Padma Lakshmi (b. 1970) is a New York-based Indian American model, actress and award-winning cookbook author. Starting with season two, she has been the host of the reality television program Top Chef. Lakshmi was born in Delhi, India, to South Indian Tamil Brahmin parents, grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and in New York City, and is fluent in five languages - English, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, and Tamil. Her first name literally means "lotus" in Sanskrit.