Washi Ridge Eatery (formerly Ying Ryori)

Ying Ryori was a prestigious ryotei (high-end Japanese restaurant) in Tainan during the Japanese colonial period. It was founded and operated by the Japanese man Amano Hisakichi, who was then known as 'Taiwan's Top Chef'. Due to its central location in Tainan City, adjacent to important government offices and public buildings such as the Tainan Prefectural Office, City Council, Joint Government Building, Chianan Irrigation Association, Public Hall, and Kangyo Bank, it was a popular venue for banquets and gatherings of political and business elites, and was also known as 'Tainan's Underground Decision-Making Center'. Ying Ryori's culinary standards were high, and its grilled eel rice was particularly widely praised. In 1923, when Emperor Showa was still Crown Prince, he visited Tainan, and during his stay at the Governor's Residence, Ying Ryori was even designated to supply the meals.