I really don’t think you can go wrong with the main DC places — Menya Hosaki, Daikaya, Toki Underground, and Haikan (haven’t been to Sakuramen or some of the other places mentioned). I would personally rank their quality in that order, but if you’re going in for a birthday dinner you may want to think more about the location and what you want to do in addition to ramen. Haikan is close to the Shaw/U Street and a lot of great bars and nightlife, and Daikaya is in Penn Quarter/Chinatown which has a lot going on as well — these two places are also pretty close to Metro stops. Toki is on H Street which has a lot of bars but maybe isnt as appealing to out of towners, and Menya is a bit further out with fewer bars and nightlife options around — these two places are less close to Metro.

This is all to say that if you’re looking to make a day or night out of your trip to town, you may want to think about the neighborhood as well.

Have you tried Albi in Navy Yard? I can’t speak to its authenticity but it’s super nice and has a Michelin star. It will definitely impress (if you can drop that kind of $$)