I'm someone who absolutely dreads going to the grocery store. For my weekly excursions, I make a strict list and follow it like a drill-sergeant — no strolling, wandering or lollygagging. I'm in and out in 20 minutes flat. The one exception is specialty grocery stores, like the zero-waste Unboxed Market or the gorgeous, all-Taiwanese Maeli Market, that are well-worthy of perusing. So as a grocery store cynic, I have to try out the new Bestco Fresh Foods that moved into downtown at the end of last year, right next to the foodism office.
Set on the second floor, up an escalator, Bestco Fresh Foods is so much larger (and shinier) than the Peter Street exterior belies. There's fresh produce; a meat department; a bakery section; and refrigerators stocked with all kinds of drinks filled with everything from fruit jellies to collagen; plus aisles upon aisles of pantry goods and snacks. Normally, I always pack a lunch from home, but the steaming dishes at the hot counter are as tempting as some of the best Chinese restaurants in Toronto.
Bestco started out as a single store in Etobicoke, rooted in Chinese culture and predominantly serving a Chinese immigrant community, but since then it's grown to four multicultural locations across the GTA. After taking my time to thoroughly explore the store, I can say it's worth the hype. There's so much to see, I spend an entire hour and feel like I've barely scratched the surface. So, to help you out with your visit, I've rounded up the best items I found at Bestco Fresh Foods for lunch breaks and snack time.
The 13 best items I found at Bestco Fresh Foods
1. Plant-based meat snacks
These were the most surprisingly delicious snacks at Bestco Fresh Foods. The spicy, vegan beancurd cubes look just like meat, and hit that same savoury spot.
2. Salted Egg Yolk Lays Chips
If you love salted egg yolk, these chips have just the right amount of that flavour without being too overpowering. But there are plenty of other unique Lay's flavours, too.
3. Dim sum dishes
Bestco's har gow taste just as good as if I got them at a dim dum restaurant.
4. Coconut Peach Juice
I love a tasty beverage, and this sweet, refreshing coconut-peach juice delivers. Plus the chewy texture makes it feel like a snack.
5. Instant noodles galore
There are so many different instant noodles to choose from — trying them all might be my goal for 2026.
6. Rare Kit-Kat flavours
If you're still obsessed with all things matcha, you should definitely try these Kit-Kats.
7. Fresh sushi
OK, hear me out — grocery store sushi is sus, nine times out of 10, but Bestco's is actually solid.
8. Onion rings and shrimp chips
You can find these at lots of different Asian grocery and convenience stores, but I love them, so they had to go on the list.
9. Tonica Kombucha
This is the first kombucha I've tried that doesn't taste like swamp water. It's local, sweet and delicious.
10. Sweet Korean steam buns
I was skeptical about these, but the colourful little snacks make for a perfect sweet treat to share.
11. Rare Pocky flavours
The strawberry and chocolate flavours of this creamy coated biscuit are pretty popular, but they also come in a range of flavours at Bestco.
12. Canned bubble tea
Nothing beats fresh bubble tea, but if you're at home (and feel like ordering bubble tea for delivery is deplorable) crack open a can — it's the next best thing.
13. Rare Oreo flavours
Who even knew Oreos came in all these different flavours?
Bestco Fresh Foods has given our office lunches and snack runs a complete upgrade.
