In Western kitchens, there is a warming drawer used to heat plates, and this feature is excellent. The main purpose of warming plates is to slow down the rate at which food cools. For Chinese cuisine, many hot dishes are best enjoyed within two minutes of being taken off the heat; after those two minutes, as the temperature steadily drops, the flavor and texture of the dish gradually deteriorate. This is exactly why we always say, "Eat it while it's hot."
After the dish is cooked, placing it directly onto a cold plate causes a rapid temperature drop from the hot-cold contrast, quickly absorbing heat and degrading the quality. So when I cook at home, I usually warm the plates by scalding them with hot water or preheating the oven to 60-70°C (140-160°F) and placing the plates inside to warm up. This helps maintain the dish's quality for a bit longer. If you already have an oven at home, give this trick a try.
Cooking Notes
Another use for the oven: stir-frying the seasoning, which means making the spicy Sichuan-style sauce. For many Sichuan restaurants specializing in grilled fish, spicy hot pot, Chongqing hot pot, or even spicy broth noodles, this sauce is their "trump card." The combination of spices and the quality of ingredients like chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns determine the signature flavor of a restaurant's main dish. This sauce is so important that some chefs specialize in developing different flavors, earning the title "sauce masters." Each sauce master has their own secret recipe. The spicy Sichuan-style grilled fish sauce here is a simplified version of one of my own recipes (the original had twice the amount of spices listed here!), and I'm confident its flavor rivals any restaurant's. For those who can't live without heat, why not try your hand at being a spicy sauce master!