South Street just picked up a serious comfort-food player. Mod Spuds, chef Ange Branca’s fast-casual jacket-potato shop, quietly opened its brick-and-mortar counter spot on the corridor in May. The compact storefront turns a humble russet into a full-on meal, with toppings pulled from the U.K., Southeast Asia and Philadelphia itself. For fans of Branca’s Malaysian cooking, it is the latest way to find those flavors while her Kampar restaurant is rebuilt.
Jacket potatoes with a global spin
The menu sticks to a tight lineup, but it does not hold back on the toppings. A Mod Spud comes loaded with butter, cheese, British-style baked beans and chili con carne, while the Malaysian Spud is topped with braised beef rendang, a Southeast Asian slaw and sambal. There is also a Bollywood Spud and a Philly-style spud that uses cheesesteak meat for a local twist on the dish. Those dish details were reported by 6abc.
Rooted in Kampar and pop-ups
Branca traces the idea back to her college days in Edinburgh, where loaded baked potatoes were a go-to meal. She later tested the concept closer to home with a residency at Comfort & Floyd that drew repeat crowds. After a February 2025 fire forced her Malaysian restaurant Kampar to close for repairs, she leaned into pop-ups around the city and used that momentum to scout for a permanent South Street home. The pop-up run, along with the ongoing work to rebuild Kampar, which remains temporarily closed, was detailed by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Hours and ordering
Mod Spuds lists its address at 1424 South St and its hours as Wednesday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with Tuesday as the off day. The shop accepts online orders and delivery through Uber Eats, according to Mod Spuds' website. The storefront fills a former bakery and cafe space on a busy stretch of South Street and adds to a recent wave of openings along the corridor, local coverage by PhillyVoice noted. Inside, it is set up for counter service and a compact menu geared to takeaway or a quick sit-down bite.
What’s next
Branca describes Mod Spuds as a kind of laboratory for global comfort food, with plans to rotate toppings and bring in other Philadelphia chefs for collaborations while Kampar’s rebuild continues. The shop has already tested World Cup-inspired weekly features and other specials, a flexible approach the owner says will continue while the main restaurant is repaired, as reported by 6abc.
