Bon Appetit, Your Majesty showcased a lavish feast of food and has established itself as a late-night snack mate drama for people around the world. The dishes that appeared in Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, born from the passionate efforts of actress Im Yoon-a and the chefs, have widely spread the prestige of K-food worldwide since the drama Dae Jang Geum, receiving praise domestically and internationally.
tvN weekend drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty (directed by Jang Tae-yu, written by fGRD, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Filmgrida, Jung Universe) features various fusion dishes that stimulate everyone's taste buds and showcase the taste of K-food to the world. From the selection competition for the royal chief steward to the cooking contests on which the nation's fortune depended, a variety of fusion dishes created by adding modern techniques to traditional ingredients and royal court cuisine — such as sous-vide steak, doenjang pasta, schnitzel, and Peking duck rolls — offer delicious entertainment to viewers at home and abroad.
Not only the food but also traditional tools that replaced modern cooking equipment drew interest, such as the bamboo mold used to shape yukhoe tartare during the haute cuisine course and the noodle-making tool used to extrude noodles for doenjang pasta. In addition, delicate details such as table service where the chef directly shows the cooking process to whet the appetite rather than simply presenting the finished dish provided rich visuals. Also, unlike Yeon Ji-young's plating that uses sauces and ingredients to paint, the cooking of Ming Dynasty master chefs emphasized carving ingredients for decoration as a point to give a distinct splendor.
Major foreign media worldwide have also shown great interest in Bon Appetit, Your Majesty. Forbes said, "The true protagonist of this drama is the meticulously prepared food," and The New York Times commented, "Although several genres are mixed, the core is a romantic comedy that conveys love through the language of food," focusing on the food in the work and highly praising the feast of K-food presented in the drama.
The reason Bon Appetit, Your Majesty has become a drama that whets global viewers' appetites is the synergy created by actress Im Yoon-a's efforts, the meticulous work of star consulting chefs, and director Jang Tae-yu's detailed direction. First, Im Yoon-a, who plays royal chief steward Yeon Ji-young, actually attended cooking school from three months before filming and learned separately from consulting chefs, shooting most of the full cooking scenes herself without a double. It is said that she learned all the real cooking processes and approached the numerous shoots with the same order and posture, displaying such passion that it impressed the production team.
Domestic top hotel head chef Shin Jong-chul oversaw the cooking consultation and menu development for Bon Appetit, Your Majesty. In addition, chefs Oh Se-deuk and Kim Jong-hyo handled French cuisine, chef Choi Kang-rok took charge of Korean cuisine and fusion, and chef Lee Seong-woo handled Chinese cuisine, participating as development advisors. Court cuisine expert Lee Jeong-min worked hard to recreate royal tables including daytime banquets and chojoban by advising on court plating methods and the dining etiquette of court people, and ingredient consultation from diet researcher Lee Chae-yoon helped raise the level of perfection.
Director Jang Tae-yu said "the food is the protagonist," adding delicate direction so that the cooking process itself can become a story. The production team said, "We referred to books to envision what ingredients people of the time used and what foods might have existed, and we planned menus seeking fresh harmony with various elements such as tableware." He added, "Although the dishes Yeon Ji-young makes — such as pasta, steak, and schnitzel — are modern, they mainly use Korean ingredients like doenjang, small freshwater clams, ginseng, and misutgaru. We wanted to show global viewers how she skillfully completes dishes using Korean ingredients with familiar cooking methods," hinting at the effort behind the scenes.
The tvN weekend drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, which satisfies viewers' palates with a special royal table that incorporates modern cooking methods, will air episode 9 at 9:10 p.m. on the 20th.
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