After a highly successful first year of operating out of Toronto's Eaton Centre, Benkei Hime, a store perched upon the confluence of bubble tea and fashion, recently opened its second location at Markham's CF Markville Mall.
This fashion label, founded in Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo, first landed in Toronto in February 2022, marking its foray into North America. With half the store dedicated to churning out delectable bubble tea flavours and the other half focusing on the beauty of design and streetwear, Benkei Hime swiftly became a crowd favourite, scratching an itch people didn't even know existed.
Located in a similarly-aesthetic space as the first one, the Markham location also has a bright orange storefront, fitted with neon lights and colourful murals on the wall designed to attract any and every passerby. With skateboards, apparel and even basketball hoops adorning the walls lit up with overhead lighting like the kind they have in galleries, Benkei Hime's space is an artist and streetwear lover's dream. Think almost Supreme-esque, but with East Asian influences and better design choices.
The store works with artists to create eye-catching retail pieces — ranging from hoodies, hats, socks and tote bags to ramen bowls, phone cases, Rubik's cubes and even playing cards.
But then again, that's not the only thing Benkei Hime sells. While browsing the store, sip on one of its many bubble tea creations. While also offering drinks specifically curated for different holidays and even Toronto, the establishment's signature drinks include Strawberry Hime, Toronto Hime Limited, Blue Cloud Hime and Hazelnut Crème Brulee Hime — each more aesthetically pleasing than the previous one.
Make sure you have a properly charged phone, because you'll want to capture every element of this wonderfully-curated store, right from the entry to the bubble teas and the visually appealing retail offerings.
Benkei Hime's latest location can be found at Markham's CF Markville Mall, while the first store stands strong in Toronto's Eaton Centre.
