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How Torii Became Bollywood's New Haven in Bandra
A restaurant in Mumbai gets a facelift — with new floors and new flavours; Torii by restaurateur Abhayraj Singh Kohli and producer-interior designer Gauri Khan is now bigger, better and more scrumptious than ever.
In Japanese culture, a torii represents a gateway to the sacred. In the Mumbai suburb of Bandra, it marks restaurateur Abhayraj Singh Kohli and producer-interior designer Gauri Khan’s restaurant — perhaps a gateway to a kind of gastronomic altar. Having opened its doors during the pandemic, Torii isn’t new to the scene, but after a striking revamp, it’s ready for a second act.
“When we began in November 2020, the idea was to spend the least amount of money. We didn’t even change the upholstery,” reveals Kohli, co-founder of Torii. All they brought in was equipment for the kitchen and a chef from London. Having worked alongside chef Richard Sandoval, a restaurateur who has contributed to 60 eateries in 12 countries, at the Latin-Asian restaurant Zengo in Washington DC, this was a plan almost 17 years in the making for Kohli. “So, when it became successful, we decided to make it what it should be… our own.”
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And that, they did. Featuring a sleek sushi bar, a blend of the indoor and outdoor, and a string of Gauri Khan’s signature gold accents, it’s no surprise that Torii’s the new celebrity hub in the city.
Kohli recalls the time Shah Rukh Khan walked in. “We had a conversation about tequila, and his alcohol business. He spoke about how he usually doesn’t like to eat out but likes the food here.” But Shah Rukh Khan is not alone. With regulars like actors Neelam Kothari Soni, Seema Kiran Sajdeh and Khushi Kapoor, and personalities like Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Pandey and Shalini Passi, among others, they’ve got paparazzi stationed outside every weekend.
In an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kohli and Torii chef Stefan Gadit talk all things delicious.
The Celebrity Quotient
“We are informed about who is coming in,” reveals Gadit. “At times I have gone out to a table and spoken to [celebrities] about their preferences and requests. We’ve gone out of our way to make sure they’re taken care of.” A chef with experience at Michelin-star restaurants, and who has studied at the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, and then worked in Canada, Gadit is inspired by his grandfather’s love for food and believes the profession chose him, instead of the other way around.
But catering to celebrities comes with its own quirk — timing, for one. “[Actor] Akshay Kumar wanted to come and eat [dinner] at 6:30 in the evening, but we made it happen,” he recalls.
Seated across a high table, the chef notes one peculiar fact about his starry clientele. He explains, “They are smart in terms of what they want to eat, but also, the order they want to eat in.” Fortunately, the current crop of celebrities hasn’t been fussy about dietary requirements.
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“But if we have enough notice, we’ll be able to take care of that too. You can’t say no, right?” he says, adding, “We are in the hospitality business and as a chef I take it as a challenge to still create good food regardless of what they want to eat.”
Kohli nods in agreement. Though as far as the B-town crowd goes, he says with a laugh, “Luckily, we also have the right partners!”
Beyond the luxe interiors and hospitable staff, he believes it’s the menu that draws them in. “A lot of dishes on the menu are conducive to healthy eating. We have a no-flour dim sum wrapped with pak choi, clean food like salmon and a kushiyaki menu that’s grilled.”
An Epicurean Mix
Having worked across the globe, chef Gadit admits to borrowing ingredients and techniques from different cuisines. He calls it “progressive pan-Asian”. “Keeping the essence of Asia, I use French, Indian and Thai techniques. Plus, people are travelling so far today that borders are becoming invisible,” he says.
Case in point, their mushroom toast, one of their most popular dishes, comprises squares of sourdough bread, glazed and topped with a mushroom and onion mixture along with black garlic and thyme. “It’s a modern representation of Asian food; we’re using Shoyu (a Japanese soy sauce) in what sounds like a French dish, topped up with cheese produced in India. It’s neither here nor there…but it’s just so tasty.”
Their menu, according to Kohli, is structured a lot like Zengo’s. While the tenderloin carpaccio, young coconut carpaccio, and miso black cod make up the restaurateur’s regular order, for chef Gadit, “Torii’s signature ‘Dirty Torii’ and ‘Dirty Truffle’ — crispy mushrooms rolled in Japanese sticky rice — are kick-ass dishes to start with”. He lays special emphasis on their avocado tartare, salmon tataki, and most importantly, the many shapes and forms of sashimi. For those who can’t enjoy raw food, they also have prawn and asparagus tempura rolls, flavours that are more familiar.
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This balance is what sets Torii’s menu apart. Somewhere in between the exotic and familiar, the adventurous and the comfortable, there’s something for everyone.
Paired with an extensive soju and sake collection, along with a selection of old-world and new-world wines, “This is new-age fine dining that has broken its form [to become] casual upscale dining,” says Gadit. “I want guests to leave after cleaning their plate. My food is pretty, it’s intriguing and at the same time it will warm your soul. That’s how I choose my ingredients and balance out the taste profile based on where we’re situated. Everything can’t be French, right?”
A Gilded Affair
From the moment one steps foot in Torii, there’s one word that comes to mind: luxury. It’s in the details: table lamps lighting up the bar, the red and gold accents, large mirrors on the walls.
“When someone walks in, we make sure they’re pampered,” says Kohli. There’s always someone to usher guests in and explain the menu. Some things are even finished table-side, like a roll flamed on the table or the avocado tartare constructed in front of the guest.
“We’ve designed the restaurant in a way where the outdoor merges with the indoor, you can either peacefully dine in the restaurant or sit at the high-energy bar. The way it looks is Gauri Khan’s vision and the way it operates is what we bring to the table,” he says.
In fact, the sushi bar — which is now a standout feature at Torii — was a happy accident. “Nobody knows about this, but during the revamp, we moved the bar outside. We [wanted to] break the old one down but didn’t know where the wiring was pulled from…. We didn’t know what can of worms we were opening, so we just kept it there,” he reveals with a laugh. It now serves as the dessert and salad bar as well.
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With expansion on the horizon, Torii is set to grow beyond the Mumbai suburb of Bandra. Plans include launching a more accessible sub-brand that is tapas-style and mall-friendly, while the flagship remains the internationally driven brand that it’s become. “There’s luxury, and then there’s affordable luxury,” says Kohli, and Torii’s bent on mastering both.
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