I spent a few years living in Japan, and one of the many magical places you could eat was Pepper Lunch. There's nothing quite like going into the little restaurant, paying for your options in yen at a vending machine and, about 10 minutes later, having a molten cast iron plat covered in sizzling beef and rice set before you. It never gets old. When thinking of duplicating the process at home, I also realized that my oven could barely get cast iron plates hot enough (and safely) to make myself - but it doesn't mean I won't try one day.

Edit: The NYC Pepper Lunch has now closed, which is painful to me as I only managed to go once. However, I hear there's one in Texas as well.