She left her job as host of Bravo’s Top Chef after 17 years in the role.
And Padma Lakshmi didn’t seem to regret her decision as she seemed to be in a happy mood as she stepped out in Manhattan on Friday.
The 53-year-old went for a seventies-inspired look in light blue jeans, brown heeled boots and a russet leather handbag to match her shoes.
She combined it with an orange leather motorcycle jacket and a beautiful light yellow blouse.
Padma couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she grinned at photographers and sipped from a takeaway coffee cup.
Padma Lakshmi went for a 70s inspired look in light blue jeans, brown heeled boots and a russet leather handbag to match her shoes
She combined it with an orange leather jacket and a beautiful light yellow blouse
She was heading to Gold House for an event celebrating AAPI Month.
The former model, 53, quit in June 2023 after 17 years as host of long-running competition show Top Chef.
“It took a lot of physical effort for me to digest that much food in one day,” Lakshmi—who attended the Emmy Awards with her daughter Krishna—explained in the cover story of the April issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
“I’m really proud of the legacy I’ve helped build in all these countries around the world and for two generations of young people,” Lakshmi said.
“I didn’t know what an appetizer was, and I will always advocate for Top Chef for that reason,” she added.
‘This is my family; Krishna grew up on that set. I like to think I had something to do with the success, but it was time to move on.”
And now that she’s 53, she finds perimenopause one of the biggest challenges she faces.
The former model, 53, quit in June 2023 after 17 years as host of long-running competition show Top Chef
Here she is seen on the balcony overlooking New York City at the Empire State Building
Lakshmi, along with Gold House, illuminate the Empire State Building in gold in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Padma was all smiles as she posed for photos behind the stage at the event
“No one tells you that about perimenopause,” she said. “Your tits are getting huge,” she said with a laugh, adding that her metabolism isn’t what it used to be.
“I live in the damn gym,” she admitted.
The author of Spicy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day also addressed the myth of ‘having it all’ in the interview.
Between mothering her daughter Krishna, 14, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Adam Dell, and her duties as a top chef, she couldn’t find time for parenting, work and dating for years.
“You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once,” she explained. ‘I didn’t have much time for a social life. When would I find someone I wanted to hang out with?’