Being Chinese, I have grown up around the realm of Chinese food where most of my memories were of eating the meals my grandma prepared, and getting sick on a crap load of dim sum about every Sunday. Other fond memories as a child was visiting Ho Wan, however it was only to order take out, where I rarely ever dined here.
Just recently however I made a visit to this restaurant for a family dinner. Located in Chinatown, Ho Wan isn't exactly pretty to look at, where interior or exterior decoration for that matter isn't really on the first priority list. Despite its simplicity, it does its job of supplying you a seat and table. Like other reviewers, do be prepared to sit and wait as the service is quite slow. The dinner that night was scheduled for 6:00PM, however with the business being so understaffed, the food took about an hour and 10 minutes to arrive. It got more frustrating when the servers choose NOT to look at the customers even when being signaled, to continue and finish whatever they were doing. It got so bad that there was a stall, where no diners were getting any of their orders, and had to refill their own teapots. Although it was a little frustrating, it was laughable and allowed more time to socialize with the fam until the food came.
Despite the long wait, the food was excellent. With nothing being too salty or too bland, it was definitely worth the wait. Just about any dish is extremely tasty, so if you're a first timer do be adventurous in trying new dishes. I definitely recommend the salt and pepper squid where it has a lovely seasoned batter and extremely tender squid. If you're a noodle fan, I also definitely recommend to order a dish where portions are quite large for a very reasonable price. Despite how good the food was, I think I'll stick to take-out than dine here again. If you're wanting to dine here, I say give yourself a 3 to 4 hour window just in case service is a little slow the night you go.