ‘No, no, no!’ ”

Dhawan and Kumar run two other locations, one on Bainbridge Island and one in Wenatchee, Washington, according to their press release.

Karma serves meals that are popular both in American Indian restaurants and in India, Dhawan said.

“We serve foods like chicken tikka masala,” she said, “[and] butter chicken, which are popular in [America and] India, too.”

There are also vegetarian options available.

Dhawan and her husband explored Moscow restaurants before they moved to the area.

Dhawan said a lot of restaurants are downtown, and while they are very nice, Moscow could use another family restaurant. Karma is open in the Eastside Marketplace mall.

“I think we need some nice and comfy family restaurants,” she said.

People seem to be reacting well to the new restaurant. Dhawan said people are happy to see a new place open.

“So many people are connecting with us,” said Dhawan, “by phone and by email. They do seem very excited.”