Not too long ago, Gauri Khan’s restaurant Torii found itself in the middle of a bizarre food controversy. A YouTuber conducted a basic iodine test on a dish and boldly claimed the paneer served at the restaurant was fake.
As expected, the video blew up online. But instead of crumbling under pressure, Torii stood firm, and now, their head chef Stefan Gadit has finally broken his silence.
“The ingredients we provide are top-notch”: Chef Stefan
In a recent interview with SCREEN, Chef Stefan opened up about the whole situation. Refuting the YouTuber’s claim, he confidently said:
“The quality, the ingredients, everything we provide is top-notch; we had nothing to worry about.”
He admitted that the growing buzz did create a bit of pressure, and that’s why they chose to issue a public statement. Their goal was simple — clear the air and let people know the actual science behind what happened.
Interestingly, he didn’t blame the YouTuber. In fact, he said the vlogger “didn’t have any wrong intentions” and just wanted to check the food. But sometimes, good intentions can spiral into unexpected drama, especially on the internet.
Not a “real” test, says chef
Chef Stefan also made an important point about food testing. He stressed that food chemistry is a proper science, and doing a basic DIY test at a restaurant table isn’t the right way to judge food.
“Putting something over something” isn’t how food authenticity is determined, he said, highlighting how such surface-level tests can be totally misleading when not backed by proper expertise.
The twist no one saw coming: the controversy helped business
You’d expect a controversy like this to ruin a restaurant’s reputation. But Torii experienced the opposite. The so-called “fake paneer” scandal actually boosted their popularity.
Chef Stefan revealed:
“It increased our business, and I got more than 20–30 followers on Instagram, so that was a blessing in disguise, I would say.”
Yes, a controversy turned into free publicity. More people started talking about Torii, curious diners showed up, and the restaurant kept its cool — a smart move in today’s viral world.
Vikas Khanna’s support sealed the deal
When celebrity chef Vikas Khanna backed Torii and vouched for their explanation, things started turning in their favour. The video by YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva — which sparked the whole drama — was taken down.
Torii had already clarified that the iodine test used in the video could only detect starch, not prove whether the paneer was real or fake. Since their dish contains soy, the colour change was misinterpreted, and the entire drama was based on a flawed test.