Exclusive - Co-founder of Gauri Khan's Torii, Abhayraj Kohli: GK showed luxury isn't always loud

Gauri Khan has designed Torii

When Torii opened its doors in Mumbai during the height of the pandemic, it was more than just another addition to the city's fine dining landscape - it was the realisation of a long-held dream for restaurateur Abhayraj Kohli.

Known for his entrepreneurial streak in the hospitality space, Kohli has built a portfolio of popular restaurants across Mumbai, ranging from the casual comfort of Grandma’s Café to the energy of Nakhra.

With Torii, he wanted to create something different, a space that would embody understated luxury, tailored for the city’s most discerning audience. Central to that journey was Gauri Khan, whom Abhayraj Kohli calls 'GK'.

For him, Gauri's entry into the project was transformative, he told Moneycontrol in an exclusive interview during his brief Delhi visit recently.

“With GK coming on board, and her aesthetic design and her understanding of the whole opportunity, which was not loud, but very simple… all these things came together, and then Torii was born,” he said in a freewheeling chat.

Abhayraj Kohli admits her sensibility gave Torii its signature character.

“Nothing like someone who lives that lifestyle day in day out. That was just a great synergy to have on board. And make us understand that luxury also, could be very understanding. Today when you’re talking about Torii, it is because of her design, her design elements and her vision, you could actually feel that yes, it’s luxury, but it’s not on your face,” he explains.

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Avbhayraj Kohli said that the collaboration reflected a coming together of expertise - his understanding of operations and hospitality, and Gauri Khan's mastery and hold on design.

“As a restaurateur, you know how the thing works and you know how the problem takes. That is what your expertise is. And the look and feel is hers (Gauri). And when they both synergize and meet each other is when you know who it is,” he said with a smile on his face.

How Torii was born 

Abhayraj Kohli told us that Torii was born out of the uncertainty of lockdown, when one day he decided it was time to put his US training and global exposure to use.

“I always had this dream about opening a restaurant like Torii. I studied in the US, worked there for a bit. And this was something that I knew I wanted to do. The lockdown gave me the opportunity to actually open it. All the numbers fit and that’s how Torii was born,” he shared.

The restaurant was completed and launched during this period, and its early success soon attracted Gauri Khan as an investor and collaborator.

“We didn’t even actually get GK (Gauri) on board in the lockdown. It was just being furnished, needed to be set up and we started. We did it all through it and then Torii became successful. And that’s when GK invested and got into the restaurant. That’s how Torii 2.0 was born,” he recalled.

Situated in one of Mumbai’s most elite neighbourhoods, Torii, according to Kohli, was always intended as a luxury dining space.

“With Torii, we found a location which was right in the middle of the elite people in and around Bombay. So we did a luxury restaurant,” he said.

Luxury meets simplicity 

Abhayraj Kohli explains that luxury does not always mean extravagance, it means emotional connection and an experience.

"The goal to every restaurant is the emotional cushion. If you touch an emotional chord with anyone who’s walking into your space, that’s how you would actually go with everything,” he said.

The hospitality veteran, often described as a “maverick entrepreneur,” believes balance is key. “Creative is great, right? But then you need to be sustainable. Without sustainability, you could go crazy. You could open a restaurant and you could spend, like, crores of rupees on it… you need to put creativity in a box to make it sustainable,” he noted.

Post-pandemic, Kohli says diners are seeking memorable experiences over material indulgence, something Torii is uniquely positioned to offer. “People are not spending on the extra piece of jewellery. But they’ll spend money on their experience. And our restaurants need to give them that experience — from the time they leave their car till they get back in the day,” he said.

With Torii firmly established in Mumbai’s dining scene, Abhayraj Kohli already has his eyes set on the next move. "Absolutely, I think Delhi is next to my thoughts. I have a meeting in the evening today, looking at spaces. Hopefully, we should be here in a couple of months."