Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan’s upscale Mumbai restaurant Torii came under scrutiny after social media influencer Sarthak Sachdeva alleged that the paneer served there is ‘fake.’ Yes, you read that right.
In a now-viral Instagram reel, the influencer is seen performing an iodine tincture test, often used to detect starch adulteration, on a piece of paneer from Torii. When the iodine touched the paneer, it turned blue-black, prompting Sarthak to declare it ‘adulterated.’
He also tested paneer from other celebrity-owned restaurants, including those by Bobby Deol, Shilpa Shetty, and cricketer Virat Kohli. In those tests, the paneer did not change colour, suggesting no starch presence.
Torii Mumbai, Gauri’s restaurant, responds
The video quickly gathered traction online, forcing a response from Torii’s official Instagram account. The restaurant clarified, “The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. As the dish contains soy-based ingredients, this reaction is expected. We stand by the purity of our paneer and the integrity of our ingredients at Torii.”
While Torii addressed the controversy with a technical explanation, Gauri Khan, the face behind the premium restaurant, has not yet publicly responded to the claims.
About the restaurant
Torii, located in Pali Hill, Bandra, is an 82-seater pan-Asian restaurant. It was started by Gauri in February 2024.
The man at the helm of Torii’s kitchen is Chef Stefan Gadit. Opening up about the menu, the chef told ET Now in an interview recently, “Imagine taking the soulful warmth of Mediterranean food and the elegant precision of Asian cuisine, then marrying the two on a single plate – that’s what we aimed for. The Torii menu is rooted in simplicity, but don’t mistake that for basic. It’s about letting every ingredient shine with the right technique and treatment. The whole vibe of the restaurant – intimate yet elevated – flows into the food. You’re meant to feel like you’re on a culinary journey without ever leaving your table.”
