铁板 ('iron plate') dishes —
铁板牛肉 (iron-plate beef),
铁板豆腐 (iron-plate tofu),
铁板茄子 — are a hot-platter cooking style popularized in Chinese restaurants in the 1990s. The dish arrives on a screaming-hot cast-iron pan, with sauce poured at the table for a dramatic sizzle and steam plume. Eggplant in particular soaks up the savory garlic-soy sauce beautifully.
