CHEF SIVE UNVEILS HIS UNORTHODOX CHEF’S TABLE AT THE ROYAL VILLAS

Eswatini’s culinary scene is about to get a new heartbeat, and it’s beating right at the heart of one of the Kingdom’s most elegant addresses, The Royal Villas.

Eswatini Travel News sat down with decorated Swazi chef Sive Bhembe to talk about his upcoming Chef’s Table experience, aptly named “Unorthodox: Reimagined, Refined, Rooted”, set to launch soon at The Royal Villas.

Tucked within the tranquil, manicured grounds of the resort, The Royal Villas has long been synonymous with understated luxury, warm hospitality, and an unmistakably Swazi sense of place. Now, it’s about to add another layer to that reputation: a dining experience as considered and refined as the villas themselves.

Known for turning indigenous ingredients into art on a plate, Chef Sive gave us a taste of what’s coming at The Royal Villas, and it did not disappoint.

The Man Behind the Menu
Chef Sive Bhembe is a contemporary African chef whose work is rooted in storytelling, sustainability, and the celebration of indigenous ingredients. Drawing from Eswatini’s rich culinary heritage and his travels across Southern Africa, he creates modern, artistic dining experiences that elevate traditional ingredients and reimagine African cuisine for a global audience.

His trophy cabinet speaks for itself: Winner of the 2025 Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival Farm-to-Fork MasterChef Cook-Off, Winner of the 2025 Taiwanese Vegetable Initiative (TAVI) Indigenous Vegetable National Competition, 3rd Place at the 2025 West African Food Festival (WAFFEST) Vegan Cook-Off, and a finalist and semi-finalist run in the prestigious RCL Young Bakers & Chefs Challenge. He also contributed to the TAVI Indigenous Cookbook, cementing his role as an advocate for preserving traditional African vegetables and culinary knowledge.

Setting the Table at The Royal Villas

There’s something fitting about pairing this menu with this address.

The Royal Villas has always offered guests a sense of retreat, private, intimate, and distinctly Eswatini in character. Bringing “Unorthodox” into that setting means diners won’t just be eating a Chef Sive Bhembe menu; they’ll be experiencing it the way it was always meant to be shared, under the calm of The Royal Villas’ grounds, with the kind of personal, attentive service the resort is known for.

ETN was given the rare privilege of experiencing the menu firsthand, right there at The Royal Villas.

Here’s what Chef Sive prepared for us:

Starter — Trio of Legume Croquettes
Three takes on one humble ingredient, each telling its own story: one paired with mustard aioli, one with mustard aioli and a paprika emulsion, and one finished nut-crusted for texture and depth.

Main — “JanuWorry Meal”
A playful name for a deeply comforting plate: herb-crusted kingklip served alongside a silky cabbage veloute, sautéed purple cabbage, a chilli tomato sauce, and pickled cherry tomatoes for brightness and bite.

Dessert — “i-Jelly yase Private School”
A nostalgic nod wrapped in refinement, vanilla panna cotta, red velvet crumb, berry compote, and seasonal fruit, closing the meal on a note that’s equal parts childhood memory and modern technique.

In His Own Words
Chef Sive shared what this new chapter means to him:
“Reimagined, Refined, Rooted’ is really about honouring where I come from while giving myself permission to play. Every dish on this table starts with something we grew up eating in Eswatini, but I want people to sit down, taste it, and see it in a completely new light. That’s the story I want to tell through food.”

What’s Next
With “Unorthodox” set to debut at The Royal Villas, Chef Sive Bhembe is poised to give Eswatini’s dining scene a bold new address, one where heritage and innovation share the same plate. ETN will be watching this space closely, and we can’t wait to bring you more as the launch date is confirmed.

Stay tuned to Eswatini Travel News for the official launch details.