SIKAT NA RESTAURANT SA MACAU MAY LIHIM PUTAHE

People would often say that the dishes in this restaurant were delicious, crispy, flavorful, and unique. But one day, inside this same restaurant, the police noticed a strange smell—though at first, it seemed almost pleasant. In the freezer, however, they found something they never expected. From that day on, hunger was replaced with fear across all of Macau.

It was discovered that the main ingredient in the restaurant’s much-praised dishes wasn’t just ordinary animal meat. It was, in fact, the remains of an entire family who had been murdered and dismembered. But what shocked everyone most was the identity of the suspect. The person accused of the massacre was none other than a close friend of the restaurant owner.

Let’s talk about the story of the ET Immortals Restaurant Massacre—a case that still chills Macau to this day.

Back in the 1980s, Macau was known as the land of casinos and vibrant nightlife. But behind the glitz and joy, a crime would soon shake the entire city. This case became one of the darkest in the history of Macau.

In 1985, residents began to notice a strange odor coming from a corner eatery known as the E Immortals Restaurant. The place had been closed for a long time before reopening, but because of the suspicious smell, the locals decided to report it to the police.

When the residents knocked on the restaurant doors, no one from the owner’s household answered—only a family friend who had been entrusted with the property. Even before the police could step inside, they already caught the stench seeping out from both the restaurant and the adjacent family home. Following the trail of the odor, they entered the restaurant and opened the freezer—only to find human remains inside.

The remains were wrapped carefully in plastic, as if they were cuts of meat meant to be sold at the market. The restaurant belonged to the Zeng family, who were known in the community as cheerful and kind people. But suddenly, they had vanished without a trace.

No goodbyes, no clues, and no one knew where they had gone. The police soon realized that the remains they had found in the freezer belonged to the entire Zeng family. With every piece of evidence uncovered, the dark secret of the ET Immortals Restaurant slowly came to light.

Zeng Lin, the family patriarch, had once been a street vendor in China. He dreamed of a better life with his wife, Chen Yuhi, and their children.

They moved to Laon, Macau, and opened a small but successful eatery, which they named the Eight Immortals Restaurant. It quickly became popular in the community because the food was both delicious and affordable. Their restaurant felt like an extension of their home. But behind their success, the Zeng couple had a vice that slowly destroyed both their lives and their business—they were addicted to gambling.

Because of this, the couple came to know Wang Zeng, a man with a dark past. According to reports, Wang had committed a crime in Hong Kong in 1973, so he fled to Macau to start a new life. He had no permanent home but was skilled at getting along with people. At first, the Zeng family treated him as a friend.

They allowed him to stay upstairs at their restaurant, fed him, and even gave him a small role in the business. In 1984, during a gambling game, Zeng Lin and his wife Chen Yu lost to Wang, owing him 10,000 patacas—equivalent to around 1.2 million pesos. But they couldn’t pay him back immediately. As a result, they agreed that if they couldn’t repay the debt within a year, ownership of the restaurant would be transferred to Wang.

Months passed, and the couple still couldn’t pay. On top of that, the debt had grown because of the accumulating interest—reaching nearly 600,000 patacas, or about 4.2 million pesos. This is when the tension between the Zeng couple and Wang began to rise.

Not long after, neighbors noticed that the restaurant had been closed for weeks—without any announcement or explanation. The entire Zeng family—Zeng Lin, his wife, their children, and even their grandchildren—seemed to have vanished without a trace. The only person seen going in and out of the restaurant was Wang.

On the night of August 4, 1985, after the restaurant had closed, Wang Zi Heng came to collect the large debt from the Zeng family. But instead of negotiating, Zeng Lin refused to hand over ownership of his restaurant. The tension escalated into a heated argument. In the middle of the confrontation, Wang suddenly turned violent.

He grabbed the Zengs’ youngest son and took him hostage. While threatening the rest of the family with a knife, he ordered everyone to gag themselves and stay silent, warning them not to make a sound. But one family member managed to break free and shouted for help.

Wang immediately chased the escapee, grabbed a broken bottle, and stabbed him. After that, it was as if Wang lost all reason. One by one, he murdered the members of the Zeng family. Some he strangled, others he stabbed repeatedly. Tragically, even the children—aged between seven and nine years old—were also slaughtered.

Other family members were beaten until they died. After the brutal killings, Wang spent nearly eight hours in the kitchen. Using the restaurant’s knives, saws, and chopping boards, he reportedly dismembered the victims’ bodies and wrapped each one in plastic bags.

Some parts were discarded in the trash. According to certain reports, Wang took some remains and dumped them into the sea of Macau. The following day, August 5, Wang closed the restaurant and hung a sign that read “Closed for 3 days.” Passersby assumed it was just a normal, temporary closure.

A few days later, the Eight Immortals Restaurant reopened. But this time, people noticed something odd—only Wang was inside. He was the one cooking, serving, and interacting with customers, as if nothing had happened, as though he was now the rightful owner of the restaurant.

But some people, especially the Zeng family’s regular customers, began to notice strange things. While they ate, an unusual odor lingered in the restaurant. Some described it as foul and nauseating, and many said they felt uneasy whenever they entered and ate there.

Until finally, on August 8, 1985, someone reported to the police about the strange smell coming from the ET Immortals Restaurant. Police immediately went to the location to conduct a deeper inspection, and that was when they uncovered the horrifying scene. Inside the restaurant’s freezer, they found several plastic bags. When they opened them, they discovered human remains. As they searched further around the restaurant, they even found body parts inside the sink.

Authorities quickly launched an investigation. It was then confirmed that the remains belonged to the entire Zeng family—the restaurant owners. The bodies were immediately taken to the laboratory for forensic examination. According to the results, there were eight victims: Zeng Lin, his wife, their three children, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Police also revealed that due to the brutality of the crime, not all of the victims’ remains were found—some were believed to have been thrown into the sea or discarded in garbage bins. What terrified the people of Macau even more were the testimonies of the Zeng family’s neighbors. They said that even though the restaurant was supposedly closed, there were times when Wang still sold food.

Some claimed that certain dishes tasted different. Residents weren’t sure, but suspicions spread that Wang might have used parts of the victims in the food he served. Others believed he sold some of the remains. Though this was never proven in court, the evidence found by the police was enough to classify this as one of the most gruesome crimes in Macau’s history.

When authorities searched for Wang, he was no longer in Macau. He had fled back to mainland China. For three months, police hunted him until he was eventually captured in a small bar in Guangdong Province. He was immediately taken to a police station. In 1986, Wang confessed to the crime.

According to him, he had long harbored hatred toward Zeng Lin. On the night of the murders, he unleashed all his anger, killing the entire Zeng family one by one. He described in detail how he strangled, stabbed, and mutilated some of the victims.

Reports differ on how Wang actually died. Two versions exist. The first—which is often cited in documentaries—states that he was tried, sentenced to death, and executed by firing squad in October 1986, only a few months after his conviction. Such an execution was extremely rare in Macau.

The second version suggests that Wang committed suicide on December 4, 1986. In a note he left behind, he explained why he chose to end his own life—citing both the unbearable guilt of his crime and his long battle with asthma.

Many believed that justice was served with Wang’s death. But others questioned how he could have singlehandedly killed the entire Zeng family. Some speculated that he might have had accomplices, though no other suspects were ever identified.

No relatives claimed Wang’s remains. He was buried in a cemetery for criminals. After the massacre, the Eight Immortals Restaurant was permanently closed and locked. Eventually, the building was demolished. Today, the former site of the restaurant is part of a hotel known as the Boxrun Hotel, though limited information is available about the current status of that establishment.

The crime against the Zeng family became an urban legend in Macau. It left many terrified, and many others puzzled. How was it possible that no one noticed the crime earlier? How could Wang have managed to kill so many family members? And how did he manage to keep selling food afterward?

To this day, no one knows for certain if Wang actually used the victims’ remains in the dishes he served. It remains speculation—rumors and suspicions never proven. But for many who believe in what happened at the Immortals Restaurant, doubt alone is enough to convince them that the victims’ bodies may indeed have been cooked and served.

The story of this crime is not only about murder but also about secrets, hatred, and greed that slowly consumed one man’s heart. Let this be a warning: sometimes, the people you think are friends—or even family—might be the very ones who will destroy you.