In 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty', chef Im Yoon-ah's tumultuous journey of adaptation opens with a powerful prologue.
The first episode of tvN's weekend drama 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' (directed by Jang Tae-yoo, written by fGRD), which aired on the 23rd, featured a time slip to the past involving chef Yeon Ji-young (played by Im Yoon-ah) and the tyrant Lee Heon (played by Lee Chae-min), successfully achieving a transcendental meeting that captivated viewers' tastes right from the first broadcast.
As a result, the first episode's viewership rating recorded 5.1% average in metropolitan households and a peak of 6.7%, with a national average of 4.9% and a peak of 6.8%, ranking first among cable and general programming channels during the same time slot. It also topped the viewership ratings for debut episodes among 2025 tvN weekend dramas. In the 2049 target demographic for tvN, it dominated first place across all channels during the same time period, including terrestrial broadcasters. The drama got off to a strong start with enthusiastic comments like, "I've decided on 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' for weekend drama," "Direction, acting, and story—perfect harmony," and "Im Yoon-ah and Lee Chae-min's chemistry is fantastic."
Yeon Ji-young, who was scouted as the head chef of a three-star restaurant, boarded a flight to Korea carrying the ancient book 'Manguinrok' as requested by her father to share the joy with her family. While reading a passage from 'Manguinrok', Yeon Ji-young, drawn by an unknown force, fell into a net of a strange forest, surprising everyone.
The place Yeon Ji-young fell into was the forest of Salgori where the tyrant Yeon Hee-gun enjoyed hunting. Lee Heon, who discovered Yeon Ji-young dressed in a manner unseen in his time, mistook her for a goblin (鬼女) and revealed his malice, leading to a distorted first impression between the two.
Meanwhile, a rebel aimed at Lee Heon's life appeared, and Yeon Ji-young fell over a cliff with Lee Heon, who was struck by an assassin's arrow. Regaining her senses with difficulty, Yeon Ji-young surprised everyone by binding the limbs of Lee Heon, the king who treated her as a rebel, and dragging him around with ease. The constant banter between Yeon Ji-young, who lightly ignored Lee Heon's declarations of being a king, added humor to the scene.
Having finally found a home, Yeon Ji-young, with the help of the landlord Seo Gil-geum (played by Yoon Seo-ah), completed a delicious gochujang butter bibimbap using gochujang and butter found in her pocket. Although Lee Heon was wary of the unfamiliar visuals of the food Yeon Ji-young prepared, he became completely absorbed in the spicy yet savory bibimbap. The vivid taste evaluation that conjured the flavors of bibimbap and the visual appeal tantalized the viewers.
After eating her fill with bibimbap, Yeon Ji-young headed towards the cliff to find her bag, while Lee Heon ordered his guards who had come to find him to search for Yeon Ji-young, saying there was a major criminal who had disdained him nearby. It raises curiosity about whether the rebel Yeon Ji-young, who has incurred the wrath of the tyrant Lee Heon, will be able to survive.
'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' vividly portrays the dangerous journey of French chef Yeon Ji-young, who fell into the past, and the worst tyrant of the time, Lee Heon, providing deep immersion. In particular, the chemistry between Yeon Ji-young and Lee Heon, who find each other strange and bicker, brought smiles to the viewers.
Above all, the actors' unique transformations into their characters captivated attention. Im Yoon-ah charmingly expressed Yeon Ji-young's confusion upon arriving in a strange world, while Lee Chae-min powerfully depicted the dignity of the tyrant Lee Heon. Their solid acting partnership infused energy into the witty banter between Yeon Ji-young and Lee Heon.
Additionally, director Jang Tae-yoo's signature sensuous direction maximized the visual appeal of food and cooking, enhancing the viewing pleasure. The lively dialogues and the delightful story combined to offer a feast for the senses like a 12-course meal. Therefore, viewers are eagerly anticipating the next episode of the sensory drama 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty', where one can experience visually, audibly, and gastronomically.
'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' will air its second episode tonight at 9:10 p.m.
[Photo] Provided by tvN.
[OSEN]