Washington DC's best Ramen - No reservations but you may have to wait

Daikaya Ramen Shop

Ramen at Daikaya - CC: Alyson Hurt

For a relatively quick dinner of delicious Sapporo style Japanese ramen, Daikaya is both amazing convenient and delicious. It has spawned a mini-empire of ramen restaurants to include Haikan near U Street, Bantam King, also in the Chinatown neighborhood. The restaurant is very vegetarian/vegan friendly, and is best for groups of 4 or smaller, especially if you are coming in busy hours. To dine here, expect to put your name in and wait for up to 90 minutes at busy times; however, they will text you when your table will be ready, so you can wander the Chinatown neighborhood, stop by the National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum (open until 7 PM), or grab a drink at the Partisan, an excellent neighborhood bar, or other neighborhood bars. While you may have to wait, the ramen is definitely worth the wait.