Bon Appetit, Your Majesty

Healed my trauma from Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

I watched this with the expectations of getting broken hearted with the ending as how Moon Lovers made all of us cry but I'm glad the ending was one of the best parts of this drama aside from the rom com start of the drama. I liked Jiyoung and the King's interactions at the start since it was entertaining how much they bickered. The cooking scenes were really good and made me want to try those dishes in real life.

What I didn't like was too much focus and episodes wasted on the cooking competition with the Mings. I feel they could have not dragged it on with so many episodes which could have been used to develop and show us more of Jiyoung and the King Yi Heon's attraction into love. I felt I cried more at the ending not because of them getting separated but because of Lee Chaemin's acting/crying. It would have felt more heart wrenching if they developed the romance and let us be more hooked on it. Chaemin really did good with his acting and proved the doubters wrong with how he pulled this off with only a month to prepare for it.

The ending is just as what I somehow predicted or hoped to happen, which was that he really came to the future, but the nice thing is he remembers he was king and everything that happened before. Overall, 8/10 since at least it was a happy ending, and the acting and production were good.

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Eye Candy Montage

I dropped this show halfway through which is rare for me, as I like to be a proper completionist and follow through the weakest plotlines. I'll start with what I did enjoy about Bon Appetit, Your Majesty. I loved all the cooking scenes and the idea of having to cook a new dish every night enticed me truly. I loved that the other chefs were from different regional cultural backgrounds and felt there was something to explore there. There was enough substance in the story to make something of it, but did they? No. The first thing I noticed is that the pacing was off throughout the show, and it kept me distracted. The first kiss and drunken tears felt unearned and pointless. There was no chemistry between the female and male lead before then so once it happened it was like okay. Who cares. The second thing I noticed were the inaccuracies in depictions of foreign cultures. The Chinese characters were soulless exaggerations of villain archetypes who just happened to have no kitchen etiquette. Are the script writers paid to mention Persia? There has been no royal envoy from Persia in Korean history. The episodes felt as if they dragged on and never went deeper than surface level. I even ended up doing so much of my own research in Korean history just to find substance lol. The acting from the leads felt stiff and cold. If you love playing something in the background while you're doing tasks and cooking scenes, then this is fine. If you're looking for a good show, then look elsewhere.

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When Food Brought Two Worlds Together

This drama caught my attention right from the start—it’s light, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming. A modern-day (French cuisine) chef finds herself transported back to the Joseon era through an ancient cookbook/journal and of all places, she ends up in the kitchen of a notorious king. At first, it feels like the worst twist of fate, but soon enough, their shared love of food begins to change everything.
What I really enjoyed was how food became more than just a tool for survival but it turned into a bridge between two very different worlds. The king, who initially comes across as harsh and intimidating, slowly reveals a softer, even charming side once he begins tasting dishes he could have never imagined. Their bond develops naturally, flavored with humor and a lot of bickering and while I wish there had been more focus on their romance, the balance worked well in the end. And yes it’s a happy ending for those who worry about investing in the couple.
The comedy was another big win. Watching Joseon people taste food from the future was hilarious every single time especially the exaggerated reactions, the disbelief and the pure joy made me laugh out loud. The cast had great chemistry and you could tell they leaned into the comedic beats without taking themselves too seriously.
Still, it wasn’t without its flaws. Some moments felt rushed, especially the romance and there were scenes that could have dived deeper into the emotional side of time-travel and identity. But in a way, that’s also what made it such a "breezy watch" as it never dragged or got too heavy.
Overall, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is a feel-good mix of fantasy, food and romance. It may not be groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to be for it delivers exactly what it promises: laughs, charm, and a sweet little love story wrapped in delicious dishes.

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Amazing show. Last episode felt rushed.

This show is really great. The entire build up is awesome, masterfully weaving together a tapestry of romance, political intrigue, and of course, the undeniable magic of food. From the very first episode, the series establishes a delightful rhythm, balancing the protagonist's modern culinary prowess with the archaic complexities of the royal court. The character development, particularly for the main couple, is a slow-burn treat. We get to see them grow from adversaries bound by circumstance to partners who genuinely respect and challenge one another, with the kitchen and the dinner table often serving as their battlefield and common ground.

I loved how in the ending for the protagonists matters seemed hopeless. The stakes were genuinely high, with seemingly insurmountable obstacles threatening to tear everything they had built apart. This crescendo of conflict promised a deeply satisfying and hard-won resolution, making the audience invest fully in their final triumph. However, the last episode felt rushed or compacted within one hour of story telling. It was as if the writers, after taking such care to build a intricate house of cards, had to blow it all down with a single, hurried breath. Key emotional moments that should have landed with significant weight—such as the final confrontation with the main antagonist or the restoration of trust among allies—were glossed over in a matter of minutes. Character arcs that had been developing for episodes were resolved with almost abrupt simplicity, leaving little room for the audience to savor the victory.

The last episode should have been split into two episodes to properly release the pent-up tensions and allow the audience to be satisfied with the storytelling outcomes. This is particularly evident in the handling of the main antagonist. After being such a pervasive and thorny presence throughout the series, their demise was dispatched with an almost jarring swiftness. We were robbed of the poetic justice and the slow, crumbling defeat that a villain of their caliber deserved. Instead of a richly simmered conclusion, it felt like a ingredient hastily tossed into the pot at the last minute. An additional hour could have provided the necessary space to flesh out the logistical resolutions, but more importantly, it would have allowed for crucial character-centric scenes. Imagine an extended sequence of the kingdom rebuilding, or a more profound, quiet moment between the leads where they truly process their journey and solidify their future. These are the scenes that transform a good ending into a great, memorable one.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the show. The charm, the humor, and the sheer visual feast of the culinary creations are undeniable highlights that stayed consistently excellent throughout the entire run. I would have given it a 10/10 but like I said that last episode was rushed and I wasn’t satisfied with speed of what we were all expecting to happen. So I give this show an 8/10. It’s perfect and I love it, a delightful confection that is merely missing one final, satisfying bite. If you’re a foodie person, with a sense of humor, and knowing genres like this are silly and aren’t rooted in realism then you’re going to love this show. Just be prepared for a finale that feels more like a speedy food delivery than a leisurely, multi-course royal banquet.

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Your Majesty In Seoul City

This drama reminded me of The Rooftop Prince. I was first introduced to the food Omurice because of the said drama.
Almost the same plot because of the time travelling.

It started well. I got hooked. As the title suggest, the drama focused on cooking in the Joseon era. The romance was there but not focused until midway of the drama. Lee Chaemin definitely stole the spotlight here. He really shined and carried the entire drama. As for Yoona. I've seen her drama since Love Rain. I haven't seen any changes from her in terms of acting. She's just okay but, not really I would look forward to in another drama.

Story-wise, I'm not really happy about it. Yes, I understand, this is all about cooking and food which is the main focus. Infused with some royalty politics and yes, romance. I just find some scenes stretched too long. Like the cooking competition with the Ming's. And of course, the treason by the Uncle. It would have been better I think if they gave the supporting casts some story of their own which could have been a better filler instead of stretching out unecessary scenes. Like, I was hoping a developing story for So Gil Geum and Gong Gil.

The romance for the MC is quite bland. The writer tried to gave it all towards the end given the epilogue. The kisses for me, were badly executed. It just didn't felt natural till the finale.

As for the finale, so many unexplained things which felt really rushed. Like, how did FL got to the hospital? I mean, she should be back at the airplane. Her wounds remained. So, the entire kitchen team of Joseon got reincarnated without their memories back. Even Im Song Jae, didn't get his memory back. Yet, MC got the memories intact.

The CGI was good towards the finale. I just didn't appreciate the CGI's used everytime ML tastes the food. It felt like over the top.

Overall, inspite its flaws, I still gave this drama an 8.0 rating. That is for Lee Chaemin. This is really is breakthrough drama.

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Spectacular! Brings you out of your Kdrama Slump!

It has been so long since I was this excited, thrilled anticipating day by day for the next episode! After Lovely Runner ended, I was in a serious Kdrama slump where I end up not interested in continuing after a few episodes. I did not expect BAYM to turn out GOOD good especially at first I was skeptical about recasting a new male lead after Park Sunghoon decided to bail out in the very last minute due to his tone deaf, inappropriate controversy! Lee Chaemin was not in my list but somehow he made my change my perspective on his acting. He was a great costar and this is a new, unexpected, somehow fresh combination of Yoona teaming up with someone who's so much younger than her. Their build-up chemistry was far beyond my expectation and I somehow enjoyed the drama so much. I cried, I laughed and I loved how they include the chemistry behind cooking & every dish the main character made. It was a well thought project with a reliable & ambitious lineup of casts. Thank you so much BAYM for bringing me out of my Kdrama slump!

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IMO the best kdrama of 2025

I knew about this kdrama since Park Sunghoon's controversy and the addition of Lee Chaemin as the ML. I didn't know Lee Chaemin before BAYM, so I didn't know what to expect about his performance... And wow, what a performance, he really deserves an award!!! Not only him, but also the FL. I read Yoona learnt how to cook all the dishes for the kdrama for 3 months, she really worked hard. Their chemistry is insane, since the 1st episode I couldn't stop laughing with their interactions. For me, one of the best couples ever.
I also want to mention Mokju and Jesan. I really hate them both as characters, but the actors ate with their acting too, really well portrayed villains.

The secondary characters😭 what can I say about them apart from: I LOVE THEM. Each one has an special moment in the drama, and they're all so funny and memorable!!!

Even the romance wasn't the main focus (it was the cooking, which I really loved) the ship was delivering, really they deserve couple of the year award. They're chaotic, funny and so protective of each other, so cute romance😭

I feel that in most time-travel dramas, the mc's profession looses importance when the plot develops, but here no, the FL being a chef was importante since the beginning to the end, and I really love that. In every scene where Yoona cooks or they show the dishes, I felt hungry, fr what an amazing food aesthetic they made!!

For me, it was the kdrama of the year, it gave me everything I love: good chemistry and romance, funny scenes and memorable characters. It was horrible for me to wait EACH WEEK for new episodes, my whole week since the release of the kdrama was just me watching edits on tiktok cause I was so excited.

The only thing I need now is a modern rom-com starring Yoona and Chaemin!!!

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YOU'LL DEFINITELY FEEL HUNGRY

Please I have been travelling from a few weeks now and the only reason I was same was this drama. The storyline and everything made perfect sense and you'll love it, it has the perfect balance of comedy, drama, romance (godddd the yearning) and the scheming plot weaved in perfectly. The cast couldn't have been more perfect than this, every actor did their job perfectly, the chinese dubbing was a off for me as a I also watch C-dramas but otherwise everything else was pure joy.

Every episode was amazing, I was waiting for this show every weekend and it's really sad that it is over😭. I would have thrown hands if this has a sad ending somehow but man oh man the way they gave every character a good ending is what I loved more about this. Like they did not skip one good character and that's amazinggg. This show just raised the bar high, and the way I have been into time travel and period dramas recently this just added more to my interest.

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An Unexpected Gem

The best advice I can give to someone about to start this drama is: go in with low/no expectations.

This drama works best when you're not expecting too much. Is it perfect? No. There are definitely a few plot inconsistencies, and at times the story seems to spend energy on things that don’t fully pay off in the end, but if you’re looking for something light, fluffy, and centered around food, this is a solid pick.

I went in already liking Yoona, which is a sentiment that, surprisingly, isn’t shared by most kdrama fans, but for me, she carried the drama just as much as (if not more than) Lee Chae Min, who’s been receiving most of the praise. While she held her own in both the lighthearted and more emotional scenes, I believe a lot of her performance’s charm comes down to the fact that the role was just a perfect fit for her. Her natural charm added warmth and levity to the tone of the show, and I genuinely think she deserves more recognition for it, especially knowing how hard she worked to prepare for it.

Lee Chae Min, on the other hand, was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t enjoy his performance in Crushology 101, but the teasers for BAYM intrigued me. And like many others watching week by week, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how well he portrayed the king. His performance was charming and sincere, even if his acting style leans a bit too dramatic for my personal taste. Still, I can’t deny that he did a great job.

The chemistry between the leads was lovely. Not explosive, but comfortable and intimate in a way that felt lived-in. Their scenes together were always a highlight. Just don’t go in expecting a romance-heavy drama. It’s more of a slow burn, with food taking center stage far more than the love story.

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a good combo of cooking, romance and comedy

i love watching stuff abt cooking so i started this and i was kind of surprised.
at first i was not sure abt comedy but it worked well given how absurd our lead's situation was. the cooking parts were so mouthwatering and had a nice addition of giving us more knowledge.
the romance was also nice, they both fell in love at a good pace and his loserism was cute. all their convos and interactions were cute
the political things were a not needed imo, and the king being inspired from an actual king who was ten times worse was icky. couldn't they just make up some history and make up some king.

the ending lost me, ik ppl did not want another ktrauma but i lowkey wished for the angst. and they didn't even execute the ending well, how did he come to the future, how did he adapt so well, what was he doing all those months, why does he have all the memory and the rest of the cooks don't remember.

yoona and chaemin were great, they had nice chemistry and handled the comedy well. both of them brought their own charms

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It may not serve the perfect ending, but still a dish worth tasting at least once

Bon Appetit, Your Majesty is a drama that left me with mixed but memorable feelings. At its core, it’s an enjoyable story with beautifully presented cooking scenes that are both aesthetically pleasing and emotionally engaging. The way characters respond to food in the beginning was one of the highlights for me—fun, warm, and very entertaining.

The pacing of the story starts off well, making it easy to follow and enjoyable, but somewhere past the halfway point it begins to feel rushed. While the plot was intriguing, something seemed missing, especially in the romance. The female lead’s feelings toward the male lead never felt fully convincing or deeply developed, which made their sudden love story less impactful. Instead, the drama often felt more like a slice-of-life journey through the Joseon dynasty, with romance added in a way that didn’t fully bloom.

The biggest letdown for me was the ending. Rather than giving a satisfying or emotional conclusion, it leaned toward an avoidant type of closure. Since this is a time-travel drama, I expected at least a clearer explanation or emotional closure of how the male lead could reunite with the female lead. Instead, the finale felt incomplete, leaving me wishing for either a truly happy ending or even a bittersweet, sad ending—anything more conclusive than what we got.

Despite its flaws, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty is still worth watching if you enjoy historical settings with a touch of fantasy and food-centered storytelling. It’s a good drama with beautiful visuals and charming moments, though you might find yourself craving a more satisfying conclusion.

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Deliciously Dangerous

This drama was so much better than I had imagined!!!!

I had only ever seen Yoon A in King the Land which was a very cringey show for me and I didn’t enjoy watching it at all, so before starting this drama I was doubting Yoon A’s performance but she was amazing! Hilarious in funny scenes and cute in some as well. Lee Chae Min was a new actor for me but I think his acting was phenomenal. My highlight in terms of acting was Kang Han Na as Mokju!!! Her acting was top-notch!!!

So far for the plot, I liked it. The end felt a bit rushed. Although I did enjoy the cooking battle, they could have shortened the scenes there a bit and added one more episode in the end, when the main leads meet again in the modern times.
I had the same questions as everyone else for the end about how he managed to get to modern times (I assume it was the one page that fell on him), and did he have money? (Maybe he sold his sword 😂). I would have loved to see his journey. I am sure it would have been very entertaining to watch 😂😂😂

I guess my theories for the end came true! I rather thought they would go back together instead of seperately and then meeting by surprise. But eventually he came as himself and not as a descendant like all the other characters 😍☺️☺️

Now I want a season 2 showing their lifes in modern day Seoul

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