What Makes California's 'Asian Costco' So Different

In America, people have a lot of choices when it comes to budget grocery shopping. While places like Aldi and WinCo are known for their rock-bottom prices, bulk warehouse stores also qualify, since they offer deep discounts if you're willing to purchase larger quantities. In Southern California, there is a newer grocery business called Resco Food Service that many fans refer to as "Asian Costco," not because it's related to the big box chain, but because it follows a similar concept. The difference is that Resco specializes in Asian foods and ingredients. There are around 5,000 items in the store at any given time from China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Resco opened in January 2024 in City of Industry, a town east of Los Angeles, and it quickly became a darling filming spot of several social media influencers. Dozens of clips show viewers that the store certainly looks like a Costco, with its pallets of products reaching from floor to ceiling, heavy duty metal shelving, even food samples for shoppers. But you don't need a membership to shop at Resco. With that said, there is an optional $20 annual membership which will get you access to certain discounts and specials. Just like at Costco, shoppers still get their receipts checked when they exit the store, but you won't find a members-only food court at Resco. Unlike Costco, it is open every single day of the year.

One YouTube video that was filmed shortly after Resco opened featured a couple finding a huge bottle of Sriracha hot sauce for just $1.99 at the store. However, not every product at the store is priced better than its grocery competitors. In addition to 50-pound bags of rice and peanuts, there are aisles filled with Asian snack foods, ramens and other noodles, teas, even kitchenware and small appliances. Some products have no English written words on the packaging at all, but the store's displayed price tags include brief descriptions.

The extensive meat department contains common proteins that you'd find in several grocery stores along with an impressive selection of what might otherwise be hard to find products, such as beef oxlips, quails, duck heads, and thinly sliced beef (excellent for hot pots). You'll also find luxurious Wagyu beef (with a matching luxe price tag) and king crab legs. The produce sections at Resco differ from Costco in that you don't necessarily need to buy items in bulk; several fruits and vegetables are available for customers to choose their own quantity. The popular description of "Asian Costco" is certainly fitting, as Resco is an absolute treasure trove of goods from various Asian countries. Personally, I can only hope this place expands with new locations peppered across the states, the way Costco has.