Do you LOVE Japanese cuisine? Well, you’re in luck because seats are still available for our October 15th event with Todd Lean, Executive Chef of Stephen Starr’s futuristic University City hotspot, Pod. Join Chef Todd at COOK when he will prepare an other-worldly omakase for 16 lucky guests. Omakase is a Japanese phrase used in restaurants that means “I’ll leave it to you”.  In this case, the “you” is the chef and the “it” is the menu. So instead of guests ordering à la carte, the chef presents a series of plates intended to be innovative and surprising, almost like an artistic performance by the chef. Chef Todd’s COOK menu will feature:

Amuse: Kabocha truffle bisque
1^st: Exotic nigiri- Kinmedai and Japanese Uni
2^nd: Kumamoto oyster – chilled noodles and seafood salad
3^rd: King Crab- lobster shiro miso and Brussels sprouts leaves
4^th: Smoked and braised short rib with congee
Dessert: Kakigori- Japanese shaved ice with green tea syrup

Chef Todd got his start as a teenager at Forager Restaurant & Bar, a New Hope, Pa. mainstay that brought country-style, brick-oven fare to the area. “They were not shy in showing me all aspects of the kitchen, top to bottom,” says Lean of this formative time, where the young, energetic crew encouraged him to get as involved as possible. “Restaurant-wise, so much of my experience can be traced back to this.”

After graduating from the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Lean continued his hands-on education in multiple contexts. As catering chef of Langhorne’s McCaffrey’s, a high-end gourmet market, he was able to perfect building blocks, like stock- and soup-making, that helped him land a job at Carambola, a New American BYOB in Dresher. “This was a changing point for me,” says Lean, who expanded his skill set to include rustic specialties like pasta-making and meat smoking in addition to refining his overall touch behind the line.

Lean left Carambola in 2005 to open a project of his own — Mandoline, a small 38-seat BYOB in Philadelphia’s Old City. Cooking for more ambitious downtown palates translated to Lean further growing into his own as a chef, winning critical acclaim for dishes like his lobster-truffle mac ‘n’ cheese and goat cheese/pistachio tart.

After Lean made the tough decision to close Mandoline in 2008, his talents were immediately enlisted at Deuce, a Northern Liberties gastropub that allowed him the freedom to execute his food in a more casual, high-energy environment. On the lookout for new challenges after the closure of Deuce, Lean landed in the STARR Restaurants orbit, coming on as Pod’s executive sous chef. Deliberately removing himself from his established culinary comfort zone and into Pod’s vibrant Japanese-inspired environs was just the inspiration Lean needed to grow his reach.

Officially taking over as Pod’s executive chef in 2013, Lean is more confident than ever flexing his creative muscle in the kitchen. In collaboration with sushi chef Tomoyuki Takasu and the rest of his staff, Lean encourages the open sharing of ideas and inspiration among his team. “I take great pride in what we do,” he says. “I like to let our food speak for itself. Often times the simplest approach is the best, and that’s what I remind everyone. Straightforward, strong flavors — that’s what you’re going to find here.”

Interested in experiencing Chef Todd’s Japanese-inspired flavor fest at COOK? Seats can be purchased by clicking here.