Mumbai restaurant issues clarification after employee seen cleaning drain with food frying net | Video

A viral video on social media has made a shocking claim about a Mumbai restaurant – Istanbul Darbar. The video, shared by a journalist, shows an employee of the restaurant on Mumbai's Kurla West removing the drain gunk with a food frying net. However, the restaurant owner has clarified that the food frying net looking kitchen equipment is actually one for cleaning drains.

In the now-viral video, journalist Siraj Noorani warned people to eat fried food at the restaurant.

“There is a hotel called ISTANBUL DARBAR near Kalpana Theater on Kurla West LBS Road, Mumbai, which is said to serve delicious food. Be careful if you eat something fried. Know the truth behind it,” his post read.

“In this viral video, hotel staff can be seen cleaning the dirt from the drain with the help of a chicken frying net,” it added.

The employee is seen in his uniform and cleaning boots in the video. He is then seen cleaning the drain with a giant frying net.

The employee could also be seen noticing a person filming him; however, he ignored it and continued with the cleaning. After removing the gunk, the employee covered the drain slab.

Soon after the video went viral, the official restaurant handle issued a clarification video, captioned: "Don't believe everything you see online! Regarding the viral video; Istanbul Darbar maintains strict hygiene standards to ensure your safety. Your trust means everything to us”

The restaurant owner, Shahbaz Sheikh, said that the frying net-looking-equipment is specially used to clean drains.

He requested social media users not to trust the viral videos “as they are circulated to defame others”.

In April, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FDA) raided two food outlets in Noida after two people fell sick after consuming food from them. McDonald’s outlet in Noida Sector 18 and Theobroma bakery in Sector 104 were raided.

According to news agency ANI, FDA officials raided the outlets to gather food samples for testing.