Ramen & Bao Opens in Oxford CT with Soup Dumpling, Unique Ramen +

Carly Terzigni December 07, 2022

When you enter Ramen & Bao, the latest culinary addition to Oxford’s Quarry Walk, there is no question that you are in for a memorable experience. Right away, you are greeted by the tranquil sounds of water trickling from a fountain as you turn the corner, signaling that it is time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some delicious ramen, dumplings, steamed baos, or whatever may strike your fancy.

Chef Jin is no stranger to opening up successful restaurants in Connecticut, as Ramen & Bao is a sister restaurant to Natural Kitchen in Milford and Tomo 68 in Naugatuck. So we knew we were in for a treat when we sat down at a carefully presented place setting, complete with ornate soup spoons, bowls, and chopsticks. Needless to say, we were ready to dive in.

The most difficult challenge you will face at Ramen & Bao is deciding just what to order. Your evening will start off strong if you order up some of the Xiao Long Bao, or Signature Steamed Soup Dumplings – a tasty, shareable dish with all of the fixings of a hearty bowl of soup, except the broth is inside the dumpling. Chef Jin was on deck to provide a demonstration to proper soup dumpling technique, which involves placing the dumpling in your soup spoon and poking a hole with your chopsticks to let the broth flow out.

You really cannot go wrong with any of the appetizers, bao, or dumplings. We were particularly fond of the R&B Wrap, which uses the tasty scallion pancakes as a wrap, adding an extra dash of savoriness to the dish. While you can order your wrap with pork belly or beef, Chef Jin suggested the shredded roasted duck. Other standout starters include the Salt & Pepper Calamari, the Steam Dumplings, and for a dash of sweetness, the Bang Bang Shrimp.

As tempting as it is to order every appetizer on the menu, we highly suggest leaving room in your stomach for the ramen. Ramen & Bao’s menu offers a wide variety of ramens, which can come served with any number of proteins, from tonkatsu or beef to seafood or roast duck. There are additional noodle and fried rice dishes on the menu, including the eye-catching Pineapple Fried Rice served inside a hollowed-out pineapple. And if you are a fan of milk tea, you will be happy to know that Ramen & Bao serves a variety of flavors to accompany your meal, from Taro to Brown Sugar to Matcha.

When we spoke with Chef Jin, he expressed his eagerness to begin work on yet another project. We’ll wait with bated breath to see what’s in store, but in the meantime, we’ll be more than happy to fill up on soup dumplings and ramen from Ramen & Bao any day.

Ramen & Bao 112 Main Street Oxford, CT 06478