Discovery Series Ornament – Ontario

I feel like the designers of the Discovery Series Ornament – Ontario made an oversight by using a picture of poutine for this mini mug. While poutine is enjoyed across Canada, it is a dish that originates from Quebec, has strong cultural ties to Quebecois heritage, and is a proud part of their culinary tradition.

The forest, the islands on the front, and the moose on the back of the ornament remind us that Ontario is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, with a diverse landscape of lush forests, serene lakes, and rugged wilderness.… Read more

Discovery Series – Québec

The Discovery Series Québec mug is following the release of the ornament that we saw earlier. Some of the design elements are common; I invite you to read my previous post here. One small but interesting feature is the addition of the plate to the front of the snowmobile that says “QUÉBEC”. I love this little detail on the mug.

Here are some extra design elements added to the mug, when compared to the ornament:

Crepes are popular in Québec and particularly in Québec City, where they are celebrated as part of the region’s French culinary heritage.… Read more

Discovery Series Ornament – Québec

Starbucks is going big with the releases for its new collection. I realized that when I saw them revealing some locations that never received their own mug or ornament. The brand-new Discovery Series Ornament – Québec is a perfect example of that since none of the Canadian provinces and territories had an ornament until now. I believe this is a sign that the Discovery Collection will be huge.

Québec is a predominantly French-speaking province, and this is why we’re seeing the title using the French spelling.… Read more

Been There – Cavite

Starbucks Been There – Cavite is a mug for a province on the southern shores of Manila Bay, Philippines. It is considered “Historical Capital of the Philippines” and one of the most industrialized and fastest-growing provinces in the country.
These are some points of interest to visit:
– Fort San Felipe is a military fortress built by Spanish military in 1609 for the protection of the city. Less than half of the original historic structure survived through years
– Naval Station Sangley Point was a communication and hospital facility of the United States Navy
– The Emilio F.… Read more

Been There – Batangas

I am not exactly sure, whether Starbucks Been There – Batangas is a mug for Batangas province or the city of Batangas. Either way, here are some points of interest worth visiting/knowing about:
– Snorkeling/diving (1), Tilapia Fish (3), Tawilis (6) – a popular activity in this region, thanks to the clear and calm waters that host colorful species of fish, wildlife and corals. That is pretty much all you need for an amazing snorkeling experience.
– Lambanóg (2) is a traditional Filipino distilled palm liquor made from coconut or nipa palm sap
– Taal Volcano (4) is located in the middle of the Taal Lake just 40 miles from Manila and poses a real danger since it’s the second most active volcano in the Philippines.… Read more

Been There – Pampanga

Starbucks Been There – Pampanga is a mug for a province on the northern shore of Manila Bay. Pampanga is rightfully considered as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines. Kapampangan cuisine is known for having exotic dishes such as Crispy Camaru (fried crickets) or Betute (stuffed frog) but if you’re just at the beginning of your food journey, there are other amazing dishes you can start with:
– Morcon (Stuffed Meat Loaf) – made from pork with the sausage and boiled egg inside
– Sisig – is made mostly from pig’s head.… Read more

Been There – Iloilo

Starbucks Been There – Iloilo is a mug for a province in the Philippines.
Local food to try:
– Iloilo (La Paz) Batchoy – the pork noodle soup which is prepared with pork offal and topped with crushed chicharron, pork cracklings that found its way into the local cuisine via Spain. Chicken stock and beef loin could also be added.
– Pancit Molo is a soup with wontons that are stuffed with ground pork and shrimp. A very important ingredient is roasted garlic used for garnish which makes this soup something special.… Read more

Been There – Calgary 2

Starbucks Been There – Calgary v2 is another updated Canadian mug design, which again includes a minor change. Very similar to the BC mug I’ve reviewed last week, it has an apostrophe added to the landmark’s name: “ST. PATRICKS ISLAND” becomes “ST. PATRICK’S ISLAND”. It’s one of Calgary’s oldest parks, which invites visitors to enjoy family-friendly space since 1890. Btw, it’s even got National Urban Design Award in 2016.
The photo is provided by a reader of this blog.

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Been There – British Columbia 2

Here’s another revised mug from Starbucks, Been There – British Columbia v2. You probably remember that missing apostrophes is the Achilles’ heel of the company’s designers. They already had to fix a couple of mugs in the past because of that, and as we can see, we’re not even close to the end. Anyway, the “HELLS GATE” becomes “HELL’S GATE”, which is the proper name of an abrupt narrowing of Fraser River, located in the Canadian Province of British Columbia.… Read more

Been There – Ontario 2

Here’s the second Canadian BT mug which has been revised – Been There – Ontario v2. The change is much bigger than Canada v2 from my previous post. In particular, Starbucks removed “The Heartland Province” nickname making adjacent elements bigger; the “Ice wine” has been switched with “Icewine”, which is the proper way to call the wine made from grapes that have been left to freeze naturally on the vine.

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