Spotlight: Good Karma Cafe

By Danielle Collins ‘20

Where can you go to get a delicious, healthy, vegan, all-you-can-eat meal for just $10? The Good Karma Cafe! It’s right on campus, great food, and a great deal. Read on to find out more and hear from the head chef!

Basic Info:

• Hours: Good Karma is open every week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12-2pm
• Location: Located next to the United University Church
• Walk down the stairs to where Dean’s List used to be
• Right behind Taper Hall

• Cost: $10 cash or Venmo
• They have plates, or you can bring your own container of any size.
• Free refills!
• Food:
• Tuesday: Indian
• Wednesday: Pasta
  
• Rotates between pesto and marinara each week
• Thursday: Mexican five layer dip
• Fun fact: the chefs use 60 pounds of tomatoes to make the dip!
• All three days: salad with almond dressing, halava (dessert pudding), fresh juice
• Pro tip: You can buy the almond dressing on its own… it’s delicious!
• Diet: Vegan!
  

Student Testimony (other than my own):

• “I love going to good karma because as soon as you walk down the stairs it’s like you’ve walked straight into a peaceful sanctuary. The vibes they give off are awesome: beautiful music, kind people, and great food. What more do you need? I can have three plates of that salad and still want more! Going there for lunch is a wonderful break in my day, it’s a place to relax and just enjoy.” — Colette Bartel, USC ‘21
  

Interview with the head chef:

I stopped by the Good Karma kitchen to talk to Sarvatma Das, the head chef of Good Karma. While he was cooking the day’s meal, he shared some insider information about Good Karma.

• History:
  
• Good Karma started in 2010 from a collaboration between Sarvatma and the USC Dean of Religious Life. Their goal was to provide food catered to students with specific dietary restrictions.
  
• The Good Karma diet:
  
• “Sattvik diet” (“Sattvik” means “goodness”)
  
• “Everything has to be cooked with a very good consciousness and as an offering… It has to be an offering of love and then can be shared with everybody. So we don’t taste the food before we sell it, and we have a little alter where we offer it with a prayer. And that’s quite a difference.”
  
• “So the consciousness of the cook actually influences the result of the food that you make. It’s not trying to rush through and make it slap it all together.”
  
• The Good Karma feeling: 
  
• “I think part of the explanation [for Good Karma’s popularity] is because of the love that is in the food. People feel very peaceful and happy when they eat. It’s very good stuff, it’s very healthy, it’s cheap.”
  

I hope you’ll all check out Good Karma Cafe for food that is delicious, healthy, and a great deal. I’ll leave you with one last quote from Sarvatma: “we are here and we are waiting for all of you to taste this…we are here taking care of you guys.” Happy eating!

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