Meet Akash Sudhakara, the founder behind Midnight Temple, Eastern Market's Indian gastropub. Our full Q&A with Akash is coming soon.
Akash Sudhakara is the founder of Midnight Temple, the Indian gastropub in Detroit's Eastern Market. Our full interview with Akash is coming soon. Until then, here's a look at his story so far.
Detroit roots
Akash grew up Downriver in Detroit with Indian immigrant parents whose roots are in Bangalore. The dishes his mother made at home, Amma's recipes, became the foundation of Midnight Temple's menu.
Building Midnight Temple
Akash started with weekend street-food pop-ups in Eastern Market in 2020. In 2021, he and Chef Bharath Reddy hosted a test-kitchen preview dinner at Frame in Hazel Park, showing off a menu inspired by the pan-Indian dishes of his family's home.
Recognition
- TIME named Midnight Temple among the best spots in Detroit in its World's Greatest Places 2022
- Detroit Free Press ranked it No. 10 on its 10 Best New Restaurants of 2024
- City of Detroit featured Akash and the restaurant in its "Opportunity Rising" video series
Cooking for the community
In 2024, Akash cooked a family-style farm dinner with seasonal produce from the Keep Growing Detroit farm, and the restaurant still sources halal meat, produce, and spices from Eastern Market every week.
Coming soon
We'll sit down with Akash to talk about Amma's kitchen, why he chose Eastern Market, and the dish every first-timer should order. Check back for the full Q&A.
