A Comprehensive Look at Bon Appetit Your Majesty 2025
Dive Into the Culinary World of 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty
Explore every aspect of ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ in this comprehensive review. Dive into character insights, strengths, and weaknesses. If you haven’t seen the drama yet and are looking for a spoiler-free review, check out the link below.
Spoiler Alert
Please be advised that this review contains significant spoilers about the plot and characters of ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’. If you have not yet watched the drama, we recommend viewing it first to avoid any spoilers.
Series Details
General Information
Air Dates: August 23 – September 28, 2025
Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Historical Romance
Starring: Lim Yoon A and Lee Chae Min
The Story
A talented chef is transported back in time, where she finds herself cooking for a famously tyrnnical King. But as she runs the royal kitchen and serves the King, she sees a side of him very different from what she learned in her history books. And if she can find a way to alter the course of events, she may be able to set the record straight on the kind of ruler he really was, before returning to her own time.
Meeting the stars: Lim Yoon A and Lee Chae Min
Lim Yoon A as Yeon Ji Yeong
Yeon Ji Yeong is on the plane home from France after winning a major culinary contest when an eclipse and an old journal somehow pull her back in time to the Joseon Period. And after a chance encounter with King Yi Heon, she becomes the head cook in the royal kitchen.
At first, the stories she has read about Yi Heon, known as the tyrannical King, make her nervous. But as she gets to know the King and the difficult political situation he has found himself in, she begins to doubt that the history books have it right after all. And she does her best to steer the King off of the path of revenge, hoping together they can reshape his frightening legacy.
But, while Ji Yeong is willing to help the King while she is there, she has no intention of staying in the past. She is sure that her way home depends on finding the old book she had been reading on the airplane. Unfortunately, the King mistakenly threw her bag off the mountain cliff and she hasn’t been able to find it. Now Heon has promised to use his own resources to help her recover the book.
Yeon Ji Yeong is a skilled chef who understands the power of food to touuch the heart and build bridges in human relationships. During her time in the past, she not only cooks, but uses her talents to touch the people around her. Lim Yoon A is no stranger to romantic dramas, and she brought her usual charm to this kind and outspoken character. While I wouldn’t say that I saw this as a standout performance for her, I thought she played the role well and I enjoyed her character.
Lee Chae Min as King Yi Heon
King Yi Heon is a king who grew up in the political turmoil of the palace. His mother was killed when he was a young boy, and he has vowed to take revenge on all of those responsible for her death. But the more he learns about the events of that time, the wider his net needs to be cast.
Heon meets Ji Yeong and he is immediately enamored with her cooking. So he brings her into the palace as the head cook in the royal kitchens. But his favored concubine Kang Mok Ju is less than thrilled by her new competition. Over time, Mok Ju is all but forgotten, as he spends time with Ji Yeong and begins falling in love with her.
But when he proposes and asks her to stay, she tells him she has to return to where she belongs. And as his plans for revenge come to a head, with Ji Yeong’s departure imminent, Heon will struggle to understand what it means to be a wise and righteous ruler.
King Yi Heon did do many of the things that had been written about, but what Ji Yeong discovered in her time in the Joseon Period is that he was manipulated into those evil acts by his political enemies. And with her support, Heon is able to change not only his own heart, but also the pages of history. Lee Chae Min has only had a few starring roles at this point, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well he handled this one. I suspect this will not be his last historical drama, and I look forward to what else he has to show us.
Supporting characters
Kang Han Na as Kang Mok Ju
Kang Mok Ju wins Heon’s trust and becomes his most favored concubine, until Ji Yeong shows up. But her feelings for him are never sincere. She is being groomed by Prince Je San and is heavily involved in the plans to overthrow Heon and take charge of the throne through his younger brother.
Choi Gwi Hwa as Prince Je San
Prince Je San is Heon’s uncle. He has been plotting to overthrown Heon and place Heon’s younger, underage brother on the throne, with him as the chief advisor. This would basically make him the defacto King. He is working with Mok Ju and many of the King’s officials. But when Ji Yeong shows up, his plans start to go awry.
Seo Yi Sook as Queen Dowager In Ju
Queen Dowager In Ju is Heon’s paternal grandfather. But her relationship with Heon is strained by her guilt over being largely responsible for the death of his mother. But the truth will all come to a head at her 70th birthday party, during the drama’s final episodes.
3 things i loved about ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’
1.
Ming Contest:
While some found the whole cooking contest concept to drag down the plot, I really enjoyed the introduction of these Ming chefs. And they even get a full story arc in the end, with each of them leaving the court to pursue their own interests. I also loved the way Bai Long’s riddle is the thing that saves Heon’s life. I thought this was a fun little side plot.
2.
Time Travel Theme:
I get frustrated that many time travel dramas lose their fantasy feel too quickly, so that you can pretty much forget the lead is supposed to be from another time. But this series does a nice job of keeping that theme front and center throughout. I feel like I never forgot Ji Yeong was a time traveler with a modern perspective.
3.
King’s “Allies”:
I thought this drama did an excellent job of casting the supporting roles. I especially loved some of the characters surrounding the King. Gong Gil was amazing as the jester on a secret revenge mission. I cheered every time he breezed in to save the day. I also really liked Song Jae’s character. His motives and actions were complex and you were never sure if he would come out on the hero side or the villain side.
3 things i didn’t love about ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’
1.
Political Intrigue:
This drama “wasted” a lot of time on political struggles and infighting. And there were too many characters involved. I would have been happier if they had shown more of Mok Ju’s character, and centered the treason plot around her and Je San, instead of bringing in so many other officials.
2.
Unexplained Ending:
The ending of this drama felt kind of rushed to me. And I get it. Time travel dramas are particularly hard to write satisfying ending for, and who doesn’t love a happily ever after? But I feel like they owed us at least some attempt to explain how Heon is suddenly walking around in modern times, seeming totally assimilated and in full possession of his past memories. How exactly did all that happen??
3.
Mood Shift:
This also stems from my issues with the end of this drama. But for a series that was fairly light and fluffy, and centered on the healing properties of cooking, the end took a very dark, bloody turn. I wasn’t expecting such a huge body count in the final episodes. And I think for fans who were looking for a nice, cooking rom-com, this may have been off-putting.
The Conclusion of 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty'
The Ending
‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ ends with a happy ending for our leads. But first, the political turmoil comes to a head, with Je San leading a revolt and killing anyone in his path, then blaming it all on Heon. Later, as Heon is on his way into exile, he and Je San have a final showdown, and Ji Yeong throws herself between them to save Heon. This causes her to “die” and return to present time. But luckily Heon is able to kill Je San, therefore protecting his younger brother’s position as King, and escape into hiding.
Ji Yeong wakes up in the hospital. When she looks back into the history of Heon, she finds that she was successful in changing his story. And the fact that they never found his body after he escaped exile gives her hope he is still alive. She tries to use the book to go back to him, but she can’t make it work.
One month later, Ji Yeong goes to work at a restaurant where all the staff look exactly like her old friends from the royal kitchen. Together they create a royal cuisine menu from all the foods she made during her time in Joseon. And then one day, after a Song Jae look-alike poses as a michelin star inspector, Heon shows up, saying he is there to fulfill his promise to find her. The epilogue shows the couple living happily together, where Heon is cooking bibimbap just like he said he would. And that’s a wrap!
My Personal Thoughts and Ratings
‘Bon Appetit Your Majesty’ is a historical romance about a time traveling chef who falls in love with a tyrant king. The cooking scenes are beautifully done and present some nice lessons on gourmet food and the relationship between food and memories. I loved the interactions between all the kitchen staff members. The cooking showdown between the royal court and Ming envoys gave a unique twist. And Lee Joo Ahn is irresistible as the misguided jester set on revenge.
But there are times when this drama treads too long in the weeds of palace intriuge and predictably evil officials. Kang Han Na is severely under-utilized as the manipulative concubine. While the leads have good chemistry, there aren’t a lot of scenes where we get to see them interact and let their relationship build. But there are lots of good characters and I enoyed the story. I give ‘Bon Appetit Your Majesty’ an 8 out of 10 ramen.
🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜
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