At the end, at its core, like it or not, this was a K-drama about food. Part time-travel fantasy, part historical fiction, part rom-com, “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” is all about the food, and its chef is the magnificent Lim Yoon-A cooking for the extraordinary Lee Chae-Min, Joseon’s greatest culinary connoisseur and most dangerous critic.
Cook to Survive
Think of it like this: If you had to cook to save yourself, what would you make? Now, reflect for a minute. If someone is prompted with this question, is this a rom-com, a thriller, or something else? A survival drama, maybe? But food. What’s that with the food in the request?
So, we have to do with a psychotic foodie. And as it turns out, Yeon Ji-Young (played by Lim Yoon-A of the popular K-pop group, Girls’ Generation) must cook for the tyrant king, Yi Heon (Lee Chae-min). After all, her life depends on it and the taste of food.
The drama starts with a bright sun, and then the camera moves to reveal a female prisoner in traditional jipsin (Korean straw sandals), bound with red rope and being escorted to the royal court. The setting is established: this is a historical drama. After we learn that she is to be appointed head chef by the king himself—who cuts the rope with his sword—we suddenly shift to a modern French chef’s competition.
And here the camera work becomes spectacular. It swiftly zooms from above, then moves through the kitchen capturing intricate knife work, the whir of blenders, food being sculpted and boiling on stoves. A large chunk of meat roasts in the oven. Then the camera focuses on our heroine and her strange, innovative method: lighting up straws inside a pot to sear the meat. Meanwhile, on screen, chemical compounds dance around the ingredients, visualizing the chemistry and art of food.
In this pivotal scene—with all the close-ups on the foods, the ingredients, the individual plates that cover half or the whole screen—we get a glimpse of what is about to come. The cinematography splits the screen into several parts, most filled with extreme close-ups of food, people’s mouths, hands picking up ingredients. We know immediately what this drama will be about: food competitions and a super-excited Yoon-A. All in the first ten minutes.
That said, be prepared for long food sequences that are meticulously crafted and bound to make you hungry. Prepare a few healthy snacks in advance.
The tyrant king, King Yi Heon (Lee Chae-Min)—most likely inspired by King Yeonsangun, the great terror of the Joseon Dynasty—is a king who wields absolute power but also possesses an extraordinary, almost superhuman sense of taste. And being the tyrant he is, he never stops threatening his chef extraordinaire from the future.
As Chang Tae-you, the series’s director (and food programming aficionado), said in an interview, he “started this drama with the idea of creating a historical Korean cooking drama where a chef’s heartfelt dishes transform people (even a king).”
If he succeeded in making a great rom-com, that is to be tested by the passage of time—if it endures. For the time being, it is among the most-watched K-dramas in the world. Thus, the drama is a romantic comedy with cooking as its love language.
The Real Star: The Food
It’s not the first drama that used cuisine to boost some romance, but what makes it a bit different from the other shows around is that in its core, the drama incorporates a few elements from popular Korean shows like “Culinary Class Wars” and “Chef & My Fridge,” which are among the most viewed shows in Korea right now.
Recall that I told you food was the real star of the drama? Here is the reason. The show highlights the meticulous planning put into cooking scenes and the fascinating “chemical reactions behind the cuisine,” making the dishes themselves feel like characters. A foodie director could not have missed that.
The culinary element of the drama is dazzling. The camera often zooms in on the intricate knife work and lingers on the mixing, breading, and deep-frying to mouth-watering levels. I don’t know if you know anything about sous-vide, but you will learn a lot about it in this drama, as a sous-vide preparation is filmed from inside the water bath. (I hope it’s called a water bath, anyway). The viewer at times had the distinct impression that he is watching a mukbang (eating show), which, given its popularity, might have aided the overall interest in the drama and the worldwide affection it received.
Food is a language and transcends borders and cultures. Viewers were intrigued by the journey of the French-trained chef Yeon Ji-young, who wins a cooking competition, and by the process of a modern chef blending French cuisine with royal cuisine from the Joseon era—using utensils and methods of that era in a fusion. (I apologize, but my memory is still stuck on Mr. Queen and the creation of the first instant ramen soup – see our foodie K-drama guide for more culinary moments like that.)
That fusion was not a ruse for the sake of the drama. Behind the scenes, a whole army of high-profile chefs, food stylists, and professors and experts on Korean royal court etiquette and court cuisine consulted on the show for the dishes to be not only pleasing for the eyes but also alluring and, for hardcore fans, possible to recreate at home.
It is true, after all, that Yoon-A brought culinary innovation to the Joseon Dynasty, but for doing that, she attended cooking classes and learned knife skills from professional chefs. She got so accustomed to those that in her last visit to Japan promoting the show, she was demonstrating her skills preparing food on the stage. Even if she admittedly is K-pop royalty, she isn’t afraid to get dirty in the kitchen. So, one for Ms. Lim.
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty Plot: A Chef in the Palace
Based on the web novel “Yeonsangunui Chefro Salanamki” (Living as King Yeonsan’s Chef), the story follows Yeon Ji-Young, a cheerful and determined modern-day French-trained chef. After winning a cooking competition—with a prize of 100,000 euros and a job at a three-Michelin-star restaurant—she boards a flight to Korea carrying a rare historical book, the Mangunrok, for her scholar father. During the flight, a solar eclipse triggers her mysterious transport to the Joseon era.
There, she has a fateful encounter with King Yi Heon. After her first dish, he is intrigued by her unique fusion food and appoints her as his personal royal chef. Ji-Young must now navigate the dangers of the royal palace, including a greedy and ambitious concubine, Kang Mok-Ju (Kang Han-Na), and the king’s most powerful political enemy, Prince Jesan (Choi Gwi-Hwa), all while trying to survive and find a way back home.
Standout Performances
On his behalf, Lee Chae-Min’s performance as King Yi Heon is an undeniable highlight. He is this year’s “rising star,” perfectly balancing the king’s smugness and intimidation with a playful side that emerges when he’s impressed by good food. His ability to nail both the emotional and goofy moments, balancing his moves and gestures with punchy lines, rounds out his performance of the king, and this is one more reason to stick with the show.
The romantic element is there, but don’t expect a booming fairy-tale romance. This is a more subtle kind of love and connection between two people, where the moment of a tear trickling down signals that supreme moment of real connection. The kisses in the pavilion convey the maturity and depth of their deep emotion, while the cherry blossoms flutter as if the world celebrated their love.
Final Verdict
Ultimately, “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” is a stunning visual feast that succeeds by making food its true main character. It masterfully balances a high-stakes “cook to survive” premise with a subtle, mature romance that feels genuinely earned. While the time-travel element sets up the story, it’s the dazzling culinary scenes, the great performance of Lee Chae-Min as the tyrant king, and Lim Yoon-A’s resourceful charm that will keep you glued to the screen.
If you love food shows mixed with romance wrapped in a historical drama, “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” is a must-watch.
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Now, I’d love to hear from you: What was your favorite dish from “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” and did the food scenes make you as hungry as they made me? Let me know in the comments below!
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