Padma Lakshmi Has a "Ridiculous" Airplane Ritual and Loves Tequila on the Rocks

The Top Chef host dishes on her taste for marigold-colored margaritas, making her own perfume, and her tips for throwing a killer party.

Padma Lakshmi has a lot on her plate, so to speak. When she's not hosting and producing the Emmy-winning reality television show Top Chef (a gig she's had for 11 years), Lakshmi—who's considered India's first supermodel—is busy authoring cookbooks, raising a seven-year-old daughter and working on her own line of HSN-distributed spices. Here, the model-turned-entrepreneur talks to T&C about her favorite things and how she gets it all done.

Describe your perfect day in your neighborhood or your perfect night on the town (or both).

I think my perfect day would be waking up and going to exercise after having some tea and toast, coming home and taking my seven-year-old daughter to the park and playing soccer with her for a couple of hours. Then we would go to my favorite spot in the East Village for brunch, Il Posto Accanto, followed by a museum or a matinee.

After that we'd just stroll around in little vintage shops, like the one on Avenue B called Rue St Denis. We'd come home for tea around 5 and read by the fire, then have supper at 7—a simple roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and a really crisp salad with lots of greens and pomegranate and green apple and mint. Then we'd have a bath together, read some more and fall asleep. That sounds like the perfect day to me.

What's your favorite restaurant to eat alone at?

I don't mind eating at any restaurant alone. There's a great taco stand in Chelsea Market called Los Tacos No. 1. I would go there any day, any time.

What's your favorite restaurant to celebrate a milestone?

Anything by Daniel Boulud or Jean-Georges.

Is there a restaurant for which you'd get on a plane?

I would get on a plane to eat a meal at Noma, wherever they happen to be in the world. Right now they moved the restaurant to Mexico from Copenhagen. I would definitely get on a plane to eat the kebabs in Mumbai behind the Taj Hotel called Bademiya. It's a kebab stand that's been there since 1946.

Where is your favorite place to go on vacation?

I keep going back to different places in Mexico. My daughter loves it. There's culture, there's food, there's beach. I loved Bali for many of the same reasons. You've got wonderful food, abundant local culture, natural beauty, a little bit of great nightlife. There's something for everyone.

What is your best travel hack?

Vitamin C packets and drinking double the amount of water that you think you need to drink. I also like to make a little cocoon or sarcophagus for yourself with a shawl so you create your own microclimate. I know I look ridiculous doing it but it works, because that recycled air on a plane has everyone's germs floating around. I always set my watch to my destination's time as soon as I get on the plane. And Audible, which lets you download books and listen to them on your phone. I carry a sleep mask because they don't always provide one for you. I try not to wear makeup on the plane at all. I just carry big glasses instead. Your skin gets so dry on the plane that you don't want to add makeup to that. You just feel grimy.

When I travel for extended periods of time I often put big sarongs in my suitcase along with a box of incense that I really like. I throw those sarongs on the couches of the hotel because you don't know who sat there, and just having your own fabrics or a smell that is familiar to you is very comforting. When I'm traveling for Top Chef, I'm going for six weeks on end, and when I used to be in movies, that could be three or four months sometimes. It's nice to have those nice talismans from home. And then as far as packing, pick a color palette—black or white or one other color that you have a lot of in your wardrobe. You'll have to pack less because things will be mix-and-matchable.

Is there anyone who makes you feel star struck?

Muhammed Ali, Mother Theresa, Obama—those are three people whom I've met and I was very star struck by. And Prince. I once spent an evening with Prince and I don't think I could physically close my mouth out of the perma-smile.

If I could only shop at one store ever again, it would be______.

A spice store in New York called Kalustyan's. They are the people I wrote my spice encyclopedia with.

What's your favorite place to buy a last-minute gift?

A bookstore.

What's the last thing you bought online?

A dress. I bought it in two sizes and am going to return the one that doesn't fit.

When I feel like I have nothing to wear, I reach for ________.

A slip dress, a strappy pair of heels, and an antique embroidered shawl from Kashmir. Or a leather jacket if the shawl isn't appropriate.

When I need to feel glamorous, I reach for __________.

The same thing! Or some diamonds from Fred Leighton.

What is your necessary indulgence—something you'll always splash out on and can't live without?

I don't know if it'd be called an indulgence but I make my own perfume with essential oils because a lot of store-bought perfumes give me a headache. It's what makes me feel like me. I make my own formula with a mix of geranium and neroli and mir and rose in different proportions.

One indulgence I have is my Louis Vuitton carry-on wheelie. I only have a couple other pieces of Louis Vuitton, but the ones I have have lasted for 20 years. When I had my two book tours last year I splurged.

What is your go-to drink?

Patrón silver on the rocks, with mint and lime and club soda if it's hot. If it's cold, I would do Patrón Reposado in a brandy snifter neat. I also created a recipe for National Margarita Day (scroll down to see it). I wanted something really fresh and different. Everyone always adds a lot of sweetness to margaritas but we've taken the sugar down a bit. It's simple syrup with ginger and turmeric, but instead of doing it with the classic recipe of equal parts sugar and water, we've reduced it so it's slightly less sweet. And it has a beautiful color, too, that looks like marigold flowers.


There are several. I have two facialists that I love, and I use them both regularly for different reasons. The first is Tracie Martyn, who I see before a big red carpet, and the second is Christine Chin, who I see every six weeks especially after a long trip. For hair I go to Jutta Weiss at the John Sahog salon. She's been the only person to cut my hair for the last 17 years. For trainers, I have recently started doing pilates and I love New York Pilates (they have two locations), and I also use a hardcore, old-school trainer named Adam Razak. And I love to box so I use someone named Dell at Mendez Boxing. He's the one who gets me into shape after I come back from Top Chef or before summer when I'm feeling a little soft in the middle.

What is the beauty product you can't stop talking about?

Christine Chin's daily renewal serum—you put it on right after you get out of the shower or after you wash your face. It just tightens your pores immediately. Then I put on her moisturizer. But I also love Tracie Martyn's products—she has this face and body resculpting cream that is the bomb. It's kind of expensive but it really works. I use it on my thighs and it tightens everything up.

Twitter or Instagram?


Who are your must-follows on the platform?

Jerry Saltz, the art critic at New York magazine. He's really funny.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

When I start planning in the spring for Halloween with my daughter. We are very serious about our costumes. She's been Cleopatra and the Corpse Bride—that was a great costume. We like the dressing up; it's not even about trick-or-treating, although she does do that.

What are your top entertaining tips?

Just try and select a menu that's easy to execute and doesn't require you to be in the kitchen at the last minute. Make some dishes that are easy to do ahead. You want to have fun at your own party, because if you're not having fun and you're all frazzled that will be contagious to your guests. If you're having a good time then that's a success. A party is a success because of the people. It does you no good to have a well-appointed table and gorgeous decor without people laughing and making connections and exchanging e-mails at the end of the night. I always think it's a good party when people take their shoes off and dance. Those are the parties I like.

Do you have a hidden talent?

I'm really good at charades.

People are most likely to come to me for advice about__________.

Entertaining, cooking, fashion, beauty, hair, relationships, or kids—that's a big one now.

What is the best advice you ever got?

Be open to opportunities you may not think are useful.

Padma's Margarita Recipe: The Ginger Turmeric Margarita


· 2 oz Patrón Silver

· 1 oz Ginger Turmeric Simple Syrup*

· 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

· 3-4 Fresh Mint Leaves

· *Ginger Turmeric Syrup:

· 1 Cup Water

· ¾ Cup Sugar

· 4 Inches Fresh Ginger Root, Peeled and Sliced

· 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder


· ½ Teaspoon Ground Turmeric

· ½ Teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder

· 2 Teaspoon Coarse Salt


In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and sliced ginger. Place over medium heat and bring to boil. Cook until sugar dissolves. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Add the turmeric powder and stir until incorporated. Strain syrup through a coffee filter.

Combine ancho, turmeric and salt on a small plate and mix to combine. Wet the top of a rocks glass with a wedge of orange and dip in spice mix. Tear mint leaves, and add to a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the Patrón, lime juice and ginger turmeric syrup and shake vigorously.

Pour into prepared rocks glass and garnish with an orange wedge.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
More From Arts & Culture