3 6 9 Oriental Bistro

OK, so I was in the midst of errands and wanted to indulge in my Americanized Chinese food craving, so I stopped here for lunch.
Short version: A wonderfully calm oasis of a restaurant with exceptional service, good food at good prices with the added luster of a wine list. If you like Kam’s, you’ll LOVE 3−6−9.
Long version: So it was the first day of our cold weather, and I was in the mood for the typical comfort food: hot-​and-​sour soup, sweet-​and-​sour pork, and hot tea. Being in the neighborhood, I selected 3−6−9.
This place has been around for years, but I’d never set foot in it (don’t ask me why). I’ve seen it from the outside when I’d go to Spec’s next door, but the lack of cars in the front of the place made me think it wasn’t that great of a restaurant.
Boy, was I wrong — and in a good way!
3−6−9 is what you’d call an «upscale» Americanized Chinese bistro. Real cloth napkins, real china and silverware, soft music and a dark-​paneled wood complete the experience. Low murmuring from the other diners completed the mood.
Now for the food:
I ordered a cup of hot tea for starters. The waiter was knowledgeable enough to ask me which type I preferred (green or jasmine). Jasmine, please.
What I got was a wonderful sterling-​silver teapot filled with an aromatic brew. The whole pot. Just for me. WOW. I’m in heaven now.
The hot-​and-​sour soup was served just as I liked it: steaming hot, full of lashings of eggs, with crispy wonton chips on the side. Add some soy sauce into the soup with the wonton chips, and you’ve got nirvana in a cup.
Now for the entrée: the anticipated sweet-​and-​sour pork.
NOTE: A lot of Chinese restaurants nowadays put the sauce on the side, which is OK if you are watching your waistline. However, I grew up in the golden era of restaurants in Houston in the 1970s — and when you had sweet-​and-​sour whatever at a Chinese restaurant, it was DRENCHED in sauce, which is how I prefer it. What’s so wrong with that? It gives you an excuse to sop it up with an egg-​roll or those crispy wontons, and it’s one less dish that needs to be washed. But I digress.
The sweet-​and-​sour pork was utterly delish. Not only was the pork fried perfectly, but it also came with requisite accompaniments: carrots, peppers and pineapple chunks. With the dish came fried rice and a deep-​fried spring roll. Both the entrée and sides came out piping hot.
The waitstaff was outstanding. Very helpful to the point of obsequiousness, but not intrusive enough to be considered hovering over you. Someone should clone them and send them to other Asian restaurants in town! (I’m looking at YOU, Thien An.)
The price was right for lunch: about $ 6.99 plus beverage plus tax. They also have an extensive dinner menu with a range of dinner combinations, whether you are dining as a couple, or if you have a table of 8 or 10. Nice.
Also, their wine list was quite a pleasant surprise. They have a good list of both red and white wines, as well as plum wine and sake, with good vintages and brands. Each table also has a bottle of wine sitting on it, as if to invite the diner to indulge in a glass or two.
With so many Asian restaurants in town, 3−6−9 deserves your attention. As I peeked at other diners’ lunch choices — General Tso’s chicken, moo goo gai pan and kung pao — I could tell that there were many standouts on this menu, just waiting to be explored.
So would I go again? Only if I want to indulge nostalgically in the golden era of Americanized Chinese comfort food in Houston, and I want to savor a big pot of tea while contemplating the universe.
In other words, YES. 謝謝！ I’ll be back, 3−6−9! :-)