Im Yoon-a and Jo Jae-yoon staged a cooking competition over the pride of royal cooks, delivering a dazzling spectacle that satisfied both sight and taste.
In episode 8 of the tvN weekend drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty (directed by Jang Tae-yu, written by fGRD, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Filmgrida, Jung Universe), which aired on the 14th, the extraordinary dishes presented by the greatest royal cook Yeon Ji-young (played by Im Yoon-a) and Dang Baek-ryong (played by Jo Jae-yoon) stimulated viewers' appetites and showcased the essence of a gourmet fantasy romantic comedy that has fascinated audiences around the world.
Episode 8 recorded a metropolitan household average rating of 15.8% and a peak of 18.1%, and a nationwide household average of 15.4% and a peak of 17.4%, breaking its own records and ranking first in its time slot across all channels including terrestrial networks. In the tvN target 2049 male and female ratings, it recorded a metropolitan average of 5.5% and a peak of 6.6%, and a nationwide average of 5.8% and a peak of 6.7%, not only breaking its own highest ratings but also sweeping first place across all channels in the same time slot. (Based on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea) Foreign media have also continued coverage of the cooking featured in Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, showing a hot response.
At last, as the curtain rose on the cooking competition that would decide the fate of both nations, the royal kitchen cooks led by Yeon Ji-young and the Ming cooks led by Dang Baek-ryong quickly immersed themselves in their respective dishes. Thanks to Yeon Ji-young's trademark flambe that captured attention and Abisu's (played by Moon Seung-yu) fiery show, the heat of the competition rose like a blazing flame.
Yeon Ji-young's fusion dish combining braised short ribs and beef bourguignon made the judges King Lee Heon (played by Lee Chae-min) and Ming eunuch Woo Gon (played by Kim Hyung-mook) open their eyes in surprise. The sweet scent and taste of rice meoru wine and the tender superior short ribs combined to deliver what could truly be called the best flavor under heaven. Adding Yeon Ji-young's storytelling about how she always imagined what it would be like if her late mother had made beef bourguignon moved everyone at the competition to silence.
By contrast, Abisu presented a dish using a new seasoning called rayu, delivering an intense flavor essence to Lee Heon and Woo Gon. But because rayu could not be made without using red pepper powder, Yeon Ji-young raised questions about the ingredients, causing a stir at the scene. The shock was compounded when it was revealed that the person who handed over the red pepper powder was Je San Daegun, the Saongwon manufacturer (played by Choi Gwi-hwa).
Watching the situation, Lee Heon declared a draw out of consideration for the circumstances of both cooks, resolving the matter, while raising the tension of the contest by stipulating that if all three rounds ended in draws, Ming would be declared the winner. In addition, Kang Mok-ju (played by Kang Han-na), who summoned royal kitchen cook Maeng Man-su (played by Hong Jin-gi) before the second round, urged him to intentionally lose, foreshadowing a difficult contest.
But Maeng Man-su, being a royal kitchen cook himself, could not simply give up the competition. Having put Seo Gil-geum (played by Yoon Seo-ah) through harsh training, Maeng Man-su used an injury as an excuse in the second round to hand the knife to Seo Gil-geum, and thanks to the teamwork of the royal kitchen cooks, the second dish, Beijing duck roll, was created.
Unlike the royal kitchen's Beijing duck, which teased the palate with an intense and sharp flavor, Ming presented temple cuisine with a fresh and deep taste. Touched by the Beijing duck that stimulated the palate quickly and precisely like a sword dance and the lotus leaf rice that left an aromatic finish like a giant lotus, Lee Heon and Woo Gon even shed tears, making the taste all the more intriguing. It leaves viewers wondering which side—the royal kitchen cooks or the Ming cooks—will emerge as the winner after presenting polar opposite dishes.
Meanwhile, throughout the competition, sabotage against Yeon Ji-young and the royal kitchen continued, provoking viewers' anger. Je San Daegun, who is seeking an opportunity to bring down Lee Heon, and Kang Mok-ju (played by Kang Han-na), driven by jealousy toward Yeon Ji-young, extended their schemes. Attention is focused on whether Yeon Ji-young and the royal kitchen cooks can fend off the dark hand and restore the royal kitchen's pride.
The finale that will reveal the outcome of the tense cooking competition between the two nations' chefs airs in episode 9 of the tvN weekend drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty on the 20th (Sat) at 9:10 p.m.
[Photo] Video capture from Bon Appetit, Your Majesty
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