Food: Fil-Am Star Cafe & Bakery

Fil-Am Star Cafe & Bakery **** - FINALLY!  A Filipino restaurant in Atlanta!  This is huge!  This place opened just a few days ago, and they actually had to close on Sunday because the demand had been so high; they actually ran out of food!  I haven't been the only Filipino yearning for such a place to open.  The reviews have been great so far.  It's in the Asian market, about a mile west of the Buford Farmer's Market.  I showed up at 11 AM, eager and hungry.  I was greeted and offered a seat.  I took note of the all-Filipino staff and clientele.  Everyone spoke tagalog (I don't); these were all good signs.  I ordered my go-to dish: the adobo.  Within five minutes, I had my face planted in delicious pork sinigang, a generous heaping of chicken & pork adobo, and (what would be) an endless supply of white rice.  I stuffed myself happily.  Delicious!  Man was it good!  And enough to satisfy a large craving that has grown over the years in Atlanta for a lot of Filipinos in the area.  At 11:30 AM, I heard my name being called.  Three nurses from my hospital, all Filipina, had the same plans I did.  Soon we were a table of four.  But then one of the nurses called her son to join; a table of five.  It became a blur of conversation and endless food.  More dishes poured in: fried tilipia, pancit, daing na bangus, cassava cake, and even more adobo.  It was all home-cooked traditional Filipino dishes.  All delicious.  And the menu changes every day.  I felt like a school-kid eating this stuff.  Each one of the nurses recognized at least one of the other customers.  Every time I looked up, everyone was moving around talking to one another.  Emails and phone numbers were being exchanged.  Rose, the owner, pulled up a chair and joined us at the table.  She asked if there's anything I'd like "off the menu."  I asked if they made ensaymada.  I told her I'd come back for lunch tomorrow.  She wrote down "ensaymada" on a random slip of paper.  We talked about the Philippines, mahjong, and karaoke.  This was Philippines through and through.  It was 2 PM when we all finally left.  I'm going back tomorrow.  I'm going back a lot.