Restaurant reduces Kardinya's carbon hoofprint

by Urszula Dawkins

April 18, 2008

KARDINYA’S One World Cuisine is offering its entire menu free in the hope of reducing global warming by encouraging vegetarianism.

The restaurant, specialising in a buffet-style spread with lots of ‘fake meat’ dishes, is funding the move from the pockets of its owners, with some regular customers chipping in as well.

Manager Lee Lin is one of three people who run the business. She said there were many good reasons for becoming vegetarian – health, compassion towards animals, and helping reduce greenhouse emissions.

Livestock are increasingly implicated in global warming, with a 2006 UN report estimating that cattle-rearing generated more greenhouse gases than all of the world’s transportation put together.

For anyone who hasn’t tried ‘fake meat’, approaching the serving dishes is an eye-opener, with Vietnamese cod-fish stir-fry, butter chicken, lamb curry and sweet and sour chicken balls just some of the dishes up for grabs.

All the ‘meat’ is manufactured by professional alternative meat manufacturers based in Taiwan.

“Basically it’s a soya base, soya powders, whey protein, soy fibre, and we have mushroom base as well – so these are the main substitutes,” Lee Lin said.

The restaurant plans to start up cooking classes soon, for people who need some help throwing a vego meal together.

Business has been brisk at One World Cuisine since the free-for-all policy began.

“We’re getting a lot more first-timer, non-vegetarians, and yes, they’re coming back…,” Ms Lin said. “People are more ready to come in and have a try, and when they find it’s so delicious, it’s easier for them to imagine vegetarianism is achievable.