Put the cabbage, cucumber and mint in a bowl, add the vinegar, sesame oil and a pinch of salt, and mix with your hands. Scatter with sesame seeds and leave to one side.
In a blender or spice grinder, blitz the peppercorns and chilli flakes to a rough powder. Heat the oil on a medium flame, then add the garlic and let it sizzle for a minute or two, until it turns a pale gold.
Stir in the sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and the ground peppercorn and chilli mixture, and take off the heat.
In a bowl, mix the peanut butter and sesame oil for the noodles with a third of a teaspoon of salt. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
Put the noodles in a bowl and add two tablespoons of chilli oil and the peanut mixture. Toss with your hands, making sure all the noodles are well coated, then season to taste.
To serve, lift the noodles on to a platter (or four shallow bowls), top with a handful of the sharp crunchy cabbage, then add a drizzle of chilli oil, depending on your threshold for mouth-numbing heat.