This quick and easy recipe for Spicy Pickled Cucumbers will knock your socks off. It’s a pretty successful attempt at the Din Tai Fung cucumber salad recipe. 
Do you know anyone who makes a home cooked meal from scratch that’s elaborate and incredibly delicious, almost every night? For a family of five no less?!
When I met my friend Rebecca a couple of years ago, I learned almost immediately that she was an excellent cook. I could never run into her without her saying she had to run home to check something on the stove, or that she was off to a specialty food market for a specific ingredient she couldn’t get anywhere else.
A few months ago, when I told Rebecca that I’d gone on a great food tour of Little India here in Los Angeles, she instantly offered to take me on a food tour of her favorite Chinese food spots in the San Gabriel Valley.
Si Hai Restaurant
First Rebecca took me for an unbelievable Tawianese breakfast at Si Hai Restaurant (Four Sea Restaurant in English.)
We had several dishes, but what really stood out was a small hand pie called Ngau Yuk Sau Ban (that’s Beef Hand Pie in English). The Ngau Yuk Sau Ban is made with pickled vegetables and very thinly sliced marinated beef all wrapped into a super, flaky and light pastry — similar to puff pastry, only made with pork fat instead of butter. Sounds more like lunch, right? Frankly, I’d eat this hand pie anytime of the day any day!
Rebecca, ordering our goodies at VP Tofu!
VP Tofu
Next, a quick stop at VP Tofu where Rebecca picked up a delicious dessert for her family, Do Fu Fa, which means soybean custard — it’s served with a lovely, light ginger syrup. I followed suit, of course.
Half & Half Tea House
From VP Tofu, we headed to the Half & Half Tea House, where I got one of the most delicious, delightful beverages I’ve ever had — Coffee & Milk Tea with Boba. Boba, or “Bubble,” are the small, semi-sweet balls that fall to the bottom of the drink.
These somewhat big, chewy balls are made from cassava, a type of sweet potato, rolled into black tapioca-like balls. These drinks are always served with an extra wide straw to accommodate these yummy treats! And treats they are!
Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad Recipe
For our last stop we traveled to Arcadia to Din Tai Fung, where Rebecca ordered Juicy Pork Dumplings — hands down, the most delicious dumplings I’ve ever had. Ever! Each small dumpling was like having a bite of warm, comforting, hearty soup.
To complement the dumplings, Rebecca also ordered a wonderful dish of Spicy Pickled Cucumbers, which was a highlight that I’ve recreated for you today.
While I’m guessing this is not quite the way the Din Tai Fung cucumber salad recipe is made, I think I’ve come pretty close!
This was a most memorable food day with a very sweet friend.
If you’re in Southern California, make your way to these places to eat . . . and eat. . . and eat! (If I haven’t linked the places to their addresses, I’ve listed them below.)
Now go get started on these Spicy Pickled Cucumber Salad.
VP Tofu
237 S. Garfield Avenue, Monterey Park
626-572-9930
- 1- pound small pickling cucumbers Persian are great, washed and dried
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
- 1 tablespoon chili paste Sambal Oelek is perfect
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Cut the cucumbers into approximately 1/2-inch rounds and place them in a mixing bowl.
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Sprinkle the cucumbers with the salt and gently mix. Let them site for about 20 minutes.
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Pour the salted cucumbers into a strainer and drain and rinse them with cold water. Dry them with paper towels and place them in a new mixing bowl. Set aside.
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In a small sauté pan, over low heat, warm the sugar with the vinegar only until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. You can stir it a bit as it warms. Pour this over the cucumbers and gently mix. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
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You can use the same small sauté pan to heat the oil with the chili paste. Cook only until it's sizzling, about 2 minutes. Let this cool to room temperature.
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Remove the marinating cucumbers from the refrigerator and drain almost, but not quite all of the liquid. Carefully stir in the chili oil and serve.
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Ilke says
July 17, 2012 at 1:10 amI am way on the other side of the continent but loved the stroll you took me through. I should search Charlotte for some of these dishes.
mary jo frazier says
July 17, 2012 at 4:29 pmValentina. Once again you have made my day. Several years ago my husband was told to visit a noodle restaurant in Arcadia. We loved it, but forgot to write down the name. Din Ta Fun was a memorable meal, and now we can return. Many Thanks!!
valentina says
July 17, 2012 at 6:27 pmMary Jo — Thank makes me so happy!!! I can’t wait to go back myself! 🙂
Sauerkraut Billy says
August 14, 2017 at 2:33 pmThese cucumbers look delicious! Love the presentation too. Is there a good way to get them thinner? I love my pickled cucumbers to be pretty thin when it comes to the end product. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
valentina says
August 14, 2017 at 11:06 pmHi! You could use a mandoline to make super thin slices. Hope you try it. Enjoy!
Ash says
November 8, 2017 at 1:44 pmHi at the sugar and vinegar stage it become really hard in the sauté pan after i let the sugar dissolve. Am i not wAiting long enough. Hope to hear from you soon!
Ash
valentina says
November 8, 2017 at 4:48 pmHi Ash, I’m sorry you had this happen, and thank you for writing me about it. When you dissolve the sugar into the vinegar, the heat show be low and you can stir gently. We’re not cooking it, just warming it long enough so the sugar dissolves — it should just take about 2 minutes. Also, don’t let it sit in the pan. Remove it from the heat and add it to the cucumbers, even when it’s still warm. After reading your comment I edited the recipe a bit by adding “low heat.” I hope this helps! 🙂
Sally N. says
November 16, 2017 at 6:40 pmHi, Valentina! This recipe looks sooo good! Question though, how can we store these cucumbers if they’re not eaten immediately? And how long will they store for? Can I just throw everything into a jar and into the fridge? Lol
valentina says
November 16, 2017 at 11:25 pmHi Sally. Yes, you can absolutely store them in the refrigerator in a jar.I would do this with all of the marinating liquid. You can store them for at least 2 weeks. The flavors will become a bit more intense, the longer they marinate. I hope you give it a try, and enjoy. And thanks for reading my recipes! 🙂 ~Valentina
Stephen B. says
October 7, 2018 at 4:14 pmThis is a fantastic recipe – thank you!
My only variation was adding a few drops of sesame oil to the chili oil as it was “cooking”.
Thanks so much for posting this!!!
valentina says
October 7, 2018 at 11:16 pmYou are welcome! Thanks for sharing and so happy you liked it. Sesame oil is a nice touch. 🙂
S says
February 10, 2019 at 5:55 amThis is a very good post. Thanks for sharing. Keep posting.
valentina says
February 10, 2019 at 11:18 amThanks!