Uncle Rob's Go-Get-It Cabbage Salad

This is a Robbie special. In an email from Uncle: "Of course, a guy who can present good food is going to score points with the ladies!" Let me just say, this was an instant hit with Lakshmi. It's also super quick after you make it a couple times.

Dressing (make first):
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce(start with 1)
1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar
¼ cup olive oil (optional)

Salad:
Dry heat ¼ cup of sesame seeds and ¼ cup sliced almonds in a frypan.
Cut a fistful of mushrooms into flat sections
Fine slice, then chop a quarter red onion (fine=2-3mm)
Fine slice a whole red capsicum, into strips 2-3 inches in length.
Place all of these in the bottom of a curved bowl, and pour enough dressing to marinate the above.
Very finely slice a Chinese cabbage from its flower end into thin frills (3-4mm) until about 3 cups. Then from the lower stalk end, chop off the stalk, and less finely slice about 4 rounds of the crunchy white leaf bases. About 1 cup.
Throw the cabbage on top of the marinating veges, but don’t mix in as yet.
Throw the seeds and nuts over the top of the cabbage.
Throw about ¼ cup of dry fried noodle on top (Top Ramen does the trick too)
Just before eating, mix the dressing in from the bottom.