A friend's mother was at someone's house for a meal today. The meal was served in the style of fondue with finely sliced stake cookingon a hot plate and lots of small dishes of other foods ham cheese salami gherkins etc. Under the hot plate was a block with gaps in it. Each person had a sort of slice thing which they filled with a selection of the food in the dishes, then put them into the block where they cooked and were then eaten with or without the steak. The people who were hosting the meal have lived in Germany and friend's mum got the idea it was a German method of cooking.

I am totally intrigued does anybody recognise it??

Sounds like a version of Thai table top barbeque

http://www.amazon.co.uk/VonShef-Electric-Teppanyaki-Barbecue-Griddle/dp/B007FQY6WU/ref=pd_cp_kh_2

Is it a raclette? Can't post a link at the moment but they sell them on amazon etc.

Sounds like 'hot stone cooking'.  When I was in Frankfurt I ate at several restaurants that used these for cooking steak and veg.

Have a look here

Sounds very much like a Raclette grill:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/articles/detail/raclette

My dutch daughter in law does something like that - calls it Gormet -   It is rather smelly - frying in the middle of the table - but she loves it and they always do it in their family at Christmas.

Thanks everyone haven't seen one that is exactly as I had it described to me but they all look as if they are on the same  lines. Rather fancy trying it

> Thanks everyone haven't seen one that is exactly as I had it described to me but they all look as if they are on the same  lines. Rather fancy trying it

Keep your eye open as Lidls sometimes have raclette grills.