Mumbai’s high-end restaurant Torii, owned by Gauri Khan, recently found itself at the center of controversy after a YouTuber alleged that it served “fake paneer.” However, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna has stepped forward to defend the restaurant, slamming the misinformation being spread online.
On April 18, Chef Vikas Khanna took to his Instagram Stories to call out the YouTuber, Sarthak Sachdeva, who claimed to be a food scientist. In a strongly-worded note, Khanna wrote, “I’ve been cooking and working with the science of food for the past several decades. I’ve never seen such terrible misinformation like the YouTuber who claims to be a food scientist.” He further explained that the iodine test, which changes color in the presence of certain ingredients like potatoes, rice, bread, cornstarch, and flour, could show a reaction due to cross-contamination and does not necessarily imply fake paneer.
Khanna also criticized the current trend of trusting unqualified individuals on sensitive matters related to food science. “It’s scary that unqualified people are taken seriously,” he remarked, tagging both Torii and Sarthak Sachdeva in his post.
The controversy began when influencer Sarthak Sachdeva posted a video visiting celebrity-owned restaurants, including Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune and Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian, performing iodine tincture tests on paneer dishes. At Torii, the test indicated a black and blue color change, suggesting the presence of starch, leading Sachdeva to accuse the restaurant of serving “fake paneer.”
In response, Torii’s official Instagram handle quickly issued a clarification, stating, “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.”
The viral video and the strong reactions it evoked have sparked a broader conversation about the need for accurate information and responsible food reviews on social media platforms.