Honest review of this progressive pan-Asian restaurant in Bandra

First Nido in 2013 then The Korner House by Vicky Ratnani in 2016 occupied 21 Union Park Pali Hill Then in 2018 Los Angelesrsquo chef Esdras Ochoa charmed us with Mexican fare at Sanchorsquos Then in 2021 Restaurateur Abhay Raj Kohli turned the space into a LatinAsian fusionmdashthe first version of Tori with a single i wooing us with murals of geishas and juicy tuna ceviches In December 2023 with the relaunch of Torii with double i the door mellowed down to dark green and so did the foodNonVeg Gyoza SelectionIt is yet another presentation of progressive panAsian fare that we already have access to at every other midlevel restaurant The launch attraction was Gauri Khan who stepped in as Kohlirsquos firsttime partnerowner along with Tanaaz Bhatia Founder and Managing Director of Bottomline Media has designed the 87seater space spread across 4500 sq feet and applied a minimalist undertone with easy breathing spaces The semiopen separation between indoor and al fresco gives a layered seating expanseShibuya ToastWe turned our anonymous reservation into a BFF outing and were asked to cough up Rs 3000 as a fee ensuring the minimum billing was Rs 1500 per person and that a noshow meant guaranteed killfee compensation Fair This norm followed now by many highend restaurants curtails noshows Upon entry the outdoor greenhued corner island bar catches your immediate attention The space has gone under the knife so often that we reminisce about its past contours Inside the glass ceiling with bronze panels accentuates the space tall artificial flora behind translucent glass and red and grey seatingmdashthe casual outdoors with prints and textured whitewashed walls adorned by framed foliage printsDonburi with salmonThe drinks menu with its antsize font makes it challenging to figure out the base of the cocktails And we are not entirely convinced by the serverrsquos suggestions either We leave the drinks for another day once the font improves and focus on the menu led by culinary director and executive chef Stefan Gadit whose last stint in Mumbai was Aditi Dugarrsquos Sage and Saffron before he moved to Dubai We start with the eveningrsquos first dishmdasheggplant Rs 550 an appetiser from the charcoal grill section It is executed with a yuzu miso glace fermented garlic and seaweed crisps The discs sit on labneh which lacks the texture of Greek yoghurt and has more of a dahi raita consistencyEggplant PicsShadab KhanNext we go for an extensive haul of the Torii nonveg gyoza selection Rs 1200 8 pieces four variations Sadly the coating of the gyoza is so slumpy and thick that it leaves a rubbery mouthful after every bite In taste Thai chicken mushigyoza with fresh flavours of lemongrass galangal and basil is decent The prawn and chive mushigyoza in XO sauce hits the mark with classic execution and the spicy chicken mushi has a tobanjan and soy vinegar pungency Our favourite is the pork yakigyoza reminding us of a serving at a roadside joint we had on a trip to DarjeelingThe Donburi tepanyaki Rs 1500 looks appetising for mains and we opt for salmon which we are informed is a small strip not the whole fillet We agreed and a colourful bowl of fried rice packed with corn edamame pickled bell peppers sliced cucumbers and the fish sliver was served It was garnished with cut chives seed weed and mayo drizzle The fish we felt was overcooked A serving of chilli garlic noodles Rs 550 douses our craving for more Asian fare The dish hits all the right notes with light soy garlic chips and crunchy cabbageWersquore feeling dessert and the Shibuya toast cregraveme chantilly honey ice cream and macerated berries Rs 600 call out Disappointedly the macerated berries were just strawberries and the ice cream which was supposed to be honeyed was plain vanilla Even so it could have been of better quality A few bites in the toast with a sugar and brown butter caramelise has satisfied our sweet tooth and granted us a sugar high While the overall meal hit the expected marks it could have served a more refined experience as expected from a highend space Like they say any restaurant renovation should begin in the kitchenWhat ToriiAt 21 Pali Hill Road Union Park Khar WestWhen 12 PM4 PM 7 PM 1 AMCall 9833373888Rating OKAYTorii didnrsquot know we were there Sunday Midday reviews anonymously and pays for meals