• Melissa Pasanen
• Dan Raut

On Sunday, Red Panda Shelburne joined the local group of related Nepali/Indian/Indo-Chinese restaurants named for a small animal native to the Himalayan mountain range. The new location at 2403 Shelburne Road is owned by Dan Raut, who also owns Red Panda Essex at 163 Pearl Street in Essex Junction. The Shelburne restaurant space was most recently Royal Buddha Restaurant & Bar.

The extensive menu at Red Panda Shelburne includes Indian-style chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken; lamb, goat and tofu curries; and the handmade dumplings from Nepal and Tibet known as momos. Breads, such as naan, are baked fresh in a tandoor oven.

The menu resembles that of the original Red Panda, which opened in July 2019 at 161 Church Street and is now solely owned by Lakpa Sherpa. Raut said a Milton location called New Red Panda, under different ownership, closed two months ago.

New to Red Panda on the Shelburne menu is a small section of Mediterranean dishes, such as beef and lamb gyros and grilled chicken with rice. There's also a burger with fries.

"Many people like momos," Raut said. But, he added, "If we have a mix of people and kids, we want to serve them, as well."

Raut said he has staffed the 60-seat restaurant with experienced Nepali cooks from New York and New Jersey. His spices come from much farther away: He travels two to three times a year to Nepal to bring back ginger, black and green cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon.

Red Panda Shelburne will be open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. It does not serve alcohol, but customers may bring their own, Raut said. Learn more at redpandashelburne.com.