The Cult-Run Restaurant That Michael Jackson Swore By In The '80s

In 1969, Yogi Bhajan started what would become the Healthy Happy Holy Organization (3HO), using cuisine and kundalini yoga in an to attempt to supplant a culture of reaching higher consciousness with illegal substances. To further his mission, Bhajan opened an ashram and the Golden Temple vegetarian restaurant on Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles, staffed by his followers. One of Golden Temple's most famous fans was Michael Jackson, who was a particular fan of its New Mexican enchiladas with red chili sauce. Jackson loved the food so much that he had it delivered in the studio one day and eventually hired two Golden Temple chefs as private and tour chefs. 

However, some former 3HO members and members of the Sikh community allege that 3HO is actually a high-control cult. Mani Niall, Jackson's first private chef, baldly stated Gold Temple was a "cult run" place, elaborating that "The restaurant staff wore knee-length white robes, moved at a meditative snail's pace, and had odd, hard-to-pronounce names" (via California Eating). However, a 1986 review in the Los Angeles Times was less critical, noting, "The 'vibes' are good."

Akasha Richmond, another Golden Temple employee who became Jackson's personal and tour chef for 14 years, offered more insight. "Unfortunately, most of the people that they sent to work there, I called them 'the rejects,'" she told the Good Food podcast. "So I had people working for me who just stared at me all day. It was a little bit of a kitchen/rehab center." Still, Richmond, who studied yoga with Bhajan for 15 years and would cook with him sometimes, recalled, "it was the funnest thing I ever did in my life." On touring with Jackson, she said, "It was crazy and fun [...] It was like being with the Beatles."

Yogi Bhajan, according to Akasha Richmond, was "deeply involved in the food" (via Good Food) at Golden Temple, which mostly served twists on Indian recipes, with lots of chilies, garlic, onions, turmeric, and ginger. The menu also featured mung beans, rice, tea, and those New Mexican enchiladas Jackson so loved (some of Bhajan's earliest U.S. ventures took root in New Mexico).

Today, Bhajan and 3HO's influences linger on many grocery store shelves in the form of Yogi Tea. Bhajan would make a tea blend with cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and black pepper and serve it at the ashram and Golden Temple. It grew from there into the Yogi Tea package you see, though it's now owned by the East West Tea Company and some former employees allege "high-control" practices are still in place

Niall continues to work as a chef and business consultant, while Richmond carried her time with both Bhajan and Jackson with her to her Las Vegas restaurant, AKASHA, which closed its doors to the public in 2025 (and is currently only available for private events and catering). While it was open, Richmond sometimes presented an Indian special as an homage to Bhajan. She would also put on the occasional MJ-inspired menu and made his favorite enchiladas on his birthday and the anniversary of his death.