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Categories: Asian Fusion, Lounges [Edit]
Neighborhood: University City
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3.5 stars.
I broke my own rule and went to a fusion sushi place and only ate rolls. =X
I walked in, took in the cool decor, and immediately thought, "Err, this is going to be mediocre food at best." Experience has taught me the best places are the holes-in-the wall, and I'm usually skeptic of swank decor and frou frou.
However, I wasn't disappointed! We sat at the conveyor belt and just kept grabbing stuff off as they chugged along happily in front of us. Spicy tuna was a hit, as were the other two rolls we got (which I don't know the names of. They're basically a much better spin-off of the California roll).
The plates are color coded so you know how much your particular dish is. It is a bit overpriced for the amount you get (4 pieces), but I wasn't leaving hungry so I was happy.
Oh yeah, we also tried the otoro and it was decent. Not great, but I've definitely had worse.
Oh hey, Review 300. How you doin'?
I was here last night with a group of five lovely ladies to celebrate the last "official" night of singledom for one of my girlfriends. You might know her, she's Philly yelper Jessica B.!
Jess and I go way back. When I was in 7th grade, our township made the genius decision to cut costs by busing all the public and private school students together. At the time, I was fairly shy and very awkward, so I boarded the bus each afternoon filled with fear and panic. Fear that one of the public school kids would make fun of my red plaid uniform, panic that my skirt would somehow tuck itself into my underwear as I got up to exit the bus, branding me as a gigantic dork before I even had a fighting chance in high school.
Day after day, I sat in the second or third row, not daring to turn around but always listening intently to every conversation going on behind me. I was awestruck by the curly haired girl who knew everyone and spoke freely - and loudly. One day, she broke the ice and started a conversation with me. I was convinced it was some kind of a setup so I proceeded with caution, but to my surprise, we ended up establishing a friendly association. Now, all these years later, my bus buddy is all grown up and getting hitched!
What does this have to do with Pod, you ask? Absolutely nothing, other than the fact that it was Jess' choice for her bachelorette dinner and I felt like telling a little story.
Walking into the restaurant, I looked around and instantly thought: futuristic IKEA. The floors are industrial looking and the furniture is all very white, with neon lights accenting throughout the room. I noticed many dates going on in the little wall nooks and was somewhat surprised. I think the likeliness of an alien probe would be greater than the conjuring up of any romantic feelings in that place.
Our server greeted the table and took our drink orders, followed by our starters. We all needed a few extra minutes to decide on entrees.
We started with rock shrimp tempura and butter poached lobster from the dim sum menu. The shrimp were very good, although the pecan halves and pineapple chunks were somewhat puzzling. The lobster dish was just okay. There was hardly enough for each girl to have a bite, and the tofu and vegetable accompaniments did absolutely nothing for the dish.
We polished off the dim sum, while the menus continued to sit on our laps. Eventually, our server reappeared and we were able to place the order for our mains. At this point, I decided to visit the ladies', which actually turned out to be a hallway of unisex bathrooms. The stall looked exactly like an airplane bathroom, which definitely creeped me out. I took solace in the fact that the space was twice as large and I wouldn't have any reason to fear being sucked through the toilet.
When I returned to the table, the food was already being delivered. This was surprising as we had just placed our orders, and our silverware had not even been replenished at that point. We sat, staring at our meals with hungry eyes. Finally, we received utensils and I got friendly with my wasabi crusted filet with wasabi mash. The steak was perfectly cooked, although I didn't detect any wasabi flavor. The potatoes were also a bit weak. I was expecting a kick, similar to the wasabi mash that is served at Buddakan, but the flavors were less intense. Still, the meal was very good, if a bit pricey at almost $30.
I also had several bites of Jess' miso glazed sea bass and sweet potato puree, which was absolutely phenomenal. The fish tasted as though it had spent its life swimming in a sea of butter. Each bite was rich, with the perfect touch of sweetness from the miso glaze.
It was around the end of our meal that our server decided to show up again. He made us laugh with his astrological predictions and witty banter, but I sure hope some of the food runners were getting a piece of his tip, because they really did most of the work.
We passed on dessert in an effort to get the party started. It's unlikely that I will make the trek to University City just to return to Pod, although that sea bass alone might provide enough of a reason, should the craving strike.
Sort of like any other Stephen Starr restaurant. Heavy on concept, cool decor, ok food. What sets Pod apart from every other restaurant that I have ever been to, however, is the fact that they are very bad at accommodating guests with seafood allergies. I asked the waitress if there was any shellfish in the dish I ordered, (specifically saying "crab" and "lobster") she said no, and I ended up eating a few pieces of sushi that I now realize were heavy on the king crab legs.
I'm not deathly allergic, but I did spend the rest of the night scratching insatiable itches on the toilet. And what really seals my one-star rating is the fact that the manager was downright rude to me when I stopped by the next day to civilly complain about my experience. I've generally found Stephen Starr restaurants to be underwhelming, but this experience was positively painful.
totally worth the money...if it was still 2004. The food is definitiely decent, well beyond decent, but not worth the money. Maybe they are just getting by from Penn and Drexel parents. Fried rice is good, macadamia chicken good.
Oh and go there at night, then you will see why they charge so much...for the neon lights.
Don't sit in the "pods" at pod. The ambient color changes can really throw off your sense of food perception. Sit in the main dining room with normal lighting sp you can enjoy your food.
Calamari salad: bleh. Not enough calamari. Too many greens. Too much fluorescence. Bland dressing. Next.
Toro sushi roll: this was delicious but I have no idea what colors it was, which would have been nice.
Duck 2 Ways (pan seared duck breast and duck confit with sun-dried cherry bao bun): This was so amazing. Why don't I eat duck more often? I've never had a duck I didn't like. The duck "pan" tasted exactly like what I used to grab for lunch in Tokyo-soft, tender, fluffy, meaty. The pan seared breast was caramelized nicely all around the outside and (I am pretty sure that) it was as rare as we wanted it. Tasty. Day-glo.
Fluffer Nutter spring roles with peanut butter. NOM! What does nom mean anyway? So many people I know use this word and I am now jumping on the bandwagon because I can only assume that it means, "Utterly delicious and mouth-watering."
The moral of the story here is: go to pod (once, maybe twice) and sit in a normal seat with normal light. For food's sake. For the love of food. Or sit at the kaiten-zushi and pick exactly what you want from their fine sushi menu as it glides by.
The food is below average and on top of that, priced exorbitantly high. The service was just average. I ordered the Crab Salad and I'm being honest when I say that the dressing that they used tasted like chemicals. The lettuce wrap dish/appetizer (ordered tofu) was very mediocre and actually did not have much flavor (btw, I love and eat tofu all the time!). My main dish was a nigiri platter where the sushi tasted worse than take-out sushi. The dessert I had, which I can't recall right now (i.e. not memorable) was probably the better dish I had that evening.
I was thoroughly unimpressed with the food, the atmosphere was odd (and as someone put it, it did feel like I was in an orange-lit enclosed spaceship), the dishes were priced WAY too high for the quality of the food, and the service was mediocre. Sorry, just being honest.
I can't say no to a man with tattoos and my experience at Pod was purely orgasmic.
The food at Pod is amazing and reasonably priced, if not underpriced. It is economical bliss. I don't understand why people are saying the food at Pod is expensive. I expected to pay way more and for 2 appetizers, sushi, 2 drinks and 2 desserts, we only dropped $84 bucks. Not too bad. Killer ambiance and surprise after surprise, I find myself thinking about Pod time and time again.
Pod is futuristic, offers everything traditional with a twist and is unpretentious. The place is like an outer space playground with ever changing colored lights, bubble ceilings, and white on white interior. The sushi boat is a world of its own and if you fancy anime, the screens are like windows of cartoons. I saw waitresses carry out birthday desserts with sparklers. It was like Fourth of July. The service is excellent (welcoming, accommodating, quick, and knowledgeable). Everything thumbs up.
The ultra hot weather called for mocktails, one Cucumber and Apple Spritzer and one White Peach and Mint Soda. Both were refreshing and full of fresh fruit. We ordered the special Lobster Ramen appetizer, Tonkatsu Sandwich, and the Rockin Spicy Tuna. The Lobster Ramen was not soupy but had a creamy rich broth-like dressing. The lobster chunks were huge and tender, the vegetable medley offered crunch and the ramen was very fresh and not over cooked. The Tonkatsu Sandwich could easily rival David Chang's pork steamed buns. The Rockin Spicy Tuna was haute sushi. Sprinkled with black sesame seeds and prepared like little works of art, the spicy tuna was like a sushi hors d'oevre. It was topped with popcornlike tempura rock shrimp and microgreens. This all created for a filling meal but without hesitation we ordered dessert.
If Pod's tactic to get people to order dessert was to send in a tattooed dessert man instead of our friendly waitress, then it surely worked. We were set on Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate (chocolate toffee bread pudding, chocolate shot with salted rim, and chocolate tart) but when the tattoo guy told us about the special Chocolate Flan we had to make our dessert choice Chocolate times 4. The tattooed guy was evil in a good way. Death by chocolate all the way at Pod. No worries, you will live to tell the tale of sweet decadence. I could easily devote a whole review to these desserts. Instead, just trust the smile on my face that they were all exquisite. I will add that the Chocolate Flan was light rather than rich and was complimented by an Early Grey Tea coulis and black cherries.
I wasn't too impressed with Philadelphia as a city overall but Pod definitely won me over. I'd make a two hour trip to Philly from NYC just to indulge at Pod. It was really that good.
Ate here for my birthday last New Year's Eve. Loved the atmosphere and design! (I'm an "art" person.) The food was great and the sushi was some of the best I've ever had, although the portions on the "surf & turf" meals were rather humble. I, myself, ordered a type of salad, can't really remember since it was so long ago, but it was delicious!
When we got there we had to wait for 2 people in our party before they would actually seat us, so we didn't get to sit in one of the cool "pods" because another group arrived after us, but all their members were there - so they got the pod. (Grrrrr.) We had fun anyway sitting around having drinks, exploring the way cool airplane like bathrooms, and watching the funky Japanese cartoons they were playing.
I would say it's definately an event to go here. The only sucky part - on street parking has meters no matter what time of day...
My first impressions of Pod were mixed. I thought the atmosphere was kinda cool, but also trying too hard. Then I was seated at one of the tables on the main floor where felt like I was in some kind of weird, dimly lit futuristic high school cafeteria. My dining companion noted that she felt oddly exposed.
That's pretty much where the mixed feelings ended, though, because from that point on, I have nothing but love. We ordered from the University City Dining Days prix fixe menu. For $30, I was able to choose an appetizer, an entree, and was served a "pastry chef's selection" for dessert. We were also offered $5 sake mojitos, which was a nice touch and a great compliment to all of the food. Since, like the Continental, food is served as it's prepared, my friend and I ordered together and shared everything. Food came out at a perfect, leisurely-but-not-too-slow pace, so we had time to enjoy and digest everything. Our waiter was totally friendly and attentive, which I have found to be unusual when ordering from prix fixe menus.
As for the food: From the dim sum menu, we chose the shrimp dumplings and the vegetable maki. Each dumpling was stuffed with a whole piece of juicy shrimp and they were served with a side of lime-chili dipping sauce. Yum! The maki were also delicious, stuffed with avocado, cucumber and asparagus - and since everything is made to order, they had no problem leaving out the carrot to accommodate my food allergy.
For the main course we chose the Sezchuan lamb chops and the miso glazed Chilean sea bass. The lamb chops were slightly overcooked (they were small and we ordered them medium-rare) but flavorful, and they were served atop a pile of sesame Shanghai noodles. We both agreed the noodles were kind of boring and unnecessary to the dish. They weren't bad, but we left most of them on the plate. The sea bass was the stand out dish of the night. The fish was cooked perfectly, and was buttery yet light, making us wish we had both ordered it because we could have eaten twice as much. It was served over mashed sweet potatoes, which seemed like it wouldn't go but turned out to be the perfect addition.
Dessert ended up being a piece of pumpkin pie napoleon (layered ginger spice cake, cinnamon white chocolate mousse, crispy rice pastry and pumpkin custard) and a trio of sorbets (banana-passionfruit, blueberry and raspberry). The napoleon was delicious, and though the sorbets tasted really good, they were underwhelming next to the cake.
The menu offered was a perfect introduction to Pod restaurant. I can't wait to go back, and my friend and I are even considering going again this week while they are still running the prix fixe!
came to pod while visiting philly, mostly because it was right next door to our hotel.
this place looks like a space-ship, so that's a plus.
food was excellent, although a bit overpriced. really enjoyed the potsickers w/ mustard aioli, as well as the spicy tuna rolls topped with rock shrimp.
the real reason to come here is really for the ambience - worth a visit at least once.
Pod looks and feels like a spaceship. It looks like one because of all the bright and colorful lights, the many flatscreen televisions playing weird Japanese action shows, and the servers in their futuristic outfits. It feels like one because it's cold, like the vacuum of space.
The whole spaceship motif makes for an interesting dining experience. I can imagine that it is pretty cool when the place is packed, but, alas... I can only imagine. When I visited a couple weeks ago, there only a few people here and there... Not exactly the full crew I would want with me on a voyage to colonize Mars.
Oh well. At least if we were to take off into the cosmos we'd have some delicious food for the voyage... I'll spare the details--I'm sure the other 100+ reviewers have done an excellent job with them--but highlights included the shiro-aoi roll (spicy white tuna with avocado topped with yellowtail and jalapeño), the wasabi crusted filet mignon, and the fluffernutter spring rolls.
BOTTOM LINE: Futuristic, which is a plus when it's busy and a minus when it's not. Delicious. Pricey.
Reviewing Pod is like writing a review for the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey": theoretically, yeah, OK, I guess I have no real reason to argue with you if you say that this is what life will be like in the future, but I'm not all that sure I want to deal with it all at once, tonight, while I'm just out to try to enjoy myself and make with the chit-chat over dinner.
First off, it turns out everyone will have bad hearing in the future and therefore need to yell at the top of their lungs while eating. Second, Pod seems to have predicted how inflation will devalue the dollar by 2050 and priced things accordingly. So while Pod might deserve big ups for what it does today, you might not be in the mood for it just now...or maybe next week either...or maybe...ever? But if their service (wow!) and food (tasty bits!) are any indication of what the future is like, may we all live long and prosper. Hopefully by then we'll be accustomed to the yelling, the technicolor backlights, and the price of sushi.
Food here is EXPENSIVE!!
We tried out some sushi rolls and entrees which were pretty good. The kobe beef slices served on a hot rock was fun to try and it did melt in your mouth, but everything else here seemed way overpriced.
On a side note, the bathrooms are totally designed like a bathroom in an airplane. Take that as you will.
I am rating the drinks, not the food, as I have never had food here.
I want to hate this place, I really do. Sometimes you get swarms of teenage girls here and sometimes you get celebrities (like the dude from Entourage.) It's a strange place with a very -trying to be modern decor. However, it's practically the only place in U-city that you can get dressed up and go for a drink and lounge around. You can sit down, have some interesting cocktails, actually hear your friends over the lounge-type music, and you can be dressed in your trendy clothes and hang out. If that's what you're looking for, this is the place to go.
The wait-staff is also very nice and attentive.
Easily 4.5 stars.
We sat at the sushi bar..where they send sushi around on a train...that was fun
Seemed like a very cool, trendy place with a young crowd
The dragon roll was good...so was this crunchy tuna-scallion roll.
All in all, had a very pleasant time...waitress seemed pretty helpful and nice!
Loved Pod, It was my first time there. The place was packed as usual. Make a reservation, if you're going with a large party. Great for after hours or lunch with a friend, which I did that day. I ate at the Sushi bar, which has sushi rotating on a conveyor belt on the table that you can grab and sample, prices vary for each sample by the plate color from I think $2-$6, the chart is on the tables. Very Very good. I think I'll go back just for the sushi bar and drinks. I had the macadamian nut chicken, it wasn't my favorite but it was one of their more popular dishes. I preferred the chicken and shrimp egg roll appetizer in wasabi mustard, my mouth waters just thinking about how good that was mmmmmmm. So yes Pod I'll be back and excellent excellent waitress service the bartenders could be more attentive, but i understand it was very very busy in there. Kudos to them as well.
A small caveat with my review is that my wife and friends dined at Pod a couple years ago.
As far as decor and atmosphere I've never been to a restaurant like Pod. Spacey and plastic molding design everywhere you look, even the bathrooms are cool looking! The service was pretty goo and our food came out as it was made, so we all got to sample each other's selections. The sushi we ordered was good and the drinks were served quickly. I don't remember exactly what everyone else ordered, but I remember enjoying the food. The only snag was that the meal I ordered (duck) was disappointing. The duck was well seasoned and the skin crispy, though the duck meat was dried out and not moist as most duck I've had. Even when dipped in the sauces provided I was left unsatisfied. I would recommend Pod if you've never gone before because it is a place worth going to at least once. Personally, especially for the price, I probably won't go back.
HMMMMMM.... it was OK! yes, cool decor. yes, half decent waiter & other team members. yes, a bit too costly for a few items!
peace & conservation
As a lover of Asian fusion cuisine, I was excited to find out that Pod was part of University City Dining Days.
My first impression upon entering the restaurant is that Pod disappointedly sported a cheap modern look. I am all for modern decor, but cheap plastic tables and chairs? It was also loud. Like, REALLY loud. I had to lean across the table and scream in order to carry a conversation with my boyfriend.
The food was decent. The beef and lettuce wraps were interesting, and the szechuan lamb chops were very well cooked.
Although the food was okay, the restaurant failed at creating a nice dinner ambiance. Pod feels more like a university cafeteria - loud and full of drunken students. I left the restaurant with a pounding headache - and NOT from drinks.
For all the great reviews here on yelp, I have to say I'm a little disappointed.
The service was great, but the menu and food was actually lackluster. I wanted to try the sushi, but decided the prices were really crazy--$15 for only one of the special rolls? No thanks. Instead, I tried the Mandarin shrimp from the express lunch menu. I got three (albeit big) pieces of lightly fried shrimp, some mini-broccolli, a bowl of brown rice, a bowl of miso soup, and assorted pickled vegetables that tasted as if they'd gone bad.
I'm not convinced the place is all bad, so I'm willing to try it again--if not for the sheer novelty of the rotating sushi bar. I may go back for the tasting menu, as well. But for a filling and satisfying lunch, probably will go elsewhere.
I guess some people value lighting over quality of food because the food here is really just ok, and oh so overpriced for quality of ingredients. $14 soup with three bites of duck? The lunch Kaiseki express is the only thing of value, and you have to endure unhealthy choices if you go this route.
AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING HERE IF YOU WANT GOOD SUSHI.
Again, it's a place to blow cash and be seen at Penn, and that's the only reason it's still around.
This is what sushi bars will look like in the future. Okay, not really. But it does have a whole futuristic vibe going on, especially given the name "Pod" (Was that given to it before the iPod? Who knows.)
It's all kinds of wonderful/weird as they have a great Asian fusion menu, fabulous drinks (HELLO Wasabi Bloody Mary), and awesome bathrooms (I'm a sucker for quirks) while they try to transform you to the set of The Jetsons.
My friend and I visited our other best friend who goes to UPenn, and per his suggestion we went here for my friend's birthday. He lived right on campus, and it seriously is a hop, jump and skip away from his place as it's in the heart of University City. So depending on the night you go, you could end up with a lot of undergrads and their parents...
Of the Stephen Starr restaurants in Philly, I was thrilled this is the one we ended up going to! Make sure you make a reservation because it can end up getting packed. And try to resist the urge to robot-speak when ordering.
Pod was pretty cool. As with most Starr restaurants, focus was on the atmosphere. There were muted neon lights on the walls in the enclosed pods, which gave off a nice lighting. The conveyor belt at the sushi bar was kitschy and fun. I love anything miniature, and sushi rode the conveyor belt underneath tiny little domes. Cute.
Standouts were the signature cocktails, dessert, and the atmosphere. I had the Green martini, which was really good, and tasted the Pink. The drinks were really weak; I had 2 cocktails and felt nothing. Dessert (vanilla/choco mousse with bananas) was the best part of the meal.
For dinner, our table ordered several plates to share. I mostly had the house salad and chicken stir-fry.
A note about the bathrooms: they are neon-lit replicas of airplane bathrooms - tiny, cramped, with a steel toilet and sink. My fear of flying aside, I don't know anyone who has had an enjoyable experience in an airplane bathroom, unless they were joining the mile-high club. Why Pod would model their restrooms after one of the worst spaces in the world is beyond me.
Fun. I think it'd be a great place to go on a first date since there is definitely a lot to discuss about the restaurant itself, if conversation about other things lags: Anime, the Woody Allen film "Sleeper" (which is what the restaurant most reminded me of), the interesting menu, the sushi belt, the weird bathrooms, the pods themselves, the people watching...
I went with a friend around 8 pm. If I went with a date, I'd go a little later ( 9 pm) since when we got there it was still pretty loud in the dining area and was a little hard to hear my friend (and the waiter). It could've also just been that we were sitting behind a (loud) group of roughly 20 people though. Maybe normally its better.
I thought the food was a bit on the expensive side for what it was (pretty good, not great food), but the portions are pretty huge and if we would've shared entrees and appetizers we could've paid something far more reasonable for our dinner.
The decor is crazy-cool, the service is good, the atmosphere is trendy/casual, the food is good, and the price is right. For better context, I came here with 10 of my friends on the evening of our senior prom, which would be followed by bowling and lazer tag. We called it our "anti-prom."
I planned it out and made a reservation for the whole crew to be seated in a pod. We ordered plenty of appetizers, split up entrees, no drinks because we were still under-aged, and we each only ended up paying around $20. No problem! The coolest thing about sitting in the pods (other than the privacy and the chance to relish in other people's pod envy) is that you can change the color of your pod's lighting. Pink? Green? How about blue? Or light blue?
I've been to Pod on other occasions and the food has always been good. There's even an a la carte sushi conveyor belt bar. I just think it's refreshing for a Steven Starr restaurant to be so hip, yet cheap enough for teenagers-- and I bet we even spent less than those suckers who went to the prom!
Pod is great if a) someone else is paying or b) you're there for one drink/light meal/not going to spend a lot. The dinner menu is not worth what you pay for it, which is upwards of $30+/person. Mixed drinks can run as much as $10-12 and, though the ambiance is 'interesting', its a bit much.
The decor looks like an early 90s interpretation of the indoor of a futuristic spaceship. The pods (private round table booths) are great, but you need at least 5 people to reserve one. They won't let you sit in them even during lunchtime on a weekday, when the place is relatively empty (I've tried twice now).
Food-wise, the sushi is very good, the Kobe burger is tasty (and huge!), and the fries are crispy (if you're into crispy fries, you'll love it). The desert sampler is a fun way to try a little of everything, so I'd recommend saving room for it.
When I go to Philly, this is my go-to sushi spot. The rolls are all very fresh and well presented. My fave, which I cannot for the life of me get anywhere else, is the salmon, cream cheese and mango roll. Not traditional at all, but I had it the first time I went and absolutely loved it. Try some of the random special ones, they're all good. The only hot food I've had was the calamari which was give or take, but I'd get it again if a friend suggested. Tip: Ask for the sushi menu. They never automatically give it to you for some reason.
Eat in or take out. Worth the fairly reasonable price for the atmosphere and reliably good.
Awesome environment! Great food - lots of 'raw' dishes... Must see if your in University City!
The decor is great, the food was good, the lighting heavenly. The sexy sleek look of Pods interior would impress any out of town visitors or dates.
But what dazzled me about this beauty were its restrooms. John, shitter, WC, or loo, Pod's bathrooms are proof of gods love of humans. These amazing unisex stalls are spacious enough for u-n-i-sex ;). How progressive that men, womyn, trans, and intersex, can all share the same queue without waiting in inequitably long lines. This is also a great convo topic to chat up some eye candy in line.
My mother always says that the quality of a restaurant's bathroom will tell you about the cleanliness of its kitchen. Considering I felt like i could have comfortably eaten in those neon stalls, I think that is the highest compliment I can give pod. :)
I've been on a Steven Starr kick recently, so when my Mom came into town, wanting to take me out, I decided to pick A restaurant that has easy enough parking, was expensive, but not too expensive, and a place that I've never been to. Pod, here we come.
Upon entering, I was instantly impressed with the decor. All of the Starr restaurants that I've been to have a cool feeling, with Pod opting for neon lights, smooth flowing curves on all surfaces (chairs and ceiling included). Anime was playing on a screen in the background.
There were three crowds: preppy college studs enjoying happy hour, small parties sitting around the long table with a built in conveyor belt on which small sushi dishes circulate, and small parties at tables.
The service wasn't great, but I'm convinced that had mostly to do with our particular server, and was not representative of the restaurant as a whole. The menu has a not so varied far of Japanese, Chinese, and Thia dishes, sort of all combined. They use wasibi often and liberally, steer clear if you don't like it. I had the shrimp and scallop stiryfry. I liked my dish bestout of the rest at our table (Wasibi crusted filet mingnon, seseme crusted tuna, and veggie pad thia).
Dessert was the best part, the sweet 18, which had 9 different bite sized desserts; coconut macaroon, chocolate covered banana, candied apricot, tofu donut, brownie bite, ect. Two of each, and perfect for a party of four.
In the end, dinner was good, the place was kind of cool, but I just can't recommend it. If you're going to spend that kind of money, they're are many other places.
I'd been to POD before for a private event, but on Tuesday we went for a friend's birthday. Our party was lucky enough to get a POD (and trust me, I couldn't stop changing the color inside).
The first surprise we got was when we brought in a cake and were informed there was a $4 per person plating fee. No big deal, as they just want you to use their in-house baker. I had reviewed the menu prior and pretty much knew what I wanted, and my mouth was practically watering for the edamame.
My boyfriend mocks me whenever I mention edamame and pad thai (I tried cooking it for him once and failed miserably), so imagine my surprise when he tried both off my plate and loved them. Because the dishes are family style, we shared all our stuff among the table. I had my edamame, of course, along with pork dumplings and calamari salad. For my entree, I enjoyed some shrimp pad thai, which wasn't as spicy as I was hoping. It was tasty though, and very filling. I coudn't even finish and had the rest of it for lunch the next day.
As far as that $4 plating fee, I'd say it was worth it. They cut and served the cake for us, on cute little plates with a scoop of spiced ice cream. That's definitely worth the $4!
POD is a nice restaurant, nice atmosphere, and a definite bonus if you get to sit in the POD (although do not try the red light, your entire POD turns a near-seizure-inducing hot pink color!)
AHHH My fav restaurant in Philly - I miss it sooo much!!!! ok yes it is definately not cheap but its a fun place to go with a group of friends.
the place - they make you sit in Pods if you are a party more then six...and you can change the lights and its pretty kewl!!
Sushi - they have a sushi train which is awesome...you see the chef making the fresh sushi in front of you and they put it on a train which you get to choose from....two thumbs up!!
The food --- okk the fix menu in the pods...is TONZ of food!!! we went here with a bunch of friends - we were eight of us and we got through apps and the first course and had to pack the rest home!!! we were soo stuffed with the sushi and the apptz...we couldnt eat anymore.... it was sooo sooo good...but ofcourse we had room for the desert platter...lol
Definately a great fun place to hang out to...and a great place to people watch ;)
Really good food and unique atmosphere. Everything is white (very 2001: A Space Odyssey) They have a conveyor belt serving food at the bar and chair in that lounge that light up when you sit on them. The "pods" have buttons on the wall that will change the color of the lights.
We brought our friend here for dinner for her birthday and I wished that we had taken her elsewhere. The food was not impressive, and the decor was just as disappointing. Although it is one of the Stephen Starr restaurants, it seems as though not much thought or effort was put into creating it. I wished we had gone to Jones instead to have brunch for dinner because I wouldn't have been left with an unsatisfied appetite.
Like eating on the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I eat lunch here about once a week and usually go for the Kaiseki express menu.
The Kaiseki menu offers 5 different choices all with miso soup, house salad and rice and for between $12 and $15 dollars you can't beat it. It's also really fast, to the table in under 15 minutes.
Sushi is reasonably priced and pretty good. They don't always give you an a la carte sushi menu so go ahead and ask for one. Good choice for a quick delicious lunch in the Penn area.
Snazzy interior design: CHECK
Odd modular non-IKEA furniture: CHECK
Retro and unobtrusive lighting: CHECK
Chic wait staff and cute bartenders: CHECK and CHECK
Conveyor belt endless maki: CHECK
It has all of the conventions of a cheesy sushi establishment, but the food is good quality. Not only is it a sushi bar, they also offer a wide range of Pan-Asian foods to delight and indulge everyone in your party. The Crab Fried Rice is awesome, the crab rolls kick ass, and the noodle dishes are magnificent. Drinks here are good - but beware - anything that's named after a color will probably have you laid out by drink 4 or 5... I recommend the RED or ORANGE!
We took some clients to POD and had a fantastic meal. We chose the Chef's tasting menu which afforded 5 of us an amazing spread of sushi, dim sum, fresh fish and meats that more than satisfied the team. Add in a gigantic bottle of Sake and you've got all the makings for a great night. Yes the ambiance is a little 'Tokyo 1998' with plastic and rounded edges coming at you from every angle but it works. Favorite dishes include the Sea Bass, Calamari Salad and Crab Fried Rice.
Yep, it looks really cool inside, which kinda gets your hopes up that you're going to have the dining experience of a lifetime. But when foodtime comes along, well, let's just say that it's not bad but it's not great, either.
If you like fancy drinks, waiters that ignore you to flirt with other waiters and a big bill, then this is the place for you.
If not, then grab sushi and a sixpack and then sit on your porch. You'll have just as good (and maybe even better) of a time. And you won't have to listen to any stupid techno music while you're trying to have a conversation.
PS. The bathrooms will make you feel like you're on a spaceship. So at least that's...interesting?
To be honest I don't know if this restaurant really earns a full 3 stars. I've been here a handful of times (I tend to give places a couple of tries) and at all times it has been just ok.
One of the times I went was with a party. They did pretty well in accommodating us and serving us pretty quickly, but I remember the food was the usual unremarkable fusion, which generally can be underwhelming anyway.
One of the more recent times I went I ordered something like the salmon and it came in a very average teriyaki sauce. The side of mushroom fried rice was a little bit above average.
Never got to sit in one of the actual pods, but I can't imagine that sitting in a mini - room where you can control the lighting would make it THAT much better, unless you happen to be around 10 years old (no offense to anyone who DOES happen to find that the best restaurant invention ever.)
The sushi conveyor belt may be one of the few available around here, but I'm pretty used to them from visiting back to Japan so often that the novelty factor just does not weigh into my rating at all.
Overall, a cute place to go for something "novel" in terms of a restaurant concept, but expect just okay to a little-better-than-average food. It's fusion, but it's really not terribly creative at all.
And by the way, the latest time I was there a server was apparently not assigned to us even though somebody seated us. We waited more than 10 minutes before we finally flagged down a random server. I almost left.
I just tried Pod for the first time, and it was awesome!
Inside the restaurant was very futuristic, on that note alone I was happy.
The food was excellent, although not very filling. I really want to come back and try something else!
Wok added some Asian Fusion…
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
1/2 Prices at Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Japanese
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