We’ve finally found our new weekend favorite: a time-slip drama that perfectly blends romance, history, and cooking!
From the very first episode, tvN’s latest drama, ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,’ captured our attention. If you are a fan of fantasy romance genres, you would definitely agree that this drama deserves every bit of the hype it’s receiving these days. Stories in this genre often tend to lose direction over time, however, so far, the show has maintained the right pace, keeping romance, history, and fantasy in perfect balance.
Unlike many 12-episode dramas, where the romance feels rushed or sudden, the romantic narrative here unfolds with a natural and beautiful rhythm. As the king’s character develops slowly and delicately, the romance also grows steadily and organically. In recent episodes, small hints—such as Ji Young’s proud smile at the king or King Yi Heon’s fluttering heart—signal a change of heart in our main leads.
Episode 5
The episode opens with Ji Young, who, unlike us, isn’t very delighted about her kiss with the king. She channels her frustration by beating a dried pollack, while Yi Heon’s case is even more exasperating—he doesn’t even remember kissing her.
On the other hand, we finally discover the truth about Kong Gil (played by Lee Joo Ahn)—the masked man, the actor who previously helped Ji Young escape from the prison. His sister died in Jahongwon, clutching a metal pin in her hand—the same metal hairpin that Kang Mok Ju’s court lady used to attack Seo Gil Geum.
Meanwhile, King Yi Heon begins to avoid having meals. This is where we catch a delicate hint of romance: Ji Young creates scrumptious dishes for Yi Heon, and he, lost in his thoughts, eventually agrees to eat. After watching him enjoy the chicken soup she prepared, we see a warm and proud smile on Ji Young’s face.
On the day of the king’s physical examination, Prince Jesan (played by Choi Gwi Hwa) arrives at the palace, and Consort Kang Mok Ju announces to the royal kitchen that she will prepare and serve the meal for the king and his guest. Yet, Ji Young prepares her own dish: a delectable fried pork cutlet called ‘schnitzel’ (similar to the Japanese tonkatsu).
Much to Kang Mok Ju’s disappointment, the king and the prince didn’t even touch her dishes (or, at least, the meals that Chef Maeng had prepared) and instead gobbled up Ji Young’s dish.
That same night, King Yi Heon added a drawing of the new dish to his book. The next day, Im Song Jae brought Ji Young’s handbag to the king, who was looking for a gift for her (he wanted to make up for the kiss). Later, he took Ji Young to a greenhouse—apparently Korea’s first—and granted her access, allowing her to use the fresh ingredients grown there. Delighted, Ji Young looked around and was even more pleased when she found chillies grown in a small area labeled ‘poison’.
I swear I was smiling from ear to ear when she hugged the king as he gave her the handbag. Yet another flutter-in-the-stomach moment happened when the king tripped, and Ji Young caught his hand, leading to the familiar romantic fall.
Episode 6
As they get back up, Ji Young realizes that the Mangunrok is gone, and Yi Heon promises to retrieve it for her.
The focus of this episode was the envoy from Ming visiting Joseon. He brought along three chefs, and it was clear how much he despised Korean cuisine. Upon arriving at the palace, he made it known that the emperor wanted more women and ginseng, which the king blatantly refused.
After tasting the delicious ‘macarons’ made by Ji Young, the envoy suggested a cooking competition between his three chefs and the king’s best cooks. Despite Ji Young’s attempts to hint at refusal, the king accepted the challenge. Honestly, this was the first time Ji Young wasn’t confident about winning the competition, perhaps because the chefs from Ming specialized in Chinese cuisine—something she had yet to truly master.
For the competition, Ji Young’s secret ingredient and best weapon was ‘gochugaru.’ Upon hearing that Ji Young needed to go into town to have the chilies crushed, Yi Heon prepared a disguise for the trip.
Other threads of romance weave into the story as we see several moments beginning to blossom between the main leads. First, Yi Heon buys the cute charm that Ji Young had been eyeing (by the way, it’s the same as the one on the Mangunrok). Then, Ji Young picks up flowers for the king, using the excuse that it would help his health. The moments where they both pick up flowers on the road and playfully flick mud at each other are also subtle glimpses of sweet romance.
Back at the palace, Ji Young discovers that the female Chinese chef came to challenge her colleagues, leaving them disheartened. However, she doesn’t waste any time in encouraging them and boosting their spirits.
Soon, the theme for each round is chosen, and the envoy makes even higher demands. The cooks are then given five days to prepare for the competition and the episode ends with Ji Young’s drawing of a pressure cooker.
Final Thoughts
Although the story’s tone leans more toward romance, with all the fine and remarkable dishes that Ji Young has made, I sincerely hope that Joseon wins the competition.
On a personal level, I find it truly amazing that even with the evolving plot, the romance narrative, and the character development, each episode is still shaped around the cooking theme.
So, who do you think will win the cooking competition?
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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