A New Dim Sum Specialist Opens Out of the Blue Next Week in Palms

A new dim sum specialist is heading for the greater Culver City area, with a surprise opening set for next week. The upcoming restaurant, named Iron Teapot, lands at 10306 Venice Boulevard, in the former home of Jaffa in Palms.

Iron Teapot is the work of emerging restaurateur Sally Chan, a San Gabriel Valley local who fell in love with dim sum growing up. “The pandemic ushered in a sense of nostalgia for the past,” Chan says by way of an intro post on the restaurant’s website. “Cramming into an indoor noisy dim sum restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley has become an experience that someone living under months of lockdown can hardly imagine. I… yearn for a Cantonese outdoor restaurant that plays the best Canto pop of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s. ​ My hope is that every customer can step into Iron Teapot and feel transported back to the height of Canto Pop while enjoying freshly steamed, authentic dim sum over a cocktail, beer, wine or a cup of tea with the sea breeze from the Pacific coastline outdoors in the new era of Covid.” Eater reached out to Chan directly, but so far has not heard back.

To bring the restaurant to life, Chan has brought on chef Hoi Chan, who has worked at Sea Harbour, Bao, and beyond. Together the pair is set to prepare a bounty of dim sum specialities, from steamed buns to har gow, siu mai, and beyond. There are twists on the basics, like the use of truffle oil and a more robust vegan menu, but otherwise the plan is to bring the dim sum basics well west. The restaurant also offers boba, beer, wine, and a full bar for patio dim sum sipping.

Not that Iron Teapot is the only place west of Chinatown offering dim sum. Bao Dim Sum House on Beverly has been a staple for years, while Dim Sum House opened in Westwood in 2019 to middling reviews. Others, like Ixlb Dimsum Eats, have made a go of fast-casual dim sum bites nearby in Hollywood. Iron Teapot is currently slated to open next week, though a formal opening announcement or set timeframe has yet to be made public.

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