As sustainability becomes an increasingly central concern among global consumers, low-carbon dining has emerged as a key trend in the food service industry. This study explores how cultural preference and product attributes influence consumption intention, with perceived value serving as a mediating variable, and whether experiential marketing moderates these relationships. Utilizing data from a survey of 610 consumers at Vietnamese restaurants in Taiwan, the analysis employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), bootstrapping, and hierarchical regression techniques. The results reveal that both cultural preference and product attributes significantly enhance perceived value, which in turn positively influences consumption intention. Perceived value is found to partially mediate both effects. Furthermore, experiential marketing moderates the link between cultural preference and consumption intention: as the intensity of experiential engagement increases, the influence of cultural preference diminishes. This suggests that immersive dining experiences can effectively lower cultural entry barriers. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of sustainable consumer behavior and offer practical implications for ethnic restaurants seeking to integrate cultural storytelling with low-carbon strategies to strengthen brand positioning and attract environmentally conscious consumers.