Around Town: Gauri Khan’s pan-Asian restaurant Torii opens in Bandra, here’s what we think

Gauri Khan Tori Bandra

“My vision was to create a space that exudes refined elegance,” Gauri Khan, who has also designed the restaurant, told The Indian Express. (Picture courtesy: Special Arrangement)

Mumbai’s Bandra-based pan-Asian restaurant Tori is back with an additional ‘i’ in its name (now called Torii) and interior designer Gauri Khan — who turned restaurateur with this relaunch — as one of its partners. The name certainly attracted more than a few eyeballs, so we decided to visit the restaurant and see if it was worth the hype.

Nestled in Pali Hill, the Torii (or Tori 2.0) welcomes patrons with a striking dark green statement door. Inside, the 82-seater restaurant spread across 4,500 sq ft is divided into three sections: a lounge adjacent to the expansive island bar, an airy al fresco dining space featuring tables for larger groups, lush greenery and large mirrors, and an indoor restaurant boasting chic red tables, distressed mirrored ceilings and bronze accents.

“I’ve meticulously curated every detail — from selecting colours and materials to commissioning custom artwork and lighting. My vision was to create a space that exudes refined elegance,” Khan, who has also designed the restaurant, told The Indian Express.

Khan added, “As someone deeply passionate about design and has designed many restaurants, opening my own restaurant felt like a natural next step for me.”

Gauri Khan Tori Bandra

Our dining journey unfolded with a range of appetisers, including Gauri Khan’s recommended Dirty Torii – a vegetarian sushi featuring crispy mushrooms rolled in with spicy mayo and topped with tempura pearls and seaweed chips, delivering texture and flavours. (Picture Courtesy: Special Arrangement)

We visited the restaurant on a weekday evening and began our culinary voyage with an underwhelming matcha cocktail before indulging in a tete-e-tete with the restaurant’s culinary director and executive chef Stefan Gadit. Born in Mumbai to half-Jewish and half-Muslim parents, Gadit, who has worked with a handful of restaurants in India and abroad, looks forward to digging into his culinary roots and marrying Levantine flavours with his culinary training and experiences. “You will be seeing a kitchen with borderless cooking, presenting dishes that are a collaboration of cuisine,” he told us.

Our dining journey unfolded with a range of appetisers, including Gauri Khan’s recommended Dirty Torii – a vegetarian sushi featuring crispy mushrooms rolled in with spicy mayo and topped with tempura pearls and seaweed chips, delivering texture and flavours.

The prawn tempura sushi delighted non-raw fish enthusiasts with the orange mayo hitting the right notes. Next came a young coconut ceviche that saw coconut malai served on a bed of corn puree with some onion on the top. We liked it but having had more flavourful ceviches in the same neighbourhood, we expected more.

Gauri Khan Tori Bandra

A young coconut ceviche that saw coconut malai served on a bed of corn puree with some onion on the top. (Picture Courtesy: Special arrangement)

The next dish, grilled asparagus with deep-fried kale chips emerged as a clear winner. The yuzu sauce’s subtle sweetness and savoury miso had us reaching for more. Charred broccoli, though perfectly cooked, leaned towards tartness, and the prawns in gochujang sauce provided a “chatpata” punch, cleverly adapting Asian flavours to the Indian palate. Sadly, the mocktails were forgettable.

We went for burnt garlic rice and market vegetables for the main course. The rice was a little sticky but flavourful, the gravy saw an assortment of vegetables in black bean sauce and the portion sizes were generous.

Following Khan’s suggestion, we concluded our dining experience with tres leches, a hearty dessert comprising a tender sponge cake served in a pool of velvety milk, which proved to be a fitting finale.

While Khan’s name draws the initial spotlight, chef Gadit aims to establish Torii as a chef-driven space, where his culinary expertise shines through. “The staff should feel that they are working for a high-end organisation, with a chef who will lead them to a brighter future,” he concluded.

So, does the hype translate to reality? Torii offers a visually stunning space and Chef Gadit’s culinary approach holds promise. While most dishes impressed us, a few left room for improvement, especially the beverages.

Address: 21, Pali Hill Road, Union Park, Khar (West), Mumbai

Timings: Tuesday – Sunday, 7 pm to 1 am

Price for two: Rs 5,000 for two, including alcohol

For reservation, call: 9833373888

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