Everything You Need To Know About California's 'Asian Costco'

If you've never been to an Asian grocery store, do yourself a favor and go shop at one near you. You'll be amazed by the wide variety of unique imported snacks and other foods that many mainstream grocery stores don't offer. If you happen to live in (or are just visiting) the Los Angeles area, don't miss the chance to check out a truly vast selection of Asian groceries at a store that resembles another warehouse you've likely shopped in. 

Opened in 2024, Resco Food Service is a warehouse-style grocery store that is often referred to as the "Asian Costco." Located in the City of Industry in East Los Angeles, California, this sprawling Asian superstore offers unique foods and household items that can be hard to find in the United States, as well as a wide variety of bulk items (hence the nickname). The store is often described as a blend of the Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market and Costco, offering a diverse array of products from China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. 

Resco offers optional memberships that give shoppers small discounts on select items and rewards for purchases. Membership is only $30 per year, compared to Costco's $65 annual membership. However, a membership is not required to shop at the Asian grocery warehouse, unlike Costco, which requires proof of membership to enter the store. Shoppers say prices are decent at Resco and generally better than at typical grocery stores, although not always below market price. 

While Costco carries Asian-inspired snacks, many shoppers say Resco is the place to go for unique, yummy, Insta-worthy snacks from various Asian countries. From mouthwatering sweet treats like mango and peach fruit-shaped ice cream, Durian pudding cake, cheese-flavored lava cake, ube (purple yam) ice cream, and a huge candy aisle with sweets like Peelerz Gummy Candy; to savory, spicy, umami snacks like fun-flavored Lays Potato Chips such as Korean fried chicken and avocado-mustard, mozzarella, cheddar, and fishcake corn dogs, and Latiao, a popular Chinese snack consisting of spicy, sweet, and smoky strips made of wheat gluten.

The warehouse also features a vast array of instant noodles with flavors you may not have known existed, like chili oil coriander. Other special finds include supplies for making your own boba, like tapioca pearls; well-priced meat sold in bulk; large bags of rice; kitchen supplies like stylish noodle bowls, and produce not found in typical grocery stores, including Chinese lobok, napa cabbage, durian, jackfruit, lychee, and longans. Meat deals have included beef flank steak for $6.99 per pound, ground pork for $1.99 per pound, and chicken breasts for $1.99 per pound. As a bonus, like Costco, Resco also offers free samples to its shoppers.

Some reviewers questioned the quality of the fruits and veggies, stating that they weren't the freshest. However, it's hard to say if this was before or after the store made some changes to the produce section, including adding temperature-controlled display cases and a larger variety of fruits and veggies overall.