After having multiple prized ceramics items chipped or broken during use with a ceramic tea table, I thought this might be a project for doing things better with wood.  I’m specifically thinking about a surface on which to place teaware for brewing and drinking tea, exposing the wood to a lot of water, hot water and hot ceramics, the staining properties of tea tannins, and often rough/course surfaces of handmade ceramic tea wares.  

I want to set the wood surface into or over a metal tray (probably a stainless steel roasting pan of some kind) that would handle the drips and overflow.  The wood will be set over or above it, with some grooves and holes like a traditional meat carving board to encourage drainage to the steel tray below.  I’ve had enough experience with various bamboo tray designs to know that a wood base is inevitably going to warp and rot.  But I figure I have a fighting chance of keeping a simple slab of wood in good shape if it is set above the base where water collects and never actually sits immersed.

And of course I like pretty wood and I would want the wood grain to shine through whatever finish I use.

What kind of finish would you suggest for this finish torture test, for stain resistance, heat resistance, water resistance, scratch resistance, and tolerance for refinishing under daily use?