Gauri Khan’s restaurant food controversy sparks massive debate

Just when you thought celebrity restaurants were all about luxe décor and five-star presentation, one unexpected food test has sent shockwaves through Mumbai’s fine-dining circle. Gauri Khan—known for her flair in design, film production, and being the queen of Bollywood royalty as Shah Rukh Khan’s wife-is now in the hot seat for something no restaurateur wants: a food adulteration claim.

It all began when influencer Sarthak Sachdeva took it upon himself to investigate what’s really being served at celeb-owned eateries. Armed with a bottle of iodine tincture and curiosity, he made surprise visits to places like Virat Kohli’s ‘One8 Commune’, Shilpa Shetty’s ‘Bastian’, Bobby Deol’s ‘Someplace Else’, and Gauri Khan’s plush Pali Hill eatery, ‘Torii’. The mission? Test the authenticity of the paneer. Things escalated quickly when the paneer served at Torii allegedly turned black during the iodine test—raising red flags about starch contamination.

For those unfamiliar, the iodine tincture test is a basic method used to check for starch in paneer. Naturally made paneer shouldn’t have starch—so if it turns blue-black, it’s often labeled as "fake". With Torii’s paneer reportedly reacting this way, the internet didn’t hold back. However, the restaurant was quick to issue a statement, clarifying that the dish in question contained soy-based ingredients and that iodine’s reaction didn’t imply low quality. They stood by the integrity of their food, though Gauri Khan herself stayed tight-lipped.

While one test doesn’t define an entire brand, this incident has opened up larger conversations—about quality checks, transparency, and the standards of food served under celebrity banners. Whether this is a one-off glitch or the beginning of more accountability in glam-dining, the heat in Gauri’s kitchen is definitely on.