Hi! Does anyone have a rec for a restaurant that does Pahari/Pahadi North Indian food in the Seattle area or close by?

Some of the notable ones on my list...

• Serious Pie for Pizza (multiple locations)
• Matador for TexMex (Redmond)
• Araya for Thai (Bellevue)
• Lola for Greek inspired cuisine (Seattle)
• EDIT: Removed fast food restaurants from my list.

What's on your list?

Indian lunch buffets have become a rarity. Thalis have become more common. Here are some notable ones in my list

• $10 South Indian Thali from the newish “Simply Indian Tiffins” (Bellevue) - https://simplyindian.square.site/
  • Good homestyle food; great value
• South Indian Thali from Jayams (Bellevue)
• Punjabi Special thali from Mirch Masala Town (Kent) - https://mirchmasalatown.com/menu?item=punjabi-special-thali-QVvv
  • Huge thali for $25
• Lunch Thali in Kanishka (Redmond), Desi Tadka (Bellevue)

What are other options that you would recommend?

If you are an NRI looking to buy a "luxury 3BHK" in Bengaluru, Gurgaon, or Hyderabad purely as an investment, pause and run the actual math in USD.

The aggressive post-pandemic rally was heavily driven by cheap tech liquidity, domestic FOMO, and developers aggressively pricing in the next 10 years of expected appreciation today so early investors and builders can exit at peak valuations.

Here is the objective breakdown of why you shouldn't buy new properties now—and why existing pre-COVID owners have a golden exit window.

1. The INR Depreciation Trap (The Silent Return Killer)

When you earn, spend, and retire in foreign currency (USD/EUR/AED), nominal INR gains mean nothing.

• 10-Year Currency Drag: Over the past decade, the Indian Rupee depreciated from ~₹67/USD to over ~₹87/USD, representing a ~2.8% to 3.2% annual drag against the US Dollar.
• The Reality: If your Indian flat appreciates by 6% per year in INR, your effective pre-tax dollar return is only ~3%.

2. Long-Term Capital Appreciation vs. Marketing Hype

Builders and brokers love quoting the 2021–2024 tech-hub run, but long-term data tells a different story.

• According to the RBI House Price Index (HPI), the all-India residential property CAGR over 10-year holding periods sits around 4% to 6% in nominal INR terms.
• After adjusting for Indian domestic inflation (~5%), real residential capital appreciation in India has historically hovered near 0% to 1.5%.
• With global tech hiring cooling and domestic IT compensation normalizing, the high-earning demographic driving peak EMIs and runaway rents is hitting an affordability ceiling.

3. Abysmal Net Rental Yields

Unlike western markets where gross residential rental yields sit between 4%–7%, top Indian tier-1 cities average:

• Gross Yield: 2.5% – 3.5%.
• Net Yield (Post-costs): 1.5% – 2.0% once you factor in property tax, maintenance fees, brokerage, vacancy months, and 20% NRI TDS on rental income.

4. Bought Pre-COVID or at Lower Prices? This is Your Exit Window

If you bought property before 2020 at lower valuations, you have likely caught the bulk of this cycle’s upside. Holding further risks watching those gains get eaten by currency depreciation and stagnant secondary markets.

Why cashing out now makes sense:

1. Developer Forward Pricing: Secondary market buyers are getting scarce as new projects are already priced for 2032. Selling into current liquidity lets you capture peak equity.
2. Tax Changes (Budget 2024 update): Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) on property held >24 months is 12.5% without indexation (with the option to use 20% with indexation for properties acquired before July 23, 2024, whichever is lower).
3. Smooth Repatriation: Under RBI's FEMA rules, NRIs can legally repatriate up to $1,000,000 USD per financial year from their NRO account via Form 15CA/15CB.

5. Head-to-Head: ₹1.5 Cr ($180k USD) over 10 Years

Metric / Asset	Indian Residential Flat	US Index Fund (S&P 500 / VOO)
Nominal Return	~6% INR CAGR + 2.5% Gross Yield	~10% Historic USD CAGR
Currency Drag	-3.0% (INR Depreciation)	0% (Pure USD)
Net Annual USD Return	~4.5% – 5.0%	~8.0% – 10.0%
Liquidity & Exit	Highly illiquid, 6–12 months to sell, paperwork hassle	T+1 instant settlement
Tax Friction for NRIs	TDS at sale, 15CA/CB, CA certification required	Standard LTCG (0–15/20%)
Effort	Tenant hassles, society meetings, property visits	100% passive, zero maintenance

The Verdict

• Buying for personal use / emotional anchor / parents? That is a lifestyle choice and personal peace of mind.
• Buying as an investment? You are taking on illiquid emerging-market real estate risk for low single-digit net USD returns.
• Already holding legacy gains? Consider selling into this cycle peak, obtaining your lower TDS certificate/15CA-CB, repatriating the funds, and redeploying into broad-market US/global equities (VOO, VTI, QQQ).

Recently found out that Costco sells (peeled) jackfruit. It’s so yumm. It’s a seasonal item.

Worth trying it out…if you like jackfruit & want to avoid the mess of peeling a whole fruit.

What are other Costco finds that you have liked?

Heard that Gavaskar is visiting the Seattle area. Anyone have details?

My mother is traveling from Seattle to Bengalore on September 11th in Singapore Airlines with a layover in Singapore. She's 72 year old and physically able to walk around but need help in directions in navigating within airport especially during layover. I'm looking for travel companion who can help her a little. Will really appreciate any help. I'm willing to change the date as well within Singapore Airlines or book a completely new ticket if there is someone available who can speak Kannada. She can understand a bit of English but can't speak.

Where can one find the cheapest basmati rice in Seattle

There's a growing number of Indian restaurants in the Greater Seattle area!

• The BRK (Bellevue/Redmond/Kirkland) area has a good selection of Indian restaurants.
• Bothell has recently become a hotspot for Andhra cuisine (and Indian food in general).
• Kent/Renton has historically been known for Punjabi food.
• The Indian restaurant scene in Seattle city proper is emerging with multiple new restaurants & food trucks.
• EDIT: Issaquah has a few good restaurants as well.
• EDIT: Some reasonably good restaurants and highway-dhabas all over Washington state

What are you favorites in the area? I have posted mine in a series of posts below.

What’s your fave dosa joint?

What’s the best Indian sweets shop in the Seattle area? 🍬🇮🇳
Looking for recommendations for really good, authentic Indian sweets around Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, or nearby areas.
Especially interested in places known for fresh, traditional sweets rather than just average grocery-store selections. Open to all regional styles—South Indian, North Indian, Bengali, etc.
What’s your #1 pick, and what sweets should I absolutely try there?

Location: 655 Crockett St, Seattle, WA 98109
Rent: $3,600/month
Unit: 2 bed / 2 bath — 1,006 sq ft
Lease: 1-year (+) term

Property Overview
Spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bath residence in the desirable Westlake/Queen Anne area featuring expansive views of Lake Union, the Seattle skyline, and seaplane activity.

Key Features
● Private covered patio with panoramic Lake Union and city views as well as rooftop access with 180 degree views
● Two parking spaces
● In-unit washer and dryer
● Air conditioning in living room and central heating
● Kitchen with maple cabinetry and tiled countertops
● Walk-in closet with plenty of custom built in storage in the bedroom and bathrooms
● Additional storage space in garage
● Access to shared rooftop deck with 180° views
● Pet-friendly (cats and dogs allowed)
● Utilities included: water, gas, sewer, garbage, and recycling

Requests for showings are welcome. Please reach out for additional details or to schedule a viewing.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/63510197\_zpid/?view=public

What are you favorite summer activities & events in the area? Top of my list includes...

• Hiking around Mt Rainier & Mt Baker
• Road trips around PNW
• Strolling Farmers markets
• Attending concerts

Here are a few lesser known activities.

• Road trip to Yakima Valley
• Touring the wind farm in Ellensburg
• Visiting the SPARK museum in Bellingham

What's typically on your summer list?

Please join me in welcoming the new moderator u/Unique_Edge6323 who has been in the Seattle area for 20+ years. Looking forward to seeing what they bring to this subreddit!

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if this is the right space for this, so please disregard if it isn’t.

I’m not Indian, but I’ve always been really drawn to and interested in the culture. I’m a Black woman in my 20s living in Washington and I’d love to meet and potentially date an Indian Christian man, ideally around 24–33.

I’m not really interested in using dating apps, so I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for ways to naturally meet Indian men in that age range.

Also, I’d genuinely love to hear from Indian Christians: how common is it for people in your community to date outside of their culture? I completely understand that every family and individual is different; I’m just curious about people’s experiences. Thank you!

I moved to Seattle about two years for work (Male 34) and looking to meet new people. Message me if interested :)

Hi folks, I started this community for folks on Reddit to engage with the Indian diaspora in Seattle and the suburbs. I should have spent more effort in making it more active but even so we have grown to 784 members. I am moving out of Seattle but will always have a deep connection to this place having lived here for 10 years. I am looking for 2 new moderators who can expand this community further and make it more active as compared to the alternative of shutting it down. If you’re interested in doing so, please message the mods. If I don’t get enough interest by 08/15, I would then shut the community down on 08/15.