GAURI KHAN'S TORII RESTAURANT @Mumbai

The Japanese word ‘torii’ translates into a symbolic gateway that marks the entrance to the sacred precincts of a Shintō shrine in Japan.

Taking inspiration from this, Gauri Khan’s Torii—a restaurant located in Mumbai’s hip Bandra neighbourhood and launched with restaurateur Abhayraj Kohli, Managing Director of Pritam Group—is designed to be a doorway that opens up a world of Asian and Latin-American tastes and flavours. A dark green statement door framed in backlit black-and-white onyx welcomes me, and we catch sight of a large fish entwined with the restaurant’s name as we step in. The idea, according to Khan, was to incorporate a Japanese design element that’s instantly recognisable and also symbolic. “A koi fish symbolises luck, prosperity and good fortune in Japanese culture,” she says.

The 85-seater diner is spread across 4,500 square feet and divided into three sections: a welcoming lounge near the elegant green island bar, a light al fresco dining space with large mirrors and lush greenery, and an indoor restaurant where distressed mirror ceilings and chic red tables take centre-stage. Brass accents rule in the comfy and relaxed outdoor section, the glam lounge, and oldstyle restaurant.

Khan’s aim—an interplay of textures—is visible throughout the design: in the rough wall that encompasses the outdoor dining space, the shiny mirrors that amp up the space quotient, the small polished brass lamps that light up every table, and the greenery that adds a fresh touch and helps create privacy between tables. Stepping through an arched glass and metal door, we enter the core restaurant area.

It’s ruled by red—be it the island bar, the accents in the commissioned artwork opposite it, or in the gleaming tabletops. The brightness of the colour is enhanced by the metallic accents and mirrored ceiling, and toned down by the houndstooth-patterned seating and biophilic elements. Across Asia, red is seen as an auspicious hue.