Ramen & Bao has a date for its Canton debut: November 14, with grand-opening festivities running from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Shops at Farmington Valley. The new restaurant, planted at 110 Albany Turnpike, Suite 924, will be the chain's third location as it continues pushing out from its original Oxford storefront.
The Canton grand-opening date comes straight from the shopping center's own tenant listing, according to The Shops at Farmington Valley, which spells out the celebration window in plain terms: “Grand Opening – November 14 – 11am – festivities 11:30am – 1:30pm.” That's a shift from earlier expectations. Back in January, the Hartford Courant reported the Canton spot was expected to open around June, part of a wave of expansion that also included a planned Cheshire location.
Jin Bing Lin is a company official who would oversee Ramen & Bao's restaurants. The Canton restaurant is part of the chain's expansion beyond its original Oxford spot, alongside plans for a Cheshire location. A July report from the New Haven Register had noted plans for Ramen & Bao to open in Cheshire's Shops at Stone Bridge retail center on July 3.
What's On The Menu
Ramen & Bao bills itself as an Asian bistro serving gourmet ramen and bao dumplings, with a menu that leans into both Japanese and Chinese comfort food. Its own site describes the restaurant as specializing in “Japanese ramen, Chinese steamed buns, soup dumplings, and flavorful Asian-inspired cuisine,” per Ramen & Bao's website. Standout dishes include Tonkotsu Ramen, Sapporo Miso Ramen, Roast Duck with Black Truffle Ramen, Signature Pork Soup Dumplings, and Blue Crab & Pork Soup Dumplings, the restaurant notes.
Soup dumplings in particular have been riding a wave of popularity across the state. January coverage from the Hartford Courant described the trend bluntly, noting that “the nationwide soup dumpling craze, where the soup is inside a dumpling, is going strong in Connecticut.” Ramen & Bao's expansion from a single Oxford storefront into three locations tracks with that broader appetite for the dish.
A New Spot In A Growing Shopping Center
Earlier reporting had placed the Canton restaurant in a courtyard spot across from Blo Blow Dry Bar at the shopping center, the Hartford Business Journal reported. The Shops at Farmington Valley features more than 45 shops and restaurants and is owned by Massachusetts-based WS Development, the outlet notes. The center has been adding tenants steadily, having welcomed Sweetgreen, Warby Parker, FP Movement and J.Crew Factory in 2025.
Canton diners curious about the full lineup of ramen bowls and dumplings can browse the menu at Ramen & Bao's website ahead of the November 14 opening.
