好市多 台中店 Costco Taichung

Address: No. 289號, Wenxin South 3rd Rd, Nantun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 408
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sTCeAVWZo2NXrR15A
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

📷 Click here for the Photo Collection of Costco Taichung Item Prices

A Brief Background about Costco

Costco is such a Familiar Name that even if you've never been into one, you will probably have at least heard of this Name in One Way or Another. 😅 Its a Very Big American Supermarket / Warehouse Franchise 🇺🇸 that supposedly offers Very Affordable Prices on Bulk Sales. 💲 The Unique Thing about Costco is that its a Strictly Membership Only Concept. 💳🤔

To be allowed to even enter a Costco, the Only 2 Ways to do so are:
1) Being a Costco Member. 💳
2) Be Invited and Physically Accompanied by an Existing Costco Member. 🤔

If you are already an Existing Costco Member from another Country, Your Membership allows you Access to Any Costco Worldwide 🌏 as long as you show your Physical Costco Member Card. 💳

Our Fairprice Supermarket in Singapore also tried a Similar "Members Only" Concept called "Fairprice Hub" in Joo Koon 🤔 but eventually decided to drop it and allow anyone to shop without Membership. 😅 Photo Credit: The Smart Local (Singapore)

Anyway so when I found out that Costco has a Branch in Taichung, of course I had to visit it! 😄 I had originally had a "Try My Luck" sort of Mentality fully expected to be rejected at the Entrance 😅 but Events unfolded in ways that I couldn't even have imagined as you will soon see! ♥️

Above and Beyond Kind Hospitality of my Uber Driver 🚗

It all started from my Uber Ride to the Place believe it or not. 😅 So as I was Chit-Chatting with my Uber Driver and when the Topic of Costco came up (It was my Destination after all), I was Most Surprised that she offered to end her Driving Shift and bring me into the Costco to explore as she is a Member herself! Wahh! 😳

Of course I declined her Kind Offer because I don't want to impose on her and waste her time Exploring Costco while she could be earning money driving her Uber ma tio boh? 😅 Her Amazing Kind Hospitality and Offer 感动 touched me so much, that I gave an Extra Tip for her even though I declined her Offer. 👍 To me, I already appreciate her Above and Beyond Service already. 👍 She more than deserves a Tip for being such a Nice Person. ♥️ Such Kindness and Hospitality! ♥️

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Arrival at the Actual Costco Warehouse Building. 🏢

Upon Arrival at my Destination, I cannot even use the Word "Big" to describe this place. 😅 My Goodness it is an Actual Dedicated Commercial Warehouse! 😳 I reckon the Size of this Place is Roughly Equivalent to IKEA Tampines. 🤔 Even at around 8.00pm on a Weekday when I arrived, it was Crowded with Customers doing their Shopping. 😳

As you approached the Entrance, you will see a Couple of Costco Representatives whose Job it is to entice Potential Customers to be Costco Members. 🤔 I approached one of them, a Well-Groomed Young Lad and Politely Enquired if I can explore Costco as a Tourist and Non-Member without Buying Anything FULLY EXPECTING him to say "No". 🙅‍♂️

Imagine my Surprise, when he said Yes, there is a Workaround as a Tourist and that is to be a "Temporary Costco Member". 😳

This was particularly Surprising because in Google Reviews of this Place, there are many People who complained that such Offers or Workarounds are Not Available and they are just simply Firmly Rejected on the Spot. 🙅‍♂️🤔 Perhaps I was Lucky I guess? 😅 This Young Lad was Really Friendly and Patient and Guided Me on the Full Procedure which I will share with all of you. 👍

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

How to be a Full Costco Member even as a Tourist 🤔

1) 1 Year Costco Membership costs TWD1350 (S$54.70). 💵
Membership will give you a Physical Photo-ID Member's Card. 💳

2) This Membership can be Fully Refunded within a Year and you can have your Money Back. 💵👍 This means that whether you enjoy Costco Membership for 364 Days or even 1 Hour (Like I did), 😅 you are Entitled to a Full 100% Refund if you Refund it within the 1 Year Period. 💯👍

3) You will need to be Accompanied by this Costco Representative who will bring you to queue at the "Membership Application" Section. 🤔 He actually had to queue with me because he needs to explain to his Colleague that I am intending to refund within 1 Year. 🤔

It seems that this "Temporary Membership Workaround" is not an Official Thing or a probably Frowned Upon Practice by their Costco Management. At least this is the Impression I got. 🤔 I suppose it is meant for Potential Customers who want to Explore a Costco to Check and Compare Prices before deciding if they want to be a Full Member. Sort of like a Trial Demo? 🤔

4) Anyway, once you are at the Counter, you will need to fill up a Paper Form. 📝 Some Details such as Address is not Required since you're a Tourist. My Costco Representative guided me on what to fill in. He's so Patient! ♥️

5) Upon submitting the Filled Up Paper Form, the Receptionist at the Counter will do a Check and the Check is Extensive! 😳

Even the Name you wrote on the Form MUST Match the Name on your Passport. 😳 This Whole Checking Process takes at least 15mins and feels Even More Extensive than an Actual Immigration Customs! 😅 I do appreciate that the Receptionist herself is Friendly, All Smiles and Very Clear with her Explanations. 👍

6) Once the Checks are Completed, this is where you will pay her the Membership Fee of TWD1350 (S$54.70) in Cash. 💵

7) Once Payment is Completed, she brought me to another Counter to take a Photo of me which will be the Photo that you will have on your Physical Costco Membership Card. 📷 You will receive your Physical Costco Membership Card on the spot. 💳

She will also issue you a Paper Receipt.
Remember to have Both your Costco Card 💳 and this Paper Receipt 📃 when you want to Refund.

And that's it. You are now Officially a Full Costco Member and can Explore and Purchase whatever you want from Costco! 💳😄🛍️

As mentioned, you have 1 Year to refund. 🗓️ If you want to refund on the Same Day, remember to refund before 2130hrs before they Close for the Day. 🕑

How to Refund your Costco Membership? 🤔

1) After you've done your Exploring and Purchases as a Full Member, go back to same Receptionist Counter but this time, go to the "Merchandise Refund" Queue.

2) Pass them your Paper Receipt 📃 and Physical Costco Card 💳 and indicate your Intention to do a Refund. Show them your Passport, Sign off a Few Paper Documents 📝 and Your Money will be returned to you Fully in Cash. 💯💵

The Refund Process will take some time, but it is Not as Extensive as Applying Membership.
It took about 5 mins for me to get my Refund. 👍

Is there a Catch to doing this? Won't People just Abuse this System? 🤔

Thats a Very Good Question and YES there are a Few Catches.
But the 2 Most Important Ones are:

1) After Requesting for a Refund, you are Prohibited from Becoming a Member again for 6 Months from Date of Refund. 🗓️🤔

2) Each Person can only Refund a Total of 2 Times. ✌️ If you request for Membership Refund like this for the 2nd Time, you will Forfeit your Right to Ever Become a Costco Member ever again. 😱

3) Terms and Conditions are Subject to Change of course. 🤔 They may one day decide in the Future that Refund can only do Once. If thats the case, I'm screwed 😅 as I can never be a Costco Member Ever Again in the Unlikely Event that a Costco ever decides to Open in Singapore. 🇸🇬

Additional Information to Take Note:

1) Before you even attempt to apply for Membership, do note that while I was successfully able to get this Membership, 💳 you might not be because you need that Costco Representative to follow you to the Queue. 🤔

I was lucky to get a Very Nice Friendly Chap who assisted me. ♥️ But you might not be as Lucky. From some of the Google Reviews, some Representatives won't bother to go through all this Process for you because like I said, although allowed, this seems to be a Frowned Upon Practice by their Costco Management. 🤔

So see Heng Sway and Try your Luck. 😅 Obviously don't behave like an Entitled Singaporean and Kick up a Fuss if you are Rejected. 😅 Please don't throw Singapore's Face Overseas. What I can recommend is to Be Very Respectful and Very Polite and Ask Very Nicely. 😄 Being Polite (and able to Speak Mandarin) although not guaranteed certainly will help increase your Chances of Success. 👍

2) Can you take Photos and Videos in a Costco? 🤔📷🎥

I actually honestly asked my Friendly Guide and his Answer was Basically the Standard SAF Golden Rule: "Do Anything also can, but Don't Get Caught". 😅 If you want to Take Photos or Videos, Do it Discreetly. Don't be a Stupid Dumbass and go do an Entire Livestream lah. 🎥😅

3) Will there ever be a Costco in Singapore? 🤔🇸🇬

I actually asked my Friendly Guide this question if we will ever see a Costco in Singapore? 🤔
His Answer to me was Direct and Straight to the Point:

"Singapore's Rental is Too Expensive for a Costco to Operate. 💸 This is why Costco also don't operate in Hong Kong too. Both Singapore and Hong Kong Rentals are just Too Expensive". 💸💸💸

Ouch. 一针见血! 🔪🩸😅

This is the Harsh Reality. I seriously don't know whether to Laugh or Feel Ashamed that the Whole World also know our Singapore Rental is just Simply Too High. 🇸🇬😅💸

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

About this Costco Taichung itself

Costco really is a Huge Place filled to the Brim with Everything from Daily Necessities, 🛒 Pharmacy Medicines, 💊 Fresh Meat, 🍖 Vegetables, 🥬 Fruit 🍎 to even Car Tires. 🚗 There is also a Dine-In Food Court within. 🍽️  It is basically like an IKEA of Supermarkets if it makes any sense. 😅

Because Costco is a Warehouse Shopping Place, there are Simply Too Many Photos that I've taken to put in this Post.

📷 Click here for the Photo Collection of Costco Taichung Item Prices
If you are interested, please click on the Link to get an Idea of some of the Items available that I've taken a Photo of for you to take a look at the Prices.

Is it Worth to be a Costco Member? 🤔 Are the Prices really as Affordable as People claim? 🤔
Take a look at the Photo Collection for you to personally decide whether if the Prices are Affordable or not. 📷

Payment is via a Regular Cashier Counter 💵 where you do need to show your Costco Card. 💳 There are No Self-Service Checkout Machines from what I see, so the Cashier Queues will be Massive during Peak Hour. 🤔

That said, it does move surprisingly fast. At 8.45pm on a Weekday Night, it took me about 15mins to Clear Cashier which was honestly not bad considering how Massive the Cashier Queues were. 😳 The Cashier worked really fast too for some reason, the Chap that I queued at worked so fast, he was basically like a Human Cashier Machine. 😅

🐔🍗 Costco Rotisserie Chicken = TWD189 (S$7.70)

THIS Particular Item is what I specifically come to Costco for. 😅

In Many Youtube Videos and Online Discussions that I've watched, 🎥 I've always seen Many Americans discussing, raving about how Affordable it is Especially when using it to do Meal Prep. 🍽️ 🤔Most of them find this to be a Very Affordable Source of Protein and is a Valued Buy per Pound. 💵🤔

This Rotisserie Chicken 🍗 is Probably the Most Discussed (and Sometimes Controversial) 😅 Food Item in Costco. Is it Really Worth the Hype? 🤔 How does it actually Taste? 🤔

Lets Find Out shall we?

For Starters, this is an Entire Full Grilled/Roasted Chicken 🐔 that is 1450g (1.4kg). 😳 Mind you, this is a Full Sized Chicken, not a Pathetic Mini Spring Chicken in our Singapore Supermarkets. 😅 Its really a Whole Entire Bird, complete with its Head, Neck and Butt intact. 🐔😳

Its usually Sold at the Deli Section and is the Section where I see the Most Customers Gather. 🤔 Freshly Roasted, the Chicken is Boiling Hot to the Touch when you first received it which means it is Freshly Roasted / Grilled. 🔥🍗🔥


Even after about 1 Hour after I brought back to my Hostel to Try, it remained Warm to the Touch. 🔥😳 When I opened the Plastic Packaging, there was immediately a Very Nice Appetizing Roasted Aroma wafting out. 😋

🐔 Appearance of the Chicken

This was a Huge Roasted Chicken. 1.4kg after Roasting is No Joke because that means this Bird Pre-Roast is actually even Heavier. 🐔😳 The Whole Bird looks Nicely Roasted and although there are Some Slightly Darker Burnt sections on the Skin, the Overall Apperance 卖相 was Acceptable and Appetizing. 😋👍

This is also the First Time I see Baking Twine still tied to the Rotisserie Chicken like this, which further emphasized how Freshly Roasted it was. 🐔😳



🐔 Taste of the Chicken

As I tasted the Skin, it is Soft and Tender, not the Crispy Type.
But that could also be because it was about an Hour since I got back to the Hostel. 🤔

What I particularly noticed is this Marinade Sauce that I tasted. Its Salty but Not Overly So, abit Sweetish too, but Saltiness is More Prominent. 🤔 It has a Sticky Texture, but its Not Due to Honey, more like some sort of BBQ Sauce. 🔥 This is not those Honey Glazed Type of Rotisserie Chicken. 

Together, infused with the Chicken Oil, this tasted Nice and Savoury. 😋 Although it certainly is Very Oily especially when it 出油. 😅 This Oiliness will start to Intensify the More you Eat this Chicken. The Meat Texture is Tender and Soft and Easily Detaches from Bone. 🍗 Texture is a Firm Bite, does not have a Typical Supermarket Frozen Overnight type of Slightly Nua Nua Texture. 👍

It tastes like they actually Roasted Fresh Chickens, Not Frozen. 👍 There is No Overly Chickeny Jelak taste, at least in the Beginning. 🤔 Like all Rotisserie Chickens, you need to eat this fast before it Cools. Because as it Cools, it will get More and More Jelak. 😅 Breast Meat is Tender although a tad Dryish. 🤔 Not Super Inedible Dry, I call this like a Moist Moist Kind of Dry.

Thigh Meat tastes Appropriately Tender and Soft. 😋 Decent Tasting. But this one for some reason Jelaked me Fast because perhaps the Thigh itself is More Oily and mixed with the Chicken when 出油 is a Deadly Jelak Combo. 🍗😅 I thought the Wings were the Best Part because there were Not as Much Meat that will make you Jelak as fast. 😋 These would go well with some Beer I reckon. 🍺

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At the Price of TWD189 (S$7.70), you are paying Singapore Mini Rotisserie Spring Chicken Price for a Full 1.4KG Roasted Chicken. 🐔👍 This Whole Chicken is Alot of Food. 😋 Its obviously too much for a Single Person as you will Jelak Very Easily. 😅 This is really meant more for Comfortably Feeding 3-4 People.

At the Price to Meat Ratio, I can understand why Many People would find this Value for Money. 💵👍 Its not the Most Delicious Roasted Chicken in the World but it is Decent Tasting (at least when its Freshly Roasted) 👍 I feel it actually taste nicer than the Overnight Frozen Rotisserie Spring Chicken that we have in our Singapore Supermarkets. 🤔

That said, though because of How Oily it can be especially when it 出油, and it can be Super Oily, this is best eaten in Moderation. 😅 I do not recommend to eat this Regularly. It can also be Very Jelak too. 😛 In fact I could not finish the Whole Thing and discarded it away after a Few Bites. 😅

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

As for the Costco Experience, I thought it was an Interesting Visit and it was Quite Amusing to be a Full Costco Member for 1 Hour. 😅🕑 The Whole Process of Applying Membership itself was Really Interesting. 💳 I hope my Step by Step Guide helps if you ever want to give this a Try. 👍

📷 Click here for the Photo Collection of Costco Taichung Item Prices

Feel free to take a look at this Photo Collection of some Items I took photos of to decide if the Prices are Affordable for you. 📷  Of course these are Taiwan Prices, 🇹🇼 and they might be completely different in the Unlikely Event if a Costco ever opens in Singapore, 🇸🇬 but at least you will agar agar get a General Idea what to probably expect. 🤔

But don't hold too much hope because it is unlikely that we will ever have a Costco in Singapore 🇸🇬 in the Forseeable Future given our High Rentals that the Representative mentioned. Oh well. 😅