Japanese Cucumber Salad

This is one of my favorite appetizers at a Japanese restaurant. It is so simple yet so tasty. There are plenty of variations that include chili paste or chili oil, but I used what I had at home! This recipe was made for 1 large cucumber, but you can easily do 2. It's best served cold, so pop it into the fridge for a few minutes before enjoying. And an extra tip, it tastes even better the next day when the cucumber can soak up all that goodness! Check it out below! 

Ingredients: 
1 large english cucumber 
1.5 tbsp of rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar) 
3 tsp of soy sauce
1tsp of sesame oil
1-2 packets of sugar (see directions for amount) 
Pinch of salt
Pinch of garlic powder
Sesame seeds 
Red pepper flakes (to taste) 

Directions:
Mix all of your ingredients in a bowl. Slice your cucumber thin or use a mandolin for even cuts. Once mixture is made, add cucumbers to the bowl. Toss and enjoy! 
Extra directions/tips:
I didn't have rice wine vinegar, so I used white wine vinegar which is a bit more acidic. To balance out the white wine vinegar I used 2 packets of sugar instead of 1. If using rice wine vinegar begin with mixing only 1 packet in and then taste to see if it sweet enough for you. I like mine a little spicy, so I added a decent amount of red pepper flakes, but that is optional!