Out of all the restaurants on the eighth floor of the Zhong You Shopping Center, Greentech Fitness Veggie Rolls is one of the least attractive. But what the restaurant lacks in terms of brilliant d¨¦cor and scale, it makes up for with innovative food, attentive service, a comfortable environment and revolutionary ideas for diet.

Owner Dr. A. Roland Huang is a gourmet from Taiwan, who proudly proclaimed, "My family has been living in Taiwan for more than two hundred years."

Deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, he likes to wear a Chinese jacket. He has a dignified posture and appears to be in excellent health.

"I use my mouth to cook," Huang says, laughing heartily. "I never have to cook personally, but I am a master on the theory."

In testament to this, he tells us all about his theories on how people should eat before he introduces us to his dishes.

"In the past, people grew their vegetables by planting the seeds in natural environments. Then they started planted them in green houses but used a lot of chemical fertilizers," Huang said. "Today, people prefer to eat organic vegetables. Different times have different demands for vegetables. We need healthier foods now."

"We are in a different era. The best way to keep healthy in our times is to do sports and take a scientific approach to our diets. Too many delicacies, like meat, are easily available now, but it costs people a lot more to lose weight. I do not encourage people not to eat," Huang continues. "You may lose weight if you stop eating but it's an unreasonable, temporary method. People should diet the scientific way by eating more vegetables."

In Huang's restaurant, vegetables replace staples like rice and noodles. Apart from the vegetarian foods offered in religious places, Huang says it's the first place of its kind on both the mainland and Taiwan.

"In China, jiaozi, baozi and soy milk are produced as fast food. What is the character of fast food? It is mass production. We turn our vegetables into semi-finished products in our central kitchen and then send them here," he explains.

After making enquiries about the central kitchen, we learn that Huang is also the chairman of the Beijing Greentech Food Development Company, established in 1993. At first, we are confused because the company's main products are meat, like chicken and duck. Huang explains, "Keeping fit is a global trend now. Our meat products have the fat removed, but eating enough vegetables helps people's digestive system, skin, body shape and health."

Huang created his healthy veggie rolls after he learnt how KFC and McDonalds operate. He has successfully turned vegetables into fast food, saying "It only takes you about 30 minutes to eat here." It's healthy and convenient.

"Fitness veggie rolls" is the main dish served at the restaurant. To make the dish, the vegetables are first boiled, then mixed with sesame soy. One chef makes the pancakes, while another rolls the veggies up in the wrapper. The roll is then wrapped in a well-designed bag and served. The manager took us to watch the process. It's not conducted in a kitchen but in a series of compartments set behind transparent glass for all to see.

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