'Utterly Surprised', Gauri Khan’s Restaurant Has THIS To Say About 'Fake Paneer' And Iodine Test

Gauri Khan’s Mumbai restaurant Torii has denied claims of using fake or adulterated ingredients after an influencer’s viral Iodine test video.

YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva visited several celebrity-owned restaurants in Mumbai to test the quality of their paneer.

Source : Instagram/@toriimumbai

Gauri Khan’s Mumbai restaurant Torii has denied claims of using fake or adulterated ingredients. This comes after a viral video showed a paneer dish turning blue during a starch test, raising questions about the food served at the celebrity hotspot.

Gauri Khan’s restaurant Torii issues statement after 'fake paneer' claims

YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva sparked controversy after claiming that Torii served fake paneer. In his viral video, he conducted a starch test on the paneer and was visibly shocked by what he said was a failed purity check.

The restaurant has responded to the video with an official statement, firmly denying the claims made by the YouTuber. Torii responded, saying in a statement, "We are utterly surprised at the news of 'fake paneer' being served at Torii. The iodine test reflects the presence of starch, not the authenticity of the paneer. For all dishes that contain soy-based ingredients (a staple in Asian food) this reaction is expected,”

They further added, “From sourcing our produce to the food being served on the plate to our patrons, there are quality checks at every step of the way. Our commitment to excellence in the food we serve remains unwavered.”

What is Iodine Test?

On Wednesday, YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva visited several celebrity-owned restaurants in Mumbai to test the quality of their paneer. He went to places like Virat Kohli's One8 Commune, Shilpa Shetty's Bastian, and Bobby Deol's Someplace Else, using iodine tincture to check the paneer. He would peel off the fried layer, wash it in water, and add iodine drops. None of the paneer samples turned black, which he took as a sign that the ingredients were of good quality.

When Sachdeva performed the same test at Gauri Khan's Torii, the paneer turned black as soon as it came in contact with iodine. Previously, Torii denied both the allegations and the test results in the comments section of the influencer’s post.

"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 (sic)," the restaurant commented on the YouTuber's Instagram post.

Gauri Khan's Torii is an upscale restaurant located in Mumbai's Pali Hill area. In addition to her ventures in hospitality, Gauri is a renowned producer and a celebrated interior designer, having designed the homes of numerous Bollywood celebrities.