The interrogative
qué is sometimes translated as
how, as is the exclamation.
The
expression qué tal is used as you've stated. As such, it can have several translations. Idiomatic expressions usually don't make any sense if translated word-for-word (transliterated). You just have to understand how the idiom is used.
Eliminating the need for the tense is only half of the equation. There's no verb at all AND tense has to be deduced from context.
For example, without any context to go on, "¿
qué tal la fiesta?" could mean a past event, a present event, or a future event. In English, any of these translations would work:
Did you like the party?
How was the party?
How's the party going?
What's the party like?
How are the plans for the party going?
What kind of party will it be?