Shadowing Practice: Inside the Filipino Sandwich Shop Taking Over NYC - Learn English Speaking with Video
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- For maybe the first time ever, the hottest new restaurant in New York City is Filipino.
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And that is kind of a miracle.
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This city's Filipino spots, as incredible as they are, have a way of disappearing.
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But this one from the team behind SEMA, New York's number one restaurant in 2025, might be changing that.
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The idea, take classic Filipino dishes and turn them into sandwiches.
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Today, we're trying sandwich.
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I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like Filipino restaurants in the city close at an alarming rate.
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There have been a number that we've wanted to try in recent years that have just vanished.
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Bob, Jeepney, Purple Yam, Balao, Mama Fina's, and most recently, Ted Hanna, that we were just about to make a video on.
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That's why it is so crazy that one of the most popular restaurants in the city right now happens to be Filipino.
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It's called Sandwitz.
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It opened in May and comes from Chef Eric Valdez of Knox and Unapologetic Foods.
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The team behind some of New York's most acclaimed restaurants Semah, Uda, and Damaka.
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This location was actually a Rowdy Rooster, an Indian fried chicken shop, also from Unapologetic Foods, that moves to 32nd Street.
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I've seen videos where the line for this place has gotten crazy, and it is a Sunday.
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We're here half an hour before they open, but they open at 4 :00 p .m., which seems awfully late for a sandwich shop.
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We've already seen a few people come and walk in and be told that they're not open yet.
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So there isn't a line, but I have a feeling a line is going to start forming soon.
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- All right, while we wait for our food, I'll tell you a little bit about the ambiance.
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This place is small and they have the music bumping, which is so much fun, but hopefully you're gonna be able to hear us okay, 'cause it is really loud in here.
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- Every time it stops, it's so quiet.
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- So quiet when the music stops.
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Okay, now it's back.
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There's just a counter in the front and then four tables in the restaurant and that's it.
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I love all the Filipino snacks on the shelves over the register where you order.
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It's really more of a to -go place, but the vibes are high.
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It is such a fun spot.
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And they're actually sold out of two of the sandwiches today.
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First, they have the lechon dip, which is basically the Filipino answer to a French dip.
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Then the chicken bagon, which is their fried chicken sandwich.
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And the Filipino twist is the shrimp paste, which is a funky fermented, super savory sauce.
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They also have a mushroom adobo melt, which was sold out today, but that's their vegetarian option.
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The ribeye caldureta is their take on affiliate cheese steak.
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Caldureta is a rich Filipino beef stew.
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So you've got ribeye, a spicy caldureta sauce, Then the Makati bacon, egg, and cheese.
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Obviously, a bacon, egg, and cheese is one of the most quintessential New York City breakfast sandwiches.
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But here it's made with wagyu brisket, potato hash, eggs, American cheese, and a beef fat mayo.
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I'm not sure if the last one was inspired by any of their sandwiches, but it's probably the one I'm most excited to try, the spam sandwich.
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They actually make their spam in -house.
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We're also going to try all of their sides.
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They have lumpia, Filipino mac and cheese with hot dogs and Filipino spaghetti sauce and vinegar fries.
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and for drinks they have a honey calamansi fizz and an iced ube matcha latte.
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Let's say someone you know wants to live out their dream breakfast at Tiffany's trip.
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or click the link in the description.
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Wow.
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That takes up our whole little table here.
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Big bag of stuff.
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This place got absolutely packed right after they open it.
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I'm going to start with this Honey Calamante fizz.
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God, I can chug this whole thing right now.
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That first sip.
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is incredibly refreshing.
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It's 90 degrees outside and not much colder in here right now.
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This is really hitting the spot.
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You get this burst of that bright calamansi flavor.
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It's kind of like a cross between a lemon, a lime, and like an orange.
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Probably leans more like a clementine flavor, if anything.
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It's the kind of drink that's just like bright and citrusy and a little bit tart.
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It really like wakes up your palate.
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It's like a perfect palate cleanser. That is so good.
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It's basically like sparkling orange juice.
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We're just gonna start with this one because it's the first thing that we open.
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I believe this is the spam sandwich.
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It's made with house -made spam, marinated onions, lettuce, secret sauce on country white toast.
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Mmm.
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It like low -key tastes like a Big Mac on this thing.
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Really?
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That secret sauce especially, it's crazy.
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It really tastes like a burger.
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It's so savory, it's so salty.
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It tastes more like beef than it does like spam.
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But it's a fantastic sandwich chance for sure Wow, tell me that doesn't taste like a burger.
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- It does.
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You know what I think it is though?
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The onions, like there's a lot of caramelized onions in here, but I definitely get breakfast sandwich notes with the eggs and I do get a subtle ham flavor, but it's mostly like onions and special sauce you're tasting.
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Absolutely delicious.
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This thing is extremely messy though.
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- Yeah, it is.
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- But so good.
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- This absolutely massive sandwich is their Lechon dip, which is made with pork belly asado, grilled pineapple relish, bok choy on a hero roll, - It comes with a forked shoe.
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- I was convinced before we got here that that Spam sandwich was going to be my favorite, but this is unbelievable.
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It's crazy how tender and flavorful that pork belly is, and it's just complemented perfectly by all the ingredients in this sandwich.
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It's rich, fatty, and so savory, and you get that nice brightness from that pineapple relish.
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I got a bit of that bok choy in that bite, and that adds like a nice bitterness, and it's just so balanced.
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All these sandwiches are so messy though.
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Yeah, they're so messy.
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I mean, look at your little section right now.
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It is literally.
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It's a disaster. So messy.
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These might be the hardest sandwiches to put down once you start taking bites because they are so delicious, but also incredibly messy.
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I don't know if he's capturing in between songs, but it gets so quiet and awkward and both of us like freeze.
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But anyway, let's try this sandwich.
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We were not born to be influencers, that is for sure.
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We're like two extreme introverts.
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- I'm too self -conscious for this.
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Anyway, this sandwich looks amazing.
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Poi mi la porta, mi la mar The sauce is the perfect complement.
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It's like creamy and a little tangy.
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Really complements the meat and the pineapple perfectly.
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That meat is so savory and tender.
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You get like a little bit of tartness and fruitiness from that pineapple.
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It's also funny that there's this white sauce and then you're also supposed to dip it in the jus.
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Like this is a very messy wet sandwich but I'm not complaining about it.
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Alright, on to the sides.
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These are their lumpia which are crispy pork sprinkles.
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- Mmm.
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- That brunch is everything.
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That wrapper just shatters into a million pieces the second you bite into it, and it just fills with that rich, savory pork flavor.
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They're so simple, but they're just the kind of thing that you could eat a million of.
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They're crispy, meaty, and just so perfectly snackable and craveable.
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- That meat is so flavorful.
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You can see the vegetables and the spices in there.
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It is so delicious.
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- These are the vinegar fries, and all that the menu says about them is that they're sick and just get them.
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- It must be good.
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And they come with what I think is a chipotle ale.
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Mmm. about it.
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Wow.
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The second these things hit your mouth, you know exactly why they're on that menu.
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That tangy, like, vinegar flavor, it just really penetrates into that fry, but they're cooked so nicely.
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Like, the outside is very crisp, but the inside is nice and soft, like, super soft and pillowy.
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This aioli adds, like, a bit of a spice to it. So good.
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- There's this, like, sweetness that I wasn't expecting.
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I thought there was gonna be, like, more of a tang and a little bit of a bite.
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It's kind of like salt and vinegar chips, but not as vinegary.
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- Yeah, if you would like salt and vinegar chips, - So good.
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These really are addicting.
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- Last but not least is their mac and cheese.
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It comes with Filipino spaghetti sauce, ground beef, hot dogs, and cheddar cheese.
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Mmm.
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If you're expecting mac and cheese, this is way closer to like a spaghetti and meatballs flavor than it is like mac and cheese.
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But that sauce is sweet, so there's sweetness, there's savoriness, and there's also a lot of creaminess from that cheese that's in there.
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I would say it's more sauce -forward than cheese -forward.
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And those pieces of hot dog in there So good.
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- It definitely leans more like red sauce and meatballs than it does like mac and cheese with hot dog pieces.
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And it tastes like cheddar cheese, not really like Parmesan or mozzarella like you normally have with red sauce.
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There's a sweetness to the sauce.
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This like puts a smile on my face.
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- It's funny because it's not like we grew up like having Filipino spaghetti, but I said this even when we tried Jollibee.
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It just seems like something that you would have when you were a kid.
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- Yeah.
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- This is the Hallohallo, which is shaved ice ube, jackfruit and coconut.
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Got some coconut on top.
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Hallohalo means mix mix so you've got to basically like mix everything and have it all together in one bite.
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The thing that's difficult to bet Hallohalo is it's always served in a cup like to the brim
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because it's not really that easy to mix it all together.
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That might be the best Hallohalo I've ever had.
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It's such like a sensory overload because there are so many different flavors and so many different textures in there.
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There's a creaminess and iciness and earthiness some jelly in there as well.
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It's crazy because it really is at the same time.
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Perfect for a scorcher like today.
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This is gonna be really nice to like walk home with.
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This is so good.
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You really gotta mix it, come on.
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Okay, you could really taste that ube, that like nutty vanilla flavor.
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It is so good.
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It kind of tastes like a mix between ube ice cream and ube Italian ice.
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You really get those ice chunks.
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The gelatin adds like bursts of...
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what?
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Pineapple?
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citrusy, which is a really interesting complement to that like nutty vanilla flavor.
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Really good and the textures are insane.
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Hallow Hallow must have every single flavor and every single texture that you can have.
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I said for spice I guess.
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Yeah, it really must.
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The only problem with like
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chewing on the gelatin with so much ice in your mouth is it kind of hurts your teeth.
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Yeah, and it gives you a brain freeze.
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And I feel like that's what gives you the brain freeze, yeah.
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But really delicious, it's worth it.
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- Yeah.
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I am so glad we finally were able to try a sandwich.
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Everything we had was amazing.
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The only negative, if I had to find one, is that you are going to get messy.
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None of those sandwiches are all that easy to eat but they are delicious and so incredibly unique.
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You truly can't find any of those anywhere else.
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They really do taste Filipino dishes just slapped on bread.
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It's amazing.
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So more than worth the mess, but let us know if you'd want to try it.
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Make sure to like and subscribe, and we'll see you in the next one.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Practicing speaking English with videos like "Inside the Filipino Sandwich Shop Taking Over NYC" offers learners a unique opportunity to engage with authentic dialogues in a real-world context. This video not only showcases Filipino cuisine but also highlights the vibrant atmosphere of a popular restaurant in New York City. By immersing yourself in such content, you can enhance your English speaking practice in several ways:
- Contextual Learning: The video presents conversations filled with cultural references and culinary vocabulary, enabling you to learn how to discuss food and dining experiences effectively.
- Improved Listening Skills: By listening to the dialogue, you can improve your comprehension of various accents and informal speech patterns, which are essential for fluent communication.
- Real-Life Application: The setting encapsulates a lively dining experience, allowing you to practice phrases and expressions you'll actually use when discussing your own favorite restaurants or culinary experiences.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In this video, several key phrases and structures can serve as excellent practice points for English learners. Analyzing these will help you incorporate them into your own speaking:
- Question Phrases: The speaker frequently uses phrases like, “Is it just me, or…” to express personal observations. This structure is excellent for engaging in discussions and sharing opinions.
- Descriptive Language: Expressions such as “the hottest new restaurant” and “incredible as they are” highlight how to effectively describe and evaluate experiences, important for storytelling.
- Comparative Phrasing: The speaker uses comparisons, like “the Filipino answer to a French dip,” to contextualize and clarify concepts. This technique is useful in everyday conversation.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As with any video content, certain words and phrases may present pronunciation challenges for learners. Here are some examples from the video:
- "Filipino": This word can often be mispronounced; it should be broken down into fi-li-PEE-no.
- "Calamansi": This popular fruit used in drinks can be tricky. Practice saying it as ka-la-MAN-see.
- "Beb fat mayo": The term "beef" can lead to incorrect pronunciations; focus on the short "ee" sound.
By highlighting these tricky pronunciations, English learners can work on achieving clearer speech, which is an essential part of learning English with YouTube effectively. Utilizing shadowspeak techniques, where you repeat phrases after the speaker, can significantly improve your fluency and confidence in using everyday English.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | bumping, which is · dip, which is · bagon, which is |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be told · was sold · was inspired |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been · I've seen · We've already seen |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.