Tom Lei & Tom Lo

The Crispy and Spicy Cucumber Salad at Spy C, a Sichuan/Hunan concept in New York, is much more than a customer favorite. It’s been credited with producing a successful business relationship. When Tom Lo, an anesthesiologist with a culinary education, first tasted the restaurant’s Crispy and Spicy Cucumber Salad, he immediately asked to meet Executive Chef/Owner Tom Lei. Their conversation led to a friendship, an investment, and now a second concept: Chi Restaurant in downtown Manhattan.

While cucumber salad is a fairly common item on Chinese menus in the U.S., it’s the Sichuan peppercorn vinaigrette that makes Lei’s version—now featured at both restaurants—a standout. He infuses red and green Sichuan peppercorns in a neutral oil for two days. That’s combined with chile oil and Chinkiang Chinese black vinegar, which adds a malty, smoky complexity, and then is rounded out with aromatics like garlic and cilantro. Tossed with fresh, crisp cucumbers, the mild spice, distinctive tingling sensation and bracing acidity meld into a flavor-forward whole. “When customers take the first bite, their eyes light up and they smile in delight!” says Lei.