The Costco freezer aisle has been quietly stocking some of the most interesting Asian-frozen finds we’ve seen in a while. Over the past week, members have flagged 5 new items at warehouses in Redwood City and South San Francisco — and I tracked them down, brought them home, and gave each one the full review treatment.
What follows is everything you need to know: item numbers, prices, sale dates, taste, texture, what to pair them with, and a clear BUY / SKIP / MAYBE verdict for each. Three of these are absolute home runs. One is a “depends-on-the-kid” maybe. One I’d skip unless you’re hosting.
Contents
- 1 The only ranking you need:
- 2 1. Bibigo Beef Bulgogi Mandu — Item No. 1186001 — $9.69 (Save $4.20 thru 6/7)
- 3 2. Laoban Ginger Chinese Style Chicken Soup Dumplings — Item No. 1937273 — $11.99
- 4 3. Pulmuone Crispy Panko Korean-Style Corn Dogs — Item No. 1996255 — $11.99
- 5 4. Bibigo Vegetable Spring Rolls — Item No. 1777524 — $7.49 (Save $2.50 thru 5/24)
- 6 5. Laoban Chinese Style BBQ Pork Bao Buns (12 ct) — Item No. 1939534 — $15.99
- 7 If you’re only going to grab two
- 8 The full grab-list (with sale tracking)
- 9 What about availability?
- 10 Bottom line
The only ranking you need:
| Item | Item # | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bibigo Beef Bulgogi Mandu | 1186001 | $9.69 (save $4.20 thru 6/7) | BUY |
| Laoban Ginger Chicken Soup Dumplings | 1937273 | $11.99 | BUY |
| Pulmuone Crispy Panko Corn Dogs | 1996255 | $11.99 | BUY (for kids/snack) |
| Bibigo Vegetable Spring Rolls | 1777524 | $7.49 (save $2.50 thru 5/24) | MAYBE |
| Laoban Chinese Style BBQ Pork Bao Buns (12 ct) | 1939534 | $15.99 | BUY |
Two are on active sale right now — Bibigo Spring Rolls ($2.50 off thru 5/24) and Bibigo Bulgogi Mandu ($4.20 off thru 6/7). If you’re going to grab any, those are the ones to lock in this week.
1. Bibigo Beef Bulgogi Mandu — Item No. 1186001 — $9.69 (Save $4.20 thru 6/7)
Where members spotted it: Redwood City warehouse, freezer aisle. The big teal-and-orange bag is hard to miss.
These are oversized Korean dumplings filled with bulgogi-marinated ground beef and aromatics. The “mandu” (Korean for dumpling) format is what makes these different from the standard frozen potstickers Costco usually carries — they’re bigger, thinner-skinned, and the filling is built around Korean barbecue flavors instead of generic ground pork.
Taste Test
The filling is deeply savory — soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and that distinctive bulgogi smokiness that comes from properly marinated beef. There’s a touch of sweetness from the bulgogi marinade balanced by black pepper heat. Honest assessment: these eat like a really good Korean restaurant appetizer, not a freezer find. Multiple shoppers have flagged that no dipping sauce is needed — the filling carries itself.
One real-talk caveat: the beef releases a fair amount of grease during cooking, especially if you pan-fry. If you’re watching fat content, steam them instead.
Texture Summary
The wrapper is thinner than typical frozen dumplings — almost crepe-like in spots. That’s a plus (less doughy fill-up) but the tradeoff is they tear easier if you over-flip them in the pan. Cooked properly, you get a crispy bottom + chewy top + tender beef filling all at once. Hits the dumpling trifecta.
Make It Better
- Pan-fry method: Add 1 tbsp oil to a non-stick pan, arrange mandu flat, pan-fry 2 min on high heat, then pour in ¼ cup water and cover immediately (steam-finish). Lid off for the last 30 seconds to re-crisp.
- Air-fry shortcut (member-favorite): 380°F for 11 minutes, no oil needed. Comes out shatteringly crisp on the outside.
- Steam-only (lower-fat): Bamboo steamer or steamer basket for 8 min. Cleaner taste, less greasy.
- For a flavor boost: drizzle with a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil right before serving.
Perfect Pairings
- Dipping options: A simple soy sauce + rice vinegar + sesame oil mix (3:1:0.5 ratio). Or skip dipping and let the filling shine.
- Sides: Simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar, or steamed jasmine rice if you want to stretch the meal.
- Drinks: Hite or Cass Korean lager, or a chilled Riesling for the non-beer crowd.
Final Verdict: BUY — especially while on sale through 6/7.
At $9.69 for a 3-lb bag (with $4.20 off the regular price), this is one of the strongest Costco frozen-food deals running right now. Members across multiple regions consistently rate this as a repeat-buy. Stock the freezer.
2. Laoban Ginger Chinese Style Chicken Soup Dumplings — Item No. 1937273 — $11.99
Where members spotted it: South San Francisco (SFO Airport-adjacent) warehouse. Smaller red-and-white package, easy to miss on the bottom shelf.
Laoban is one of those quietly-excellent Asian-frozen brands Costco has rotated through their freezer cases over the past two years. The Ginger Chicken Soup Dumplings (technically called xiao long bao in restaurant settings, “XLB” for short) are the Chinese version of soup dumplings — pleated thin-skinned dumplings with a hot savory broth sealed inside alongside the meat filling.
Taste Test
The chicken filling is distinctly ginger-forward — fresh ginger, not the dried-powder kind. There’s a clean chicken stock note in the broth that bursts out the moment you bite (or stab — see below for the technique). The seasoning is restrained, which is the right call: XLB is supposed to taste like a clean, comforting bowl of soup compressed into a single dumpling, not an aggressive flavor bomb.
Texture Summary
This is where Laoban earns its price. The wrapper is thin enough to see through in spots — that’s how proper XLB wrappers should be. The pleats hold together through the steaming process (no broth-leakage if you handle carefully). When you bite, the wrapper is pliable not chewy, and the broth inside is genuinely hot soup, not just gravy.
Make It Better
The pro technique that prevents broth-loss:
- Steam in a bamboo basket lined with parchment for 8 min from frozen
- Lift onto a soup spoon (NOT a plate — you’ll lose broth)
- Bite a small tear at the top to let steam escape
- Sip the broth from the spoon
- Then eat the dumpling
If you skip the spoon step, the broth ends up on the plate. That’s just sad.
Perfect Pairings
- Dipping sauce: Black vinegar (Chinkiang or “Chinese black vinegar”) + thin matchsticks of fresh ginger. Classic XLB accompaniment.
- Sides: Cucumber salad, sautéed bok choy, or a simple hot-and-sour soup.
- Drinks: Hot jasmine or chrysanthemum tea — anything that won’t compete with the delicate broth.
Final Verdict: BUY
If you’ve never had XLB, this is the cheapest legitimate intro you’ll find. If you HAVE had XLB at a restaurant ($12-18 for 6-8 dumplings), the Laoban version at $11.99 for a much larger bag is an obvious value.
3. Pulmuone Crispy Panko Korean-Style Corn Dogs — Item No. 1996255 — $11.99
Where members spotted it: Redwood City warehouse. Yellow box with photos of the corn dogs on top.
Korean corn dogs are the trend that everyone in food media has been writing about for two years — chewy panko-and-flour-coated hot dogs typically dipped in sugar after frying. Pulmuone (the same Korean-foods brand behind Costco’s tofu rotation) brought a frozen, ready-to-air-fry version into Costco at exactly the right time.
Taste Test
The Pulmuone version is less sweet than a Korean street-corn-dog stand would serve — almost intentionally restrained. That’s a double-edged sword: kids who love the sugary Mozzarella version may find these mild; adults who think the street version is too sweet will find Pulmuone calibrated perfectly. The hot dog inside is a standard frankfurter (not super premium), but the panko-rice coating is shatteringly crispy and addictive.
Texture Summary
This is the star. The exterior is shatter-crisp in a way most frozen breaded items can’t achieve — Korean corn dog batter is fundamentally different (uses rice flour and a yeasted dough base) which gives it the chewy-meets-crispy duality. Inside, the hot dog is juicy. The contrast is what makes Korean corn dogs feel like a special-occasion food, even from the freezer.
Make It Better
- Air-fryer is the way: 400°F for 8 minutes, flip once. Skip oven (sogs the exterior) and microwave (defeats the entire point).
- For sweet fans: Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar after cooking (gentle approximation of the street-stand finish).
- For savory fans: Sriracha mayo OR a quick gochujang-ketchup mix (1 tbsp each, stirred).
- Add a side of cubed potatoes for the gamja hot dog (potato corn dog) experience.
Perfect Pairings
You May Be Interested In
- For kids: A simple ketchup-mustard combo or honey mustard.
- For adults: Korean fried chicken to round out a Korean-takeout-at-home dinner.
- Drinks: Hite, Soju cocktails, or for kids — a milky bubble tea works.
Final Verdict: BUY — especially if there are kids in the house or you host casual gatherings.
At $11.99 for the box, this is way cheaper than a single street-stand Korean corn dog at most US Asian-food courts (which charge $4-7 each). Stock the freezer for after-school snacks and weekend “kid wins lunch” moments.
4. Bibigo Vegetable Spring Rolls — Item No. 1777524 — $7.49 (Save $2.50 thru 5/24)
Where members spotted it: Redwood City warehouse. Green-bordered package, smaller footprint than the dumpling bags.
These are traditional-style vegetable spring rolls (not the fresh rice-paper kind — the fried-style with the crispy wheat-flour wrapper). Filling is cabbage, carrot, glass noodles, mushroom, and onion — the standard Chinese-restaurant lineup.
Taste Test
Here’s the honest take: the spring rolls themselves are fine. Not the standout of this lineup. The vegetable filling is mild — almost too restrained — and the dominant flavor is the wrapper itself, which is the same fried-wheat-flour profile you’d get from any frozen spring roll on a US grocery shelf. If you’re expecting the kind of garlicky-bright filling you’d find at a good dim sum spot, these will underwhelm.
That said, with the right dipping sauce, they become genuinely tasty.
Texture Summary
The wrapper crisps up well from frozen if air-fried. Inside, the filling is soft but not mushy — texturally fine, just flavor-pale.
Make It Better
- Air-fryer (mandatory): 400°F for 10 minutes, flip once. Skip the oven — they come out soggy.
- The dipping sauce is critical here. Try: 2 tbsp soy + 1 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tsp sugar + 1 minced garlic clove + a few drops of sesame oil. This is what transforms them from “fine” to “good.”
- For more flavor: serve with a hot mustard side or a sweet chili dipping sauce.
Perfect Pairings
- As a side: Goes alongside any of the other items on this list — they fill a “starch crisp” gap.
- As a snack: With a beer or a glass of crisp white wine.
- In a meal: Pair with the Laoban soup dumplings + a steamed vegetable for a 3-course at-home Asian dinner.
Final Verdict: MAYBE — depends on use case.
For $7.49 (with $2.50 off through 5/24), they’re a reasonable budget add to a larger Asian-themed meal. As a standalone snack? They underperform vs the dumplings on this list. Grab a bag if you’re already buying multiple items, skip if you’re rationing freezer space.
5. Laoban Chinese Style BBQ Pork Bao Buns (12 ct) — Item No. 1939534 — $15.99
Where members spotted it: South San Francisco (SFO Airport) warehouse. Yellow Laoban packaging, harder to find than the soup dumplings — they sell faster.
These are char siu bao — Chinese steamed buns stuffed with sweet-savory roasted pork. A dim-sum-restaurant staple. Laoban’s frozen version comes 12 to a box at $15.99 — that’s $1.33 per bun, vs $5-8 at a sit-down dim sum spot.
Taste Test
The pork filling is legitimately good — sweet from the char siu glaze (a mix of hoisin, soy, sugar, and Chinese five-spice), with chunks of actual roasted pork rather than the mushy ground-pork some frozen baos default to. The sweetness is restrained enough that adult palates work, but kids love it too. The bun itself is pillowy-soft after steaming, with the characteristic slight sweetness that proper char siu bao dough should have.
Texture Summary
The bun-to-filling ratio is well-tuned. Filling is moist but not soupy. The bun is the texture you want — fluffy, slightly chewy, holds the filling without disintegrating. Steamed properly, these are restaurant-grade.
Make It Better
- Steam from frozen — bamboo basket, 12 minutes, lined with parchment squares.
- NEVER microwave from frozen — turns rubbery and uneven. (Reheating already-thawed leftovers: microwave is fine.)
- Refresh the next day: Wrap in a wet paper towel, steam in a small saucepan with a tiny bit of water for 4 minutes.
- For extra flavor: add a side dish of pickled mustard greens or a Chinese chili oil drizzle on the side.
Perfect Pairings
- As a meal: 2 buns per adult + a side of stir-fried Chinese greens (baby bok choy with garlic) = complete dinner.
- As an appetizer: 1 bun per guest in a dim-sum-style spread.
- Drinks: Hot oolong or jasmine tea is classic. For something stronger: a riesling or a dry sake.
Final Verdict: BUY
At $1.33 per bun for actual restaurant-grade char siu bao, this might be the strongest dollar-value item in this entire lineup. Keep a box in the freezer for emergencies (unexpected guests, lazy Sundays, “I want dim sum but the closest place is 40 minutes away” moments).
If you’re only going to grab two
The cleanest two-item combo from this list:
- Bibigo Beef Bulgogi Mandu ($9.69 on sale) — the savory dumpling everyone agrees on
- Laoban BBQ Pork Bao Buns ($15.99) — the sweet-savory crowd-pleaser
Total: $25.68 for two items that cover dumplings AND buns AND beef AND pork. Stock the freezer once, eat for weeks.
The full grab-list (with sale tracking)
If you have the freezer space, grab all 5:
- [ ] Bibigo Beef Bulgogi Mandu — on sale, save $4.20, ends 6/7
- [ ] Bibigo Vegetable Spring Rolls — on sale, save $2.50, ends 5/24
- [ ] Pulmuone Crispy Panko Corn Dogs
- [ ] Laoban Ginger Chicken Soup Dumplings
- [ ] Laoban BBQ Pork Bao Buns
Total grab-everything cost (at sale prices): $57.15 for an entire Asian-frozen restocking run. That’ll cover 8-12 meals worth of restaurant-style Asian food at home.
What about availability?
The 5 items were all confirmed at Redwood City and SSF (Airport) warehouses this past week. Costco’s frozen-foods rotation varies regionally — if your local warehouse doesn’t carry one of these, the Costco app’s product-search by item number is the fastest way to check inventory before driving over.
Bottom line
Three clear BUYS (Bulgogi Mandu, Laoban Soup Dumplings, Laoban BBQ Pork Bao Buns), one BUY for the family-with-kids household (Pulmuone Corn Dogs), and one MAYBE that benefits from a great dipping sauce (Bibigo Spring Rolls).
If you’ve been ignoring Costco’s Asian-frozen section — or only buying the standard potstickers — this week is a good week to expand. Two items are on active sale, and Costco’s Asian-frozen rotation tends to pull items quickly when they don’t move, so don’t wait 4 weeks to grab the dumplings everyone is talking about.
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