Bon Appétit, Your Majesty-TV/Web Series

• Genre – Time-Slip Fantasy ⏳, Romantic Comedy 💕, Historical Drama, Culinary Arts 🍽️

• Language – Korean (Original), Can be watched with subtitles/ Dubbings

• Country of origin – South Korea

• Category: K-Drama

  
  

“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” is a 2025 South Korean series that masterfully fuses time travel, royal intrigue, and culinary enchantment. Written by fGRD and directed by Jang Tae-yoo, it stars Im Yoona as Yeon Ji-yeong, a celebrated French-cuisine chef from the modern era who is suddenly transported back to the Joseon Dynasty. There, she comes face to face with King Yi Heon played by Lee Chae-min, known both for his tyrannical reputation and his exacting palate. The story weaves together palace politics, jealousy, love, and the power of food to heal and connect.

I discovered Bon Appétit, Your Majesty on netflix at a time when I was craving something different from what I had watched so far, something that would take me once again into a world of fantasy. Yet I also wanted to feel a sense of familiarity, to find comfort in the known and stay grounded in my own reality. I was quite convinced that I wouldn’t find any K-drama more entertaining than the last few I had seen. Then I found this one and it proved me wrong once again.

It’s a story that beautifully blends the charm of food, fantasy, romance, comedy, action, family connections, and much more into one satisfying watch. This K-drama is, quite literally, delicious.

When I saw that the chef in this series time-slips to the Joseon era, I knew I had to watch it. As always, the subtitles didn’t bother me, but thankfully, I also found a dubbed version in English, which allowed me to enjoy the series with my family. We even watched some episodes in the original language with subtitles, and doing so made me appreciate the nuances, the language, the atmosphere, the heritage that came alive through every expression and every dish. Soon, it became a ritual: one or two episodes every evening, during or after dinner.

From the very first episode, Yeon Ji-yeong’s personality captivated me, her passion and confidence rooted in her skill, yet her vulnerability emerging when everything around her becomes unfamiliar. There’s a sharp contrast between her modern sensibilities, techniques, flavors, and expectations, and the strict customs and dangers of palace life in the olden times. King Yi Heon’s coldness, his perfectionism about taste, and his walls of mistrust make their eventual softening and mutual understanding even more rewarding.

The cooking scenes, in particular, are stunning. The food and its preparation are captured so beautifully, and the moments when the King and others taste and describe it are filmed with exquisite detail. Each scene draws you deeper into a food fantasy where aroma, color, and emotion blend into one sensory experience.

It’s not just about making delicious food, but about adapting and finding ways to use ancient ingredients, working with primitive tools, and transforming limitations into creativity. Cooking something tasty and yet healthy enough, or sometimes very simple so that it comforts the sick and those suffering from eating disorders, is portrayed with great thoughtfulness in the series. When Ji-yeong first serves something unfamiliar, the reactions are often hilarious, sometimes appreciative, sometimes harsh but always emotionally charged. As she begins to bridge the gap between modern and Joseon cuisine, you can feel the tension between survival and artistry.

Yeon Ji-yeong is a beautiful female character who does an exceptional job. She’s lively and warm, yet carries emotional weight when the stakes rise. Whether she’s being judged, sabotaged, or trying to protect others, she makes you root for her. Lee Chae-min’s portrayal of Yi Heon also grows on you. At first, Yi Heon’s stubborn nature makes him hard to like, but soon you find yourself empathizing with him and wishing for everything in his life to fall into place. The rigid king slowly reveals his pain, longing, and capacity for change. Kang Han-na’s Mok-ju and Choi Gwi-hwa’s Prince Je Seon add layers of jealousy, ambition, and danger that prevent the story from becoming too sweet and add a high level of spice to the narrative.

I also loved how the series subtly weaves in glimpses of early inventions, like the pressure cooker and other tools, showing them in their nascent stages. It adds a fun, historical charm to the narrative.

What truly stood out for me was how the show uses food as more than a spectacle. Recipes, ingredients, and flavors carry memories, betrayals, hopes, and comfort. There are moments when a single dish expresses more emotion than words ever could. The fusion recipes, royal banquets, and the pressure under which Yeon Ji-yeong cooks, all serve as metaphors for relationships, power, and trust.

The pacing is engaging, with dramatic turns, betrayals, and misunderstandings balanced by peaceful interludes, marketplace scenes, playful banter, and the joy of cooking. Toward the end, the story grows more intense, but it feels true to its emotional arc. The finale delivers the happy ending romance lovers hope for, and it works beautifully on an emotional level.

When the final episode ended, I was left with a lingering sense of warmth, and a renewed hope for love.

Sometimes, when I want a quick glimpse of the series, I watch this song and relive the fun.

Here is a list of some really good South Korean movies/series that we have watched and loved.

1.”Crash Landing on you”

2.”The Negotiation”

3.”The memories of Alhambra”

4.”King the Land”

5.”Business Proposal”

6.”Hometown Cha Cha Cha”

7."Queen of Tears"

8."Melo Movie"

9."Genie, Make a Wish"

*(Keep checking back for updates to this list.)

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