‘Top’ Chef star Padma Lakshmi dating poet Terrance Hayes, source says: ‘It’s early days’

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Padma Lakshmi gets political on ‘Taste the Nation’: ‘I don't think we should be threatened by immigration’

Padma Lakshmi gets political on ‘Taste the Nation.’ The longtime judge on Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ also shares her favorite cooking tricks she has learned from contestants over the years.

Padma Lakshmi is enjoying a sweet summer romance.

The "Top Chef" host is dating poet and MacArthur fellowship recipient Terrance Hayes, a source confirmed to PEOPLE magazine on Wednesday.

"It’s early days and they’re still getting to know each other," the insider claimed.

A rep for the 50-year-old didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

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According to the outlet, the couple was spotted in New York City on Monday night kissing and holding hands while walking the star’s dog Divina.

Terrance Hayes attends the 69th Annual National Book Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 14, 2018, in New York City.  (Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images)

She was previously linked to Adam Dell, with whom she shares 11-year-old daughter Krishna Thea.

In the past, Lakshmi revealed that as a parent, she's cautious when it comes to her love life.

"I date a lot less as a single mom – I’ll tell you that!" she told reporters at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 13th Annual Enduring Vision Benefit, as quoted by the outlet.

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"I just don’t have the time," she shared. "As you get older, I think it’s harder to meet the right person. You just want to be careful because you have a family."

But Lakshmi always has plenty on her plate. In 2020, the culinary personality created the Hulu docuseries "Taste the Nation" where she also served as a host. The show aimed to celebrate the food of American immigrants and indigenous people.

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In 2020, Padma Lakshmi launched a docuseries titled ‘Taste the Nation.’ (Getty Images)

"I came here as an immigrant when I was four from India," she told Fox News at the time. "And it bothered me that all of a sudden our attitude about immigrants was changing. Because to tell you the truth, immigrants really built this country."

"Whether they're German immigrants who built the beer industry and built the whole processing of food, like Oscar Meyer, he was an immigrant," she continued. "Or it's the Thai people or the Mexican people. And all of these communities have come to our shores and have really contributed to the larger American culture.

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"That to me is why America is so cool because it's a combination, in a way, of the best of all of these cultures that live here. I wanted to look at these cultures because often they don't get a chance to talk about their own food, the food we all love on a big main platform. And I thought it was time we heard from the sources."