I'm not a local, but I love visiting this place whenever I can. It brings back so many memories of shopping here with my mom. They carry so many unique items I can't find where I live, which makes the trip even more special. I usually make it out about twice a year--I've already been once this year. My only wish is that they stayed open later, since I have to plan an entire day around coming to LA. Still, it's always worth it. I truly enjoy shopping here. read more

Not impressive. Dim and gloomy place and 3% surcharge if pay with credit card. It might be a place for cheap Asian ingredients if you buy as large scale. For small scale, this place is not cheaper than many Asian grocery stores. Some of them are even more expensive. Some items don't have price tags so it is to figure out the price. The place is big but not well organized. Overall, I don't recommend coming here for Asian items. read more

This is the Asian style Costco!! I love going there to get all the snacks! They also sell food and sweets inside. Outside has street food stalls. read more

I can't really give a positive reviews during my first visit . We came in 30 minutes before they closed and were just perusing some aisles to see what they carry. Instead of announcing they are now closed or say customers have 10 minutes or so to pay etc. , Lights were turned off at some aisles. Does not matter if someone is in that section or not . It's dark so, my mom almost tripped walking out of that dark aisle . ( looks like someone might have a lawsuit in the near future if they keep this up and someone might actually hurt themselves in that dark aisle ) ridiculous! read more

A true hidden gem, tucked inside the Chinatown's notorious Thai Costco. LaxC BBQ serves such authentic Thai cuisine for an affordable price. I've been coming on and off for years, but recently found myself in the area. I was somewhat intimidated ordering cause nothing is labeled, but the lady who helped me was kind and tried to describe what everything is. Instead of individual combo plates, I opted to order full serving of each which were $10 per (large rice $5) -stir fry spicy pork and holy basil: one of my favorites, so spicy and flavorful! I eat so much of this!!! -yellow curry: light sweet curry, I believe it's vegetarian, it has baby eggplants and fish cakes -stewed boiled eggs and tofu: sweet soy broth simmered with fried tofu and eggs, I like these cause it's a great balance with the spicy items. Everything is so good and a great place to try new foods. I believe they open when the wholesale opens, but not entirely sure. read more

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Tucked inside the Thai "Costco" small food stall with various dishes. Honestly, my knowledge of Thai food is very limited but the food here was really delicious. Ordered a 2 item combo and some noodles. Combo comes with rice and I got the larb which is spicy and sour and a stewed pork dish. Also got a noodle dish that come with spicy sauce, pork and fish cake. Definitely recommend coming here, everything is delicious and don't come here looking for pad Thai. read more

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Insane selection, helpful staff, and Hot food was also incredible! Just ask them what you should eat and they won't let you down.

Some of the vegetables and fresh noodles are worth for groceries price, but what draws me are the rows and rows of Thai spices that are uncommon in other Asian supermarkets. The different curry pastes from phanaeng to massaman curries all packaged neatly for professional and personal use. For anyone looking all the Asian dried food from wood-ear fungus to black moss draw plenty of folks in Chinatown and the surrounding area for this food essential in Asian vegetarian cuisine. It's a fun adventure going back through the middle aisle for different powders, herbs, and my favorite thing here: Thai-style instant noodles! read more

LAX-C - International Grocery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Known in certain Angeleno circles as the 'Thai Costco' - LAX-C is self-described as an 'international grocery' and 'wholesale store' situated on 1100 N Main Street, nestled between the eastern edge of Chinatown and Mission Junction, is more of an outing than your standard Thai market. It has groceries, indeed - all at a wholesale price and with a comprehensive selection for those cooking Thai or Asian dishes. But it also has a few fresh food vendors - both indoor and outdoor. It has a sizeable import/export warehouse - an excellent place for decorative, kitchen, Buddhist, or other Thai-related items. Savvy shoppers will like this area for those off-the-beaten-path gifts. There are household items and general goods to check off their well-roundedness to be a 'one-stop shop' for many of your Asian needs. Gourmands will love LAX-C - a place to get lost in or ruminate on your next cooking adventure. Like a warehouse, navigating your first time there is not the easiest - but you'll get a sense of how things are situated after that visit. They have fresh vegetables, meat, etc. - but where they shine for Asian cooking is the fresh aromatics that you typically have difficulty finding otherwise. If they don't have it, chances are no one else will. And, for ASG, this is where LAX-C shines. It has fresh aromatics and spice aisles that recall stores throughout Asia. When making that specialty Thai dish - we definitely stop here for those items. And the prices typically rival what you get elsewhere - so it may be worth that extra out-of-your-way trip. Next for gourmands - is the houseware and import/export areas - LAX-C has those serving plates, specialty utensils, and Asian cookery that you would see back home. It is a great place to shop for friends and family who may have everything - so pick up that non-obvious gift here. Because ASG loves making pickling and sauces - they have very traditional Thai servingware that is cute and inexpensive. By our description, you can tell that LAX-C is a great place for restauranteurs. Items are not only in variety but in bulk. As for the food vendors, you'll have your standard Thai selection of street food - but check them out, inside or outside, before deciding. That may help make your decision - but both are totally solid choices, in our opinion. Having the vendors is a great way to cap off the outing - after wandering a warehouse for an hour, getting some food to bring home (or eat right on the spot) just makes the trip that much more worthwhile. A few notes of wisdom. Many Asian fresh aromatics dry quickly - we recommend picking them up nearer the end of your trip. We also suggest walking the store at least once to get your bearings. You want to get the best items for your next meal, so ensure you have a good idea of the store layout and where items are. Have a list - in our case, we were eager to find some tamarind paste - which has been hard to find. (We needed it for soup.) They had it and a variety - but coming with a list is essential. Parking is free inside the gates, but it can sometimes be tenuous. It is also tight, so be aware of coming in and out. There is a lot of foot traffic, too - so monitor your bearings. Off-hours are best, so, if you can, try going mid-morning and during the weekday. There is no membership required. FYI - there is a 3% surcharge for using a credit card - no charge for debit. We typically bring cash in hand to make it easy for both groceries and food vendors. We'd love to hear about your outings at LAX-C - please check out allstreetsgourmand.com for more. read more

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This place is like a Thai restaurant Depot than a Costco. You get all that you need to open a Thai restaurant from food to decor. You can even get a large elephant & Buddha too. You don't need a membership and you can get stacks of eggs, vegetables, sauces, etc. I wish there were more selections of snacks but it's mostly Thai snacks rather than Korean, Japanese, Chinese, etc. The snacks are quite spicy and my kids can't finish it all. We did get some sauces we can't get at Costco as well as some cans of grass jelly, pandan jelly, etc. There's also a food court outside with very tender bbq. Better than the temple in Sunland. We ate well. My kids were more interested in the stray cats nearby. Surprised no one was selling drinks at the food stalls. I didn't even see Thai tea. read more

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OMG the Asian Costco you've been dreaming of! From wholesale products, perishable and non-perishable goods! They have it all! A must see and experience if you're in the area! They even have a take-out station for Laotian food and deserts! read more

LAX-C - International Grocery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ok this place is like a Thai Costco definitely not as organized and clean but it's decent. I've been going here for years now and they have wholesale items and individual things too. I they have produce but beware I price is cheap but it's per lb. Still a better price and you get more than the grocery markets. You can find some treasures too. Good place if you like to have an adventure. I have it five stars because it's unique and of a kind here. read more

LAX-C - Entrance - International Grocery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is more of a review of the food vendors outside LAX-C, but the store itself is great too. Lots of unique offerings that you can't find anywhere else, which makes this a great place to buy gifts/souvenirs to bring back home if you're visiting LA. We came here on Saturday around 1pm with the intention of trying the vendors outside. My friend got the papaya salad with medium spice and two chicken barbecue skewers. In hindsight she wishes she got no spice because the spice in that papaya salad was no joke! I like to think I have a pretty high spice tolerance (fire noodles have nothing on me) but this salad was a challenge for me. I got a pork barbecue skewer, a chicken barbecue skewer, and the kanom krok, aka tiny coconut pancakes. It took 30 minutes to get my order, which would've been less annoying had I not been told that I was next 3 times only to have people who had ordered beforehand and waited elsewhere come back and swoop the order right in front of my nose. I also wish you could get your order in parts as it would've been nice to eat the barbecue skewers whilst waiting for my kanom krok. The food was definitely worth the wait though. The skewers were very tender and the kanom krok was perfect. Crispy exterior but soft and creamy on the inside. The coconut flavour is very strong, and at $6 for a big tray, it's very affordable too. I would definitely come back here if I ever had the chance. read more

LAX-C - Kanom Krok, aka coconut pancakes - International Grocery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This wholesale market is for restaurant owners only selling by bulk only & its not for individual home cooking The place is confusing and dirty. I was looking to buy ingredients for a Tomyang soup but they sell everything by the bulk. I left in disgust and went back to my favorite Thai market BANGLUCK located at 5170 Hollywood Blvd. L.A. where you can find all the tomyang soup ingredients in the vegestable area. read more

You could spend lots of time here so come early. So much merchandise to look through. No 5 star because 1) I've been here a couple times and each time there have been pricing discrepancies. I didn't notice until I was already home and reviewed my receipts. 2) The last time I was there I ordered hot food. It was too salty (and I'm a salt queen)! read more

I live this place. The prices are great! The location is good. Weekend are great, the food benders are open. I get tummy snacks.

A little intimidating, not as organized or clean as a Costco but if you know what you're looking for and are not afraid to ask for help, it's perfect! Took me a few times coming to understand the set up. Lax C is very similar to a Thai Costco but you don't necessarily have to but everything in bulk! The prices are excellent for seafood and Thai ingredients! If you can whether the chaos happening on the inside, I highly recommend grabbing grub from the outside food vendors! read more

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This is the Costco of Thai/Asian grocery! They have individual pack prices and case prices on most items Variety is great, prices are fair Packaging on vegetables a bit too large for small family consumption They also have a vendor that sells food to go. The dishes are all Thai and the flavor on point. Price for the to go is very reasonable Service in the main area is minimal as you would expect at a warehouse store read more

Review is just for the food court inside the Lax-C. I kind of love steam trays the way I love dim sum carts. I just want to pick what looks good, and there were a lot of items that looked good lol. I got a 2 item combo: a red sauce pork and some kind of stewed meat and mustard greens. So good. The portions are generous, so I had leftovers for lunch the next day. My husband got dry egg noodles with char siu. This was also pretty good, but not as flavorful as the steam tray items. I really liked that they did not hold back on the flavors, and the items were not typical of those you normally see at a Thai restaurant. I love mustard greens and only occasionally see it at Chinese restaurants in SGV. I really enjoyed my plate and want to try their curries next time. read more

Holy Moly!! This place is like a gigantic Costco except it's about 80 to 85% of the food/groceries/merchandise are Asian! Price was great!! Parking is okay if you go when it's busy. Because it's my first time here, not sure when their slow time are. Parking is free though. I'm so definitely coming back here. I believe it's mainly a Thai theme, but there are other Asian ingredients here. And cookware too! read more

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Five stars for the service and food selection. If I could rate the cleanliness, I give it a three stars only. read more

My local Thai market didn't have the pestal and mortar I was looking for, so I decided to come here: LAX-C - the mother of all Thai markets in LA. This place is obnoxiously huge! Pretty much a warehouse of Asian foods. I saw alot of restaurant personnel purchasing stuff here. It was interesting to observe them loading up on what seems like a year supply of rice noodles into a cart, along with cases (barrel) of fish sauce, what looks like a 60 pound bag of MSG, and a huge bushel of Kefer lime leaves. The cool part is you don't need to own a restaurant to shop here. I definitely will be back. There's alot of really cool stuff here besides bulk items. I am coming back next time for more cooking utensils and Thai style fruit carving knives. And so, after my single item purchase I made a b - line to their hot food counter located inside the market. The setup is similar to a Filipino "turo-turo/point - point" place or Panda express, where you pick your items (curries, stews, stir frys) to be eaten with rice or not. In short, I didn't like the food. While everything looked great and was fresh, I found some of the stir frys too sweet; the curry unrefined; and desserts gross (not fresh). However, it's cheap and convenient, if that's what you are looking for, which I was. On another note, their "outside" weekend - only food stalls rock! read more

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thai heaven. bulk produce and amazing prices. i always buy a box of canned coconut milk, cashews, thai tea and green papaya here. the service is so friendly and welcoming. it is clean and organized. overall, highly recommend! read more

Came here to pick up a couple of last minute ingredients for my BF. This was not my first choice but I couldn't find my first choice so I ended up here. It's actually a pretty interesting stop for all your Asian cuisine ingredient needs. It's a large warehouse that can seem overwhelming if it's your first time, Like it was mine. Even in a rush I was able to find what I was looking for, and a few extra things. I'll definitely be coming back to explore more finds with more time. read more

We went there on Wednesday and found out the food court is closed. Good shopping place for Thai stuff. read more

LAX-C - Food court close on Wednesday. Pic taken on 10/25/23 - International Grocery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

THE pLAce in LA for all things Asian food and decor- amazing selections, you won't need to rub Buddha's belly ( but it couldn't hurt!)

Love love this Thai wholesale market, been here 2 weekend in the row. Be sure to check their hours before coming or get kick out quick when they close. Everything so inexpensive here, wholesale or individually. They also have 2 food stamps and outside selling papaya salad to bbq chicken to Tom yum noodle to desserts. Inside the market also has food stand but the food actually has 1 size only $10 a piece. The papaya salad @outside food stand is so so goods read more

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Pre-COVID, I could spend hours going through the aisles at this store, which we refer to as Thai Costco. It's a warehouse of Thai and Asian goodies, from groceries to restaurant decor. It's hard to describe all the treasures that one can find in this little Thai box of heaven hidden between Chinatown and the County Jail. I come here to get essential Thai cooking ingredients, as well as cookware. I also sneak in some Thai snacks from hot deli section. Parking is a bit of a mess on the weekend, but just be patient. read more

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This place had everything you need to make great Asian dishes I was looking for a sticky rice basket but they were out. I would say you would need to know what you're looking for when shopping here and the food is definitely geared towards bulk items. I had sticky rice from the food stand Inside if the store and it was delicious. Brought memories of when I visited Thailand. read more

Sawasdee! Come here for all your Thai food needs. Its a warehouse full of all things Thai. Its mostly for restaurants, but the home cook can find smaller portions as well. Plus you can get some cool decor for your kitchen too. You can find pretty much anything that you have seen in a Thai restaurant here. Food, sauces, condiments, Kitchenware, utensils, serving pieces, sarongs... you name it... they have it. They have fresh produce, noodles and a meat department. After you are done shopping, check out the little food stalls. I LOVE the fried banana snacks! Just remember it is a warehouse, and it is not as neat and tidy as Costco. Some aisles have not been touched in months, You will find some areas dusty and some boxes in the aisles. They charge 3% to use a credit card. Debit and cash is preferred. read more

Wow The Thai Costco this is the biggest Thai market in the states but the hidden gem is the food inside This is a hidden secret with real Thai food. Food available weekends only opens at 8am read more

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I went to LAX-C yesterday on a whim and had a good time there. It's a restaurant supply store, but there are some hidden gems to be found. The hot food area is delicious - I got pad thai with lots of shrimp and noodles that were cooked to perfection. The chives added a nice touch. I also had the coconut sticky rice, which was delicious - the salt in the coconut sauce balanced out the sweetness perfectly. There were lots of good deals too - you can find Costco-sized Asian products like rice vinegar and fish sauce if you're able to use something that sized. My feedback would be that the store could consider cleaning - some products were very dusty, leaving one to wonder how long they've been sitting there, but it was still fascinating to look at the restaurant sized asian condiments and ingredients, various Thai instruments and cultural decor items. read more

There's lots of Asian things to buy at wholesale price inside the store. I especially love the fresh Thai street food that's set up outside. Unfortunately the food vendors were not open when I went on Monday versus my first time going there on a Saturday, so not sure what days they are closed. It's a must try for Papaya salad, meat skewers and Thai desserts. read more

I love this warehouse! My friends and I always stop by here before driving up to the bay to buy a few things to bring back for our parents lol. It brings back so many nostalgic memories of growing up southeast Asian! It's a warehouse so they sell almost everything in bulk and at a fairly good discounted price! They also have a little food stall out in the front on the weekends. The papaya salad is pretty good there, remember to get it extra spicy with like 7-10 peppers if you like it spicy!!! read more

Night market is great, good food, little on expensive side. Parking is confusing if not impossible to find.

I think it must me getting old because I was really looking forward to going to LAX-C, especially once I discovered that it was like an Asian (Thai) Costco. Once I got there, my gf and I split up from our friends and we went up and down every single aisle to see what LAX-C had to offer. Somethings are more expensive than what you would find at Costco, but if you're like me, you'll discover that they have industrial size quantities of Asian ingredients like mirin or buckets of soy sauce, or even hard to find Thai condiments! I found a soybean paste I had been searching for for quite awhile at LAX-C. Their seasonings also come in restaurant quantities too, like in jugs or bags. I am absolutely taking note of what seasonings I need to re-up on and I'm coming here to buy a ridiculous amount. If you've ever worked in the food industry, you'll find a lot of familiar brands, gadgets, pots and pans and even containers that you've probably encountered while you worked in the food industry. If you need restaurant supplies, this place has that too. I'm talking about order slips, cups, containers, straws, napkins and napkin dispensers. While my gf and I were getting lost in the warehouse, we actually had someone ask if we needed help finding anything. I honestly expected zero help or rude help lol. There's a mini food area that offers up some simple, but tasty Thai dishes. My friends said it was cheap and good. Oh! And while their instant noodle selection isn't anything *too* interesting, they have some rare flavors of Mama noodles I've never seen anywhere else. They sell large quantities of a certain flavor that's only usually sold as individual packets at the Asian market. Psst, creamy tom yum Mama noodles are really good!! Overall I felt safe shopping here because of how big the place is. I never really ran into another person while shopping. LAX-C definitely sells everything imaginable. You might want to make a checklist of what you need before you go! read more

Huge. Lots of variety and in both household and restaurant sized packaging. Comparisons to Costco or Restaurant Supply, but with Asian and specifically Thai focus are accurate. There's a section for Thailand made products and you can find everything from a Temple sized Buddha to Thai pillows, art, and instruments. Very cool. There was a sign to not take pictures in that section, so I respected it, leaving that for you to find on your own adventure there. Enjoy! read more

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Been searching for Thai Chili everywhere and finally found it here! Bought 1 lb of chili for $4 - $5, super worth it! It really is the costco of Thai / Asian foods. The selection of Asian condiments' super EXTENSIVE! I found pandan extracts - rare gems for sure, and even pre-packaged fried shallots! Also, be sure to check out the small food section. They have a wide range of Thai food + snacks for a very affordable price. We bought the fried banana, which was okay since it wasn't that crispy anymore. Will definitely check out their meals next time. read more

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Asian Costco prices of products are cheap, and you don't have to buy bulk. No membership required either. 1 star less because it looks run down. read more

Huge parking lot but there's also a lot of cars coming in and out so it can be a bit tricky. There are a few vendors outside selling BBQ and desserts at a decent price. Some people have suggested and compared this establishment to an Asian Costco and while it's definitely wholesale prices and packages, it just reminds me of a very very large Asian wholesale market. It definitely isn't as modern or organized as a Costco would be. The bathrooms are located outside but were actually cleaner than I had expected it to be. Since the store is very large, it's easy to feel overwhelmed so you have to take your time going through each aisle. We found quite a few things here that are not available at our local Asian grocery stores. Price isn't too bad at all. read more