Costco South Korea
Tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken, yakgwa
Make It at Home
Tteokbokki
Chewy rice cakes swimming in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce that hits every corner of your mouth. Twenty minutes, one pot, and you'll understand why Costco Korea can't keep this on the shelf.
Gimbap
Korean sushi rolls stuffed with seasoned rice, vegetables, and beef — colorful, portable, and wildly snackable. Costco Korea sells these by the platter, but a bag of bulk rice and some nori gets you there for a fraction of the price.
Japchae
Chewy sweet potato glass noodles stir-fried with tender beef, spinach, carrots, and mushrooms in a sweet soy-sesame sauce. Costco Korea sells this as a ready-to-eat side — and honestly, this homemade version is better.
Korean Fried Chicken
Costco Korea sells double-fried Korean fried chicken that's impossibly crispy with a sticky-sweet yangnyeom glaze. This is that — shatteringly crunchy, saucy, and dangerously addictive.
Galbi (Korean Marinated Short Ribs)
Costco Korea's single most iconic prepared item — sweet, savory, deeply caramelized beef short ribs marinated in soy, Korean pear, garlic, and sesame. Once you nail this marinade, you'll never look at plain grilled beef the same way again.
What's In Store
Korea Food Court Menu
Costco Korea might have the single best food court in the entire Costco universe, and it's not even close. Korean food culture demands that even a warehouse food court actually be good.
So you get a pork bake with caramelized bulgogi filling, genuine tteokbokki in fiery gochujang sauce, double-fried chicken bites, and abalone porridge for under four dollars. The menu reads like a greatest hits of Korean street food and comfort food, except everything costs almost nothing.
Locations: 20 warehouses across South Korea (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, etc.)
Korea-Exclusive Items
| Item | Price (₩) | Price (~USD) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork Bake | ₩4,490 | ~$3.40 | Bulgogi-style pork with scallions in cheese-crusted bread. Replaced the beef bake — sweeter, more savory, with a caramelized edge. |
| Bulgogi Pizza | ₩2,500/slice | ~$1.90 | Bulgogi beef, peppers, onion, olives, mushrooms. Replaces pepperoni as a permanent flavor. |
| Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes) | ₩3,500 | ~$2.53 | Genuine Korean street food — chewy rice cakes and fish cake in fiery gochujang sauce. Generous portion, real heat. |
| Korean Fried Chicken Bites | ₩6,990 | ~$5.30 | Crispy double-fried chicken in yangnyeom (sweet-spicy) or plain. The double-fry gives an audible crunch. |
| Eomuk-tang (Fish Cake Soup) | ₩3,500 | ~$2.53 | Traditional Korean fish cake soup — light, anchovy-based broth with skewered fish cakes. Comforting, clean-tasting, and perfect on a cold day. |
| Jeonbokjuk (Abalone Rice Porridge) | ₩4,990 | ~$3.80 | Rich, silky abalone porridge. A premium item at a not-premium price. The abalone flavor is gentle but unmistakable. |
| Sweet Pumpkin Soup | ₩3,990 | ~$3.00 | Creamy Korean-style pumpkin soup — naturally sweet, velvety |
| Hamburg Steak with Fried Rice | ₩6,990 | ~$5.30 | Japanese-Korean style hamburg steak over fried rice |
| Cream Pasta | ₩6,990 | ~$5.30 | Creamy pasta with seasonal toppings |
| Bubble Tea | ₩2,490 | ~$1.90 | Various flavors — brown sugar milk tea is the crowd favorite |
| Gelato | ₩2,490 | ~$1.90 | Rotates seasonally — recent hits include black sesame and strawberry cheesecake |
Shared Items (with local pricing)
| Item | Price (₩) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Dog Combo | ₩2,000 | ~$1.44 |
| Pizza Slice | ₩2,500 | Cheese or bulgogi |
| Whole Pizza | ₩13,900 | Same massive 18" pizza |
| Churro | ₩1,500 | ~$1.08 — cinnamon sugar |
| Soft Serve | ₩1,500 | Vanilla soft serve cup |
| Berry Sundae | ₩2,490 | Vanilla soft serve with berry topping |
Bulgogi Bake vs. Pork Bake — The Evolution
Japan still serves the original beef bulgogi bake. Korea, characteristically, leveled up.
The Korean Pork Bake leans into a sweeter, more intensely seasoned profile — thicker cheese crust, sharper scallion notes, stickier caramelized filling. Both are great. Korea's is bolder.
Seasonal Specials
Korea rotates seasonal items with enthusiasm:
- Winter: Fish cake soup (eomuk-tang), hoddeok-inspired pastries, abalone porridge gets extra love
- Summer: Bingsu (Korean shaved ice) — the real deal, with red bean, condensed milk, and seasonal fruit toppings. Also cold noodle options (naengmyeon-style).
- Spring/Fall: Sweet pumpkin soup, seasonal gelato flavors
- Year-round: Seasonal pizza toppings unique to Korea, rotating gelato
Worth Knowing
- Tteokbokki alone makes this food court legendary among international Costco fans — real street food at a warehouse price.
- Prices are remarkably low even by Korean standards. The hot dog combo at ₩2,000 (~$1.44) is one of the cheapest hot meals in Seoul.
- Weekend lines are intense at locations like Yangjae (Seoul) or Ilsan. Weekday lunches are the move.