Meet gloria shi | Restaurateur

We had the good fortune of connecting with gloria shi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi gloria, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well, my dad was pretty much retired at that point and his day-to-day sitting at home was rapidly aging him. So in order to stir things up, I would always book him a last-minute one-way flight out from New York to come visit me in LA. He would stay with me for long periods of time and I loved every minute of it. Being able to add some excitement and adventure to his daily routine.

We would have long discussions about ideas and concepts he had peculating and I could see him come alive when talking about process, execution, everything about the hospitality restaurant industry. This was the life that he always knew and he wasn’t done with it yet. So we put both our ideas in a pot and cooked up this brand/concept.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
ixlb DimSum Eats The “i” is annotated by convenience in ordering and “XLB” being xiao long bao for short. We are serving up all your traditional dim sum favorites made fresh to order. We just celebrated our 8th anniversary at our Hollywood location and opened our Westwood Village location last year.

It’s about getting in and out, and getting Fresh made to order dim sum at a good price point; peeling away a lot of the extra stuff, getting to the core of the food. Dim sum no longer is reserved for weekend brunches, long waits at banquet hall “esque” settings, long drives to SGV, old ladies yelling at you, menus you don’t understand; pretty much all the hurdles my non-Asian friends encountered when trying to get dim sum in Chinatown. “ixlb DimSum Eats” is introducing this cuisine to the city welcoming a new and wider customer base and making the process of ordering streamlined and non-intimidating.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Pace on Laurel Canyon for date vibes and an opportunity for your inner child Picasso artist to shine.

And for shock value, Erewhon for a $25 smoothie with magic potions.

Getty Center on a sunny clear day.

Geoffrey’s Malibu for an early dinner and sunset ocean views. (Tip: get the baked Brie and pear)

Malibu country mart for lunch and shopping.

Grab dim sum takeout from “ixlb DimSum Eats” in Hollywood and picnic at Hollywood Bowl for a show 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Being an only child, my dad was always like my best friend. I’m truly lucky to have parents who love me unconditionally and as I get older, I’m realizing how time is fleeting and every moment we can spend with family is truly precious. So having this business is my selfish way of keeping them close. At least it worked cause they moved away from home (nyc) to Los Angeles to embark on this “ixlb” venture with me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ixlbdimsumeats/

Other: https://order.toasttab.com/online/locations/0d5f7fc9-756f-4ea6-af98-cd3a61b1b6c5