A Saturday-night dinner at one of Mumbai’s luxury hotels turned into an unpleasant experience for prominent Delhi-based cardiologist Dr Ashok Seth after he spotted what he described as a baby cockroach moving around his table.
Seth, Chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, shared a video of the incident on X after dining at Romano’s, the Italian restaurant at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.
The video and Seth’s sarcastic description of the insect as “Roachie” quickly attracted attention online, with the cardiologist tagging food-safety authorities and raising questions about hygiene standards at premium dining establishments.
What Happened at Romano’s?
According to Seth, the incident occurred on Saturday night while he was dining at Romano’s at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.
The video posted by the cardiologist appears to show a small cockroach moving on the dining table near the food.
Seth wrote on X:
“Look who came for dinner unexpectedly. ‘Roachie’ - a baby cockroach was on our table wanting to share our dinner at the Romano restaurant at JW Marriott, Sahar, Mumbai, Saturday night!!!”
In another humorous reference to the incident, Seth wrote that the insect perhaps wanted “Pizza and not Pasta.”
The cardiologist said the sight ultimately spoiled the meal and that the diners left without finishing their dinner.
“But he really took our appetite away. We left,” Seth wrote.
Seth Tags Maharashtra FDA Chief Tukaram Mundhe
Seth did not limit his post to recounting the experience. He also tagged Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, along with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and JW Marriott.
Referring to the Maharashtra FDA chief, Seth said they were in Mundhe’s “territory” and suggested that the official would likely look into the matter.
The reference is significant because Mundhe has overseen increased food-safety enforcement in Maharashtra since taking charge in May 2026, including inspections and action over hygiene and food-quality violations.
At the time of the initial reports, however, there was no confirmed announcement cited by the reports that the Maharashtra FDA had opened a formal investigation specifically into the Romano’s incident.
That distinction matters: the video documents Seth’s experience and prompted calls for scrutiny, but any determination that food-safety regulations were breached would require findings from the relevant authorities.
Marriott Customer Support Responds
The incident also drew a response from Marriott Bonvoy Assist, Marriott’s customer-support account.
According to India Today, the account replied to Seth:
“Hello Dr Ashok, thank you for letting us know. We take this matter seriously.”
The response added that Marriott wanted to look into the issue.
At the time of the reports reviewed for this article, there was no detailed public statement from the Romano’s restaurant management explaining how the cockroach reached the dining area or announcing the outcome of an internal investigation.
What Is Romano’s at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar?
Romano’s is the Italian restaurant inside JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, near Mumbai’s international airport.
JW Marriott’s official dining page describes Romano’s as an Italian restaurant offering authentic dishes in an upscale setting. The restaurant operates for dinner during the week and offers both lunch and dinner hours on weekends.
That premium positioning is one reason Seth’s video attracted attention: diners generally associate luxury hotels and high-end restaurants with stringent food handling, pest-control and sanitation practices.
However, the presence of an insect captured in one customer video should not, by itself, be treated as proof of the restaurant’s overall hygiene conditions. Establishing broader compliance failures would require an inspection or other evidence from competent food-safety authorities.
Why the Video Has Triggered a Wider Hygiene Debate
The episode comes amid heightened scrutiny of hygiene standards in hotels and restaurants.
In August 2026, FSSAI issued notices following inspections at two five-star hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity, including a JW Marriott property, after authorities identified food-safety, storage, hygiene and licensing issues.
That was a separate Delhi property and a separate regulatory episode, and it should not be conflated with the September incident at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.
Still, the two episodes illustrate the level of attention now being placed on food-safety compliance across the hospitality industry, including premium establishments.
What Is Confirmed — and What Is Not
What can currently be established is that Dr Ashok Seth posted a video from Romano’s at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar showing what he identified as a baby cockroach on his dining table. He said the incident caused him and his companions to abandon their dinner, and he tagged Maharashtra’s FDA chief and FSSAI in his social-media post. Marriott Bonvoy Assist subsequently acknowledged his complaint and said the matter would be looked into.
What has not yet been established through the reporting reviewed is whether regulators found a food-safety violation at Romano’s, whether an official inspection was ordered as a direct result of Seth’s complaint, or whether the restaurant faces any regulatory action.
Any such conclusions should therefore await an official statement or inspection report.
The Bigger Question for Luxury Hospitality
The episode highlights how quickly an individual dining experience can become a reputational issue for a major hospitality brand.
Smartphones and social platforms allow customers to document conditions immediately, meaning an incident that once might have remained a private complaint can now reach a national audience within hours.
For restaurants — particularly those operating inside luxury hotels — the consequences go beyond an individual dissatisfied customer. Visible cleanliness, pest control, food storage and documented compliance increasingly form part of the public perception of a brand.
For now, Seth’s “Roachie” video has put those questions in the spotlight. Whether the episode results in regulatory action will depend on what authorities and the hotel establish after examining the complaint.
