Ramen and Bao Restaurant Coming to Farmington
A new ramen and bao restaurant is slated to open at the Shops at Farmington Valley later in 2026. The new eatery will expand the local dining options with a new culinary focus.
The incoming eatery is an expansion of the Oxford-based Ramen & Bao, which specializes in handmade soup dumplings, steamed bao buns, and slow-simmered ramen. This will be the restaurant's third location, joining the original on Main Street in Oxford and another planned for The Shops at Stone Bridge in Cheshire. The menu is described as a modern, Asian-inspired concept blending Japanese and Taiwanese influences, featuring items like scallion pancake wraps and Taiwanese fried chicken alongside various ramen broths. The restaurant emphasizes hand-crafted quality, with each soup dumpling being rolled, filled, and folded by hand. It will be situated in a courtyard location across from Blo Blow Dry Bar, offering both full-service dining and carry-out options. While no specific date has been announced, the owners are targeting a spring 2026 opening. The arrival of Ramen & Bao is part of a significant leasing push at the shopping center, which is owned by Massachusetts-based WS Development. This trend has seen the addition of other high-profile brands like Shake Shack, Sweetgreen, Warby Parker, and J.Crew Factory in 2025, signaling a strategic effort to enhance the location's dining and retail mix.
