Craving authentic Asian flavors without the takeout price tag?
I’ve scoured the aisles and taste-tested the contenders.
Here are the 15 “best of the best” Chinese and Asian-themed finds at Costco that deserve a permanent spot in your cart!
Contents
The Frozen “Dim Sum” & Appetizer Favorites
1. Synear Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
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Cuisine: Chinese
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The Taste Test: These are widely considered the gold standard for frozen soup dumplings at Costco. The wrapper is impressively thin yet durable enough not to burst prematurely. When bitten, they release a rich, savory pork broth that is fatty and comforting.
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Best For: A quick lunch that feels like a treat. Pro-tip: Serve with black vinegar and ginger strips.
2. Bibigo Chicken & Cilantro Mini Wontons
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Cuisine: Korean (Chinese-style Wonton)
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The Taste Test: These are tiny flavor bombs. The cilantro provides a fresh, herbal cut through the savory chicken filling. The skin is incredibly delicate.
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Best For: Tossing into chicken broth for a 5-minute wonton soup, or pan-frying until the skin bubbles and turns golden brown.
3. Royal Asia Prawn Hacao
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Cuisine: Chinese (Dim Sum)
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The Taste Test: Authentic “Har Gow” quality. The skin is translucent and has that essential “chewy-bouncy” texture (QQ) you expect from a dim sum parlor. The shrimp inside are whole chunks, not a paste, providing a satisfying snap when you bite in.
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Best For: At-home Dim Sum brunch.
4. Bibigo Steamed Chicken & Vegetable Dumplings
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Cuisine: Korean (Mandu)
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The Taste Test: These come in a microwaveable tray that steams them perfectly in 2 minutes. The filling is juicy and loose (not a dense meatball), with visible veggies. The wrapper stays soft and slightly sticky, soaking up the included soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
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Best For: The ultimate office lunch or late-night snack.
5. Kam Yen Jan Chinese Style Sausage (Lap Cheong)
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Cuisine: Chinese
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The Taste Test: A pantry legend. These sausages are firm, waxy, and deeply sweet-savory with a hit of rose wine flavor. When sliced and fried, the fat renders out, leaving crispy, caramelized edges that taste like candied meat.
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Best For: Slicing into fried rice or steaming on top of white rice in a rice cooker.
Noodles & Rice (The Heavy Hitters)
6. Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken Fried Rice
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Cuisine: Japanese-style
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The Taste Test: This beats almost any other frozen fried rice. It has a distinct “wok hei” (breath of the wok) smoky flavor. The chicken chunks are actual grilled thigh meat, not dry cubes, and the rice grains remain distinct rather than mushy.
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Best For: A base for a larger meal—just add a fried egg on top.
7. A-Sha Tainan Style Noodles (Squiggly Noodles)
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Cuisine: Taiwanese
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The Taste Test: Unlike instant ramen, these are air-dried, not fried. The texture is springy and chewy, similar to hand-pulled noodles. The soy-based sauce packet is simple, salty, and savory, coating the “squiggly” wide noodles perfectly.
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Best For: Customizing with chili oil, scallions, and bok choy.
8. Nongshim Tonkotsu Ramen Bowls
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Cuisine: Japanese
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The Taste Test: The broth is the star here—creamy, cloudy, and garlic-forward, mimicking a pork bone broth that simmered for hours. It comes with a spicy sauce packet that lets you control the heat. The noodles rehydrate well without getting soggy.
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Best For: A dorm-room staple that tastes premium.
9. MiLa Dan Dan Noodles (Frozen)
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Cuisine: Chinese (Sichuan)
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The Taste Test: A newer viral hit. The sauce is rich with sesame paste, chili oil, and Sichuan peppercorns that give a genuine tongue-tingling numbing sensation (mala). The noodles are thick and hold the heavy sauce well.
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Best For: People who crave authentic spice levels, not “watered down” spice.
Meat & Proteins
10. Golden Island Korean BBQ Pork Jerky
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Cuisine: Korean
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The Taste Test: This is closer to “char siu” (Chinese BBQ pork) than traditional American jerky. It is moist, tender, and glossy. You can easily tear it with your teeth. The flavor is intensely sweet, smoky, and sesame-forward.
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Best For: High-protein snacking or chopping up to add to fried rice.
11. Kirkland Signature Breaded Panko Shrimp
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Cuisine: Japanese-style
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The Taste Test: While technically a general item, these are a staple for Asian-style meals. The shrimp are large and the panko breading is light and airy, crisping up shattering-loud in an air fryer.
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Best For: Dipping in sweet chili sauce or making Ebi Fry curry.
Snacks, Sweets & Seasonal
12. Tropical Fields Organic Crispy Coconut Rolls
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Cuisine: Thai
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The Taste Test: These shatter instantly in your mouth. They taste like pure coconut milk and toasted sesame seeds. They are dangerously addictive because they are so light and airy, not overly sugary.
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Best For: Serving with coffee or tea.
13. Brown Sugar Boba Ice Milk Bars
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Cuisine: Taiwanese
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The Taste Test: A texture marvel. The ice cream is creamy and milky, tasting exactly like a brown sugar milk tea. The surprise is the boba pearls inside—they remain soft and chewy even when frozen, which shouldn’t be scientifically possible but somehow is.
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Best For: Dessert that impresses guests.
14. Irvins Salted Egg Salmon Skin
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Cuisine: Singaporean
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The Taste Test: Very savory and rich. These chips are coated in salted egg yolk, curry leaves, and chili. The texture is extremely crunchy (almost hard), and the flavor is an explosion of umami—salty, egg-y, and slightly spicy.
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Best For: A beer snack or topping for congee.
15. Loacker Matcha Wafers / Pocky (Seasonal Rotations)
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Cuisine: Japanese/Generic Asian
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The Taste Test: Keep an eye out for the bulk Asian snack boxes. The Matcha wafers usually have a distinct earthy, bitter-sweet green tea flavor that balances the sugar wafers.
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Best For: Lunchbox fillers.
