Ho Wah Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Farmington

Absolutely horrible restaurant! Don't waste your time and money going to this place. We have been to this restaurant previously with several people and had a bad experience. We thought maybe they were shortstaffed or had a bad night. We gave it another try and we will NEVER go here again. We sat at a table - took a long time to have a waitress take our order. We were waiting for our food over 25 minutes. Other customers (who knew the waitresses by name) had come & gone with their take out food. One of us went to counter to find out what was going on. Several workers were chit chatting and not acknowledging there was a person waiting. Finally someone asked what he wanted and he said 'where is our food - we have been waiting a long time'. 'It'll be right up' was the answer. The food came out shortly later (how long had it been sitting waiting to be taken to the table?). By then, we were disgusted. The person who went to the counter said 'I'm not even hungry any more - take this back'. The waitress was beyond rude and a verbal altercation ensued. (Really??) 'Terrible service' - 'we're not a fast food restaurant', etc - she even threatened to call the police. At this point, there was no way we were going to stay, so...

Howah used to be the crown jewel of Chinese cuisine within a 50-mile radius—about 20 years ago. Back then, it was the go-to spot for flavorful dishes and consistent quality. Sadly, over time, it fell into decline, with overcooked meals and a building that started to feel neglected. Like many, I stopped going.

But recently, I decided to give it another shot—and I’m so glad I did.

Walking in, the first thing I noticed was how refreshed the place looked. Whether it’s a renovation or new ownership, something has clearly changed for the better. It felt clean, welcoming, and like a place that once again cares about its customers.

As for the food: it was a return to form. I ordered the tangy chicken with fried rice and crab Rangoon. Every bite took me back to the golden years—crispy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The tangy chicken had just the right balance of sweetness and spice, and the crab Rangoon was crispy and creamy without being greasy.

I’m happy to say that Howah is back on my rotation. I give it an 8.6 out of 10. Whether it’s a return to their roots or a fresh start under new management, one thing’s clear: they’re doing things right again....

The food was completely inedible. Our dog wouldn't even lick it. My wife couldn't eat it. The rice was hard as a rock. I called and they told me to bring the food back and it will be re cooked or I can get a refund for the items brought back. I brought everything back including the beer. They were attempting to close early and my wife, that has cancer btw and just finished her second round of chemo, needed help before I was able to leave to return the food. They refused to give a refund as promised closed the restaurant early, attempted to ignore me when I did arrive before there scheduled closing time with all the food in the same shape they handed it to me. Finally got the to answer the phone and they refused to givee my 40 bucks back. Do not ever go here. If you do follow my new golden rule. If Caucasian people own run and operate a Chinese restaurant just turn and run. Please save your time...