Making the viral Din Tai Fung-inspired cucumber salad (no deli cup necessary) (2024)

I’ve been making some variation of a marinated cucumber salad for as long as I can remember. It’s a staple at many of the Chinese restaurants I frequent in the San Gabriel Valley. It typically involves diced cucumber with vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. But recently, a TikTok user named @Logagm turned the simple salad into a culinary phenomenon on social media.

He’s made everything from his version of the cucumber salad at the popular chain Din Tai Fung (20.9 million TikTok views) to mixing cucumber with cream cheese and torn smoked salmon (22 million views). Regardless of the flavor combination, he always uses an entire cucumber and assembles his salads in a deli cup.

I recently made his Din Tai Fung salad, though he admits that he’s never actually been to the restaurant, known for its xiao long bao and marinated cucumbers. I followed along as he sliced his cucumber straight into the cup. He started by adding salt and giving the cucumbers a shake. Then he let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out some of the moisture. He drained the liquid, gave them a good rinse, then added them back into the cup. He added a few dashes each of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Next was a spoonful of chile oil, a sprinkle of MSG and some grated garlic.

I didn’t have MSG on hand, so I skipped it. If you’re opposed to using this food additive or simply don’t have any, the salad is just as satisfying without it.

Once all the ingredients were in the cup, he put the lid on and shook the cup to combine. Then he ate it straight out of the container with a pair of chopsticks.

I didn’t measure the ingredients, and neither does @Logagm, but with soy, vinegar, sesame oil and garlic, it’s hard to go wrong. And you can adjust the proportions to your liking, adding a little at a time.

The deli cup isn’t a must, but it’s fun to shake all the ingredients together. My lid wasn’t on all the way and I ended up with sauce on my shirt, and the counter.

@Logagm’s cucumbers are far from an exact replica of the salad you can order at Din Tai Fung, but they’re cool, crunchy and refreshing. I made three batches just this week, dialing up the vinegar for one cup, then adding another scoop of chile oil for the next. The possibilities are endless, and totally up to you.

Here are four more cucumber salads to make all summer long. Maybe use a mixing bowl instead of a deli cup.

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Persian cucumber salad with walnuts and golden raisins

Persian cucumber salad.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

This cucumber salad hits all the textural high notes with a creamy yogurt dressing, crunchy cucumber, sweet and chewy raisins and even more crunch from the toasted walnuts. The addition of dried rose petals imparts a lovely floral flavor throughout the salad.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes. Serves 6.

Cool rice and cucumber salad

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

I like to serve this cool cucumber and rice salad as a side dish with grilled meats or fish during the summer. It’s great at room temperature, or straight out of the fridge.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Israeli salad, California style

(Robert Gauthier / LA Times)

All you’ll really need to assemble this recipe is a knife, a cutting board and a bowl. Chopped cucumber, jicama, green onion and tomato come together with fresh lemon juice and olive oil to make a simple salad. Just chop, mix and enjoy.

Get the recipe.
Cook time: 40 minutes. Serves 4.

Sour cream cucumber salad

A bowl of sour cream cucumber salad.

(Rick Meyer)

I recently served this salad alongside a brunch spread of bagels, lox and cream cheese. The cucumber and fresh dill echoed the dill pickles on my serving platter. I even added a scoop in place of the cream cheese under a slice of lox on my bagel.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes. Serves 12.