Since opening last January, Crocodile Palace’s spice-steeped Sichuan menu has turned up the heat on local Northern Michigan restaurant cuisine.
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In a tiny Traverse City storefront behind a bold turquoise awning, smoky scents and the sizzle of a fiery wok announce that something entirely new has arrived on the corner of Cochlin Street and US-31. Tucked behind an unassuming butcher block pick-up counter in a kitchen no bigger than a hallway, accomplished chefs and brothers Patrick and Michael Evans work alongside partner Ryan Corbin, sautéing spices and smoking tofu over applewood chips.
“We’re this small team of talented people working in a shoebox-sized kitchen. It’s a unique location,” Patrick notes. The dining concept at Crocodile Palace is unique, too: its flavor-packed dishes are available only via takeout (there are a handful of chairs inside for guests while they wait).
The menu, which Patrick explains was built around the team’s shared love of Sichuan cuisine, is largely driven by seasonal produce, with individual plates and recipes trading places every few months.
Photo by Dave Weidner
Photo by Dave Weidner
Photo by Dave Weidner
The mainstay Dan Dan Noodles, though, have been a fan favorite from the jump. (In fact, they’ve sold more than 2,000 bowls.) This spicy noodle dish is packed with house-pickled veggies, ground pork or tofu and an aromatic sauce topped off with a shot of tingly chili oil.
Patrick’s pick is the Gong Bao Chicken, which derives its signature heat profile from bloomed dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, balanced with cooling peanut and celery. “I’m really excited about that right now, because it’s a dish you can’t get anywhere else,” he says. For Michael, the corned beef brisket with chili oil, sesame, cilantro, onion, crispy shallots and peanuts is a must, as is the applewood-smoked tofu with celery—an unexpectedly tasty combo.
As for recent additions, Patrick highlights the scratch-made pork rinds, as well as an off-menu entrée for larger parties (call for the delicious lowdown). There’s even talk of a future delivery system.
“We’re constantly trying to find ways to engage our guests and make them happy,” Patrick says.
Photo by Dave Weidner
Crocodile Palace | 124 Cochlin St. | Traverse City
Anna Faller is a Traverse City-based freelance writer and interviewer with a passion for good books, great food and Michigan travel. annacfaller@gmail.com.