Inside Red Panda on Gandy Street with Dani

Tucked away on Exeter’s vibrant Gandy Street, Red Panda has been serving fresh, high-end Asian street food for over six years. Founded by owners James and Natalie, whose shared love of bold flavours comes from years in Hong Kong, the small, family-run spot has earned a loyal local following for its handmade bao buns, salads, and signature house-made chilli crisp.

I caught up with store manager Dani to chat about the energy on Gandy Street, the craft behind their food, and what makes the spot so special.

"We focus on fast, high-end, healthy, and nutritious food everything made in-house fresh. We’re a small family-run business, and this shop gets insanely busy for how small it is."

Having managed the store for two and a half years, Dani points to the tight-knit street culture as her favourite part of the job:

"Gandy Street is possibly my favourite place I've worked in Exeter. The community is great. I’ve got to know so many fantastic people just being in this store."

When asked what she recommends to anyone stepping through the door for the first time, Dani didn't hesitate:

"Our best seller is the aromatic pork belly bao with three salads, garnished with coriander, peanuts, and our own chilli crisp. That’s how we get you. It's the chilli crisp! I've had people buy food, go eat it, and immediately come back to buy more."

Looking ahead, Dani hopes to see Red Panda expand its footprint through outside catering and mobile events:

"I'd love it to reach a bit further. I love outside catering and events, it would be really nice to be a bit more mobile and take it new places."