Gauri Khan’s high-end Mumbai restaurant, Torii, has recently found itself at the center of an unexpected controversy. Known for its chic interiors and a clientele that includes Bollywood’s elite, the restaurant—owned by interior designer and entrepreneur Gauri Khan, wife of Shah Rukh Khan—is now under scrutiny after a social media influencer accused it of serving adulterated paneer.
The claim came from influencer and YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva, who posted a video that quickly went viral. In the clip, taken during his visit to Torii, Sarthak performed an iodine tincture test on a piece of paneer he was served. This test is often used to detect the presence of starch, and when the iodine touched the paneer, it changed color to black and blue. Visibly surprised by the result, Sarthak said, “Shah Rukh Khan ke restaurant mein paneer nakli tha. Ye dekh ke mere toh hosh udd gaye the.”
The video was part of a larger series in which Sarthak reviewed paneer quality across various celebrity-owned restaurants in Mumbai, including Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune, Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian, and Bobby Deol’s Someplace Else. In those cases, the same iodine test showed no color change, indicating that the paneer likely didn’t contain starch.
Here is the video:
The buzz online prompted a swift response from Torii. The restaurant commented on the video, saying, “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.”
Sarthak, keeping the mood light despite the stir, responded with, “So am I banned now? btw ur food is amazing ”
To offer more clarity, Dr. Kiran Soni, head of the Department of Nutrition and Health at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida, explained the limitations of the iodine test. She noted that while paneer made from pure milk proteins doesn’t naturally contain starch, the color change could still indicate adulteration or added starch. “Since pure paneer is made from milk proteins and does not naturally contain starch, an iodine test that results in a colour change could indicate the presence of synthetic or adulterated paneer,” she said in an earlier interview.
However, Dr. Soni also pointed out that commercial producers sometimes use starch to improve paneer’s texture or weight. Additionally, other components such as batter coatings or soy-based ingredients—both of which could be present in fusion dishes—may also influence the outcome of the test. “A dark colour reaction does not automatically mean the paneer is entirely artificial, it could simply be mixed with starch,” she clarified.
While the debate continues online, Torii maintains its position on ingredient quality, and the discussion has sparked a broader conversation about food testing, perception, and presentation in luxury dining.
