Chef Vikas Khanna defends Gauri Khan’s restaurant Torii amid ‘fake paneer’ claims, questions YouTuber’s unqualified test

Chef Vikas Khanna has extended his support to Gauri Khan’s restaurant, Torii, amid controversy. A YouTuber alleged the eatery served ‘fake paneer’ after conducting an iodine test, sparking online debate and drawing attention to Shah Rukh Khan’s wife’s venture.
Vikas Khanna recently took to Instagram to defend the restaurant. He said that he has worked with food science for decades and has never seen such misinformation. He strongly criticized the YouTuber, saying it was dangerous to trust people who are not qualified.

Vikas explained that iodine changes color when it reacts with starch found in common ingredients like potatoes, bread, rice, and flour. This reaction can also happen due to cross-contamination in the kitchen. He pointed out that just because iodine changes color doesn’t mean the paneer is fake. He tagged both the restaurant Torii and the YouTuber in his post.

Earlier, Sarthak Sachdeva had posted a video where he tested paneer from several celebrity restaurants using iodine. When he tested the paneer at Torii, it turned black and blue. He took this as a sign that the paneer was fake and said he was shocked.

The video went viral quickly. In response, Torii’s official Instagram account commented on the situation. They explained that the iodine test only shows the presence of starch, not whether the paneer is real or fake. They added that the dish included soy-based ingredients, which could explain the test result. The restaurant stood by the quality of its paneer and the ingredients used.