A famous influencer for food blogging and reviews claimed that fake paneer was served at Gauri Khan’s famous Mumbai restaurant, Torii. The luxurious interiors of Torii and celebrity visits make it a popular destination. Restaurant Torii has also responded to the influencers’ claims that the restaurant’s paneer is fake.
According to sources, the popular food blogger shared a video on social media claiming that the restaurant was serving adulterated paneer made with starch. In the video, Sarthak can be seen conducting an iodine tincture test on a piece of paneer from the restaurant. This test is usually done to detect starch.
The paneer turned black and blue upon being touched by iodine. Sarthak observed the color change and said, “This paneer is fake.” I was shocked to see this. This was not expected from such a high-profile and expensive restaurant. After the video went viral online, Gauri Khan’s restaurant, Torii, reacted to it.
Torii Reacted
Responding to the incident, the restaurant stated, “The iodine test indicates the presence of starch, not the authenticity of paneer. Since the dish includes soy-based ingredients, this reaction occurred. We firmly stand by the quality of our paneer and our commitment to integrity at Paneer.” Sarthak responded in a witty tone, “So am I banned now? By the way, your food is amazing.”
Influencer Tests Paneer at Other Celebrity restaurants, – No Starch Found
In the video, Sarthak visited several celebrity restaurants in Mumbai, including Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune, Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian, and Bobby Deol’s Someplace Else, to check the quality of the paneer being served there. Using the same iodine test, it showed that none of the paneer turned black, indicating that they did not contain starch.
Yatharth Hospital’s Dr. Kiran Soni Sheds Light on Common Paneer Misconceptions
Dr. Kiran Soni, head of the Nutrition and Health Department at Yatharth Hospital, Greater Noida, explained in an earlier interview with HT Lifestyle, “The iodine starch test can identify the presence of starch, but it doesn’t definitively prove that the paneer is fake. Sometimes, paneer manufacturers add starch to enhance the texture or increase the weight.”
