This empirical research examines how social media marketing, cultural adoption, and halal certification impact the purchasing choices of oriental cuisine among Generation Z students at FEBI UINSU. Employing a quantitative associative research design, primary data were gathered via digital questionnaires from 120 active students (cohorts 2022–2025) selected through purposive sampling based on their experience purchasing or consuming oriental food. The dataset was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS, encompassing both outer measurement and inner structural model evaluations. All constructs successfully met the thresholds for convergent validity, discriminant validity, and composite reliability. The coefficient of determination (R^2) reached 0.424, demonstrating that the three independent constructs explain 42.4% of the variance in purchase decisions. Hypothesis testing reveals that social media marketing and halal certification exert a positive and significant effect on purchase decisions, while cultural adoption stands out as the most dominant positive factor. These insights confirm that Generation Z’s consumption of oriental dishes is driven by a combination of digital exposure, receptivity to global cultural elements, and certainty regarding product halal status. Practically, oriental culinary business operators are advised to align targeted digital promotion, distinct cultural positioning, and transparent halal certification to foster sustainable market growth.