Plate wiping in restaurants

[boncey]

I went to a Thai restaurant recently and noticed they visibly wiped the plates with a cloth just before placing them in front of us. I realised they also do this whenever I go to an Indian restaurant, but not at any other types of restaurant. Does anyone know why this is done?

[andy hughes]

Restaurants use hundreds of plates, and have large stockpiles in their kitchens, so it is possible for some to pick up a light coating of dust if they are not used for a few days. Wiping the plate in front of the diner removes any dust that may have collected, and shows the diner that their plate has been dusted before use - a little courtesy that English restaurants tend not tobother with, because their plates are usually too hot to touch with bare hands.

[5029]

sometimes they are heated in some kind of a plate warmer. this means that sometimes they get condensation on them, which would not mix well with the food on the plate, so the staff wipe them to dry them off. All very hygenic