Whisk together the coconut vinegar, calamansi juice, coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger juice, shallot, garlic, chili, brown sugar, and white pepper until well combined. Then whisk in the olive oil.

Taste and adjust if needed. The dressing should be bright, lightly tangy, slightly creamy, and balanced with just enough sweetness to round out the acidity.

Rehydrate the dried kelp for 20 minutes or till soften while bringing a pot of water to boil. Blanch the kelp for 1-2 minutes, drain and rinse immediately under cold water. Pat dry and cut into bite-sized ribbons. Save the kelp water for other usage such as stock!

In this recipe we are using the frozen cooked sea cucumbers meaning they were gutted fresh, quickly cooked for 10-15 minutes to the right gelatinous consistency, shocked in ice water, and then flash freezed. Thaw the sea cucumber in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the internal muscle bands. Pro-tip, use a dry towel to help you grip onto the muscle bands because they can be slippery. Once they are off, save them for another dish! Can be stir-fried, added to soups and my favorite, HOT POT!

Rinse the sea cucumber meat briefly in cold water to remove any dirt and slimes. Pat completely dry. Slice into ½ cm thick.

In a chilled mixing bowl, combine all the salad components. Add about ½ cup of the dressing and gently toss until everything is lightly coated.

Refrigerate and allow the salad to sit for no more than 10 minutes before serving so the flavours come together while the vegetables stay crisp.

Transfer to a small bowl or plate and garnish with the halved cherries, a spoonful of BC salmon roe, a few slices of the fresno chili rings, crispy fried shallots, and micro cilantro. I promise you, it’s going to be different and delicious.