Something mod from Todd at Pod
This happens to be a great week to do Pod. One is the simple fact that Penn classes have not yet resumed for the semester, keeping the crowds down. The second is chef Todd Lean's new menu.
Pod, heading toward its 15th anniversary this spring, is still going strong. It's Stephen Starr's third-oldest restaurant, having followed The Continental and Buddakan.
Though tucked away on Penn's campus and not in the middle of the action in Center City, Pod has a solid following. The drinks are still colorful. The cinematically campy futuristic atmosphere, complete with semi-enclosed dining "pods" and sushi conveyor belt, is at once dated and not dated.
This happens to be a great week to do Pod. One is the simple fact that Penn classes have not yet resumed for the semester, keeping the crowds down. The second is chef Todd Lean's new menu - Asian-inspired and hearty for the cold weather. The monkfish and kimchi hot pot is hot and spicy. His wild mushroom ramen - a vegan dish - includes four different mushrooms in a seaweed broth that is kicked up with red finger chilies. The whole roasted bronzino is cedar planked and served with wasabi chimichurri.
Lean - who made his mark years ago in Dresher's now-gone Carambola - is one of the longest-serving chefs in the Starr orbit at the same restaurant. He joined Pod in 2008 as a sous chef and became executive chef in 2013.