Precious

‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅ Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, also known as Surviving as Yeonsangun’s Chef, is a historical time-travel K-drama adapted from the webtoon written by Park Kuk-jae. What makes Bon Appétit stand out is its unique focus on food; each dish carries meaning and reflects the main theme of the story. The mystery, romance, comedy, and royal family issues serve as subplots in the drama. Although the BAYM genre isn’t new to historical series , this one was refreshing and different because of its storytelling. I chose the title because it relates to how King Yi heon interpreted Chef ji yeong foods ‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅

STORYLINE SUMMARY 🍝🥢♡ ༘*.ﾟ

Chef Yeon Ji Yeong is a french chef from the modern world with a cheerful and outgoing personality, who only has her dad but with her hard work she got first place in a cooking competition to become a top michelin chef on her way home , she reads a special book that was ordered by her dad and she is suddenly pulled back to joseon era there she met King Yi Heon, a feared tyrant known for his brilliant mind, sharp tongue, and ruthless standards. Trapped in a world she has never visited and a royal place with dangerous politics, she has to survive through cooking. She works hard to satisfy the king's exceptional tastes in the process, leading to other events unfolding and her getting the love of her life.

The first part of the drama introduces the main characters and establishes their roles. Ji Yeong wins a prestigious cooking contest, and her detailed explanation of each step in preparing the dishes combining culinary art with science made me eager to watch more. The cooking process was portrayed beautifully and kept me hooked. After the contest, Ji Yeong was returning home from Paris when she was suddenly transported back to the Joseon era after reading a mysterious book her father had asked her to retrieve. There, she encounters the tyrannical King of Joseon, and their first meeting is chaotic Ji Yeong, still in denial, refuses to believe she’s no longer in 2025. A series of unexpected events leads the two to fall from a cliff, marking the second major mystery of the drama. Before discovering the king’s true identity, Ji Yeong meets another person in the forest Gil Geum who quickly becomes her friend.

The two were taken along with the king, marking the beginning of their shared journey and Ji Yeong’s new experiences in Joseon. Overall, the first four episodes were excellent. We got to see Ji Yeong’s mastery in cooking, and once she arrived at the palace, everything changed for both her and the king. Ji Yeong recognized some of the villains and recalled parts of their past stories. She recognized Consort Kang and knew she was a troublemaker but didn’t yet understand her true intentions toward the king. However, she was unaware of the true main villain, which made the later events unfold in a different way.
The first half of the drama was enjoyable for me due to the dynamic between the leads and the ongoing palace schemes to dethrone the king's plans that shifted after Ji Yeong’s arrival and the involvement of Gong Gil, the jester. Ji Yeong had to prove her worth to remain in the palace and eventually earned her position as a royal chef.

The main plot of BAYM centers around food, and the early episodes make that clear. The king, despite his bad temper, has a refined and intelligent way of describing and appreciating food. Whenever Ji Yeong cooks, it soothes him, and over time, their interactions become warmer, revealing how her cooking touches both his heart and mind, not just his taste buds.
Even if BAYM had focused more on palace politics, it would still be fascinating to watch, as every scheme and ambition gradually shifted toward Ji Yeong, with many trying to use her as bait for their own gain.

The final part of the drama marked the downfall of Joseon, a complete bloodbath. It felt like the blood would spill out of my screen, and I couldn’t look away. Before the chaos, the truth about the king’s mother’s death was revealed while he danced for his grandmother, and from that moment, everything unraveled. King Yi Heon had every right to punish those behind her death, but since he never knew her true wish, his desire for revenge consumed him, turning him into the tyrant everyone feared. Ji Yeong was the only one who could calm him, and watching him struggle for peace while everything collapsed around him was deeply emotional. When the main villain struck, the palace descended into chaos again, bloody, heartbreaking, and painful to watch. Seeing my beloved side characters die so brutally left me shocked and devastated. Ji Yeong’s return to the modern world also happened , but when the king cried and begged for her to come back, I teared up and I smiled when the ripped page reappeared, because I knew it would bring him back to he that their promise and the book’s power was strong in their fate connection.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
The ending felt a bit rushed since the revolt took much of the runtime, and I wished for more, especially knowing the webtoon had lighter side stories. Still, I was satisfied not because it had a happy ending, but because most questions were answered. King Yi Heon kept his promises to Chef Ji Yeong; though he wasn’t the best ruler, he found peace and redemption in the end.

────୨ৎ────CHARACTERS/ ACTING ────୨ৎ────

Lee Chae Min As King Yi heon ♛ ⚔️𓆩❤︎𓆪

Lee Chae min embodied his role as King Yi heon in a phenomenal and natural way. His character King yi heon was not hard to understand for me because he was a tyrant king who got this name because of his rage and bad temper. The king wasn’t dumb or weak his choices were rooted in revenge, not ignorance. He acted on emotion more than reason, but that doesn’t make him powerless. He ruled with authority, even if that authority came at the cost of peace. He wasn’t a puppet king; people despised him, yet they couldn’t control him either. In my opinion, what made King Yi Heon not the best king was that he had no one to calm him or give him good advice until the female lead appeared. Her presence, though a little late, helped him realize his mistakes and fight for his younger brother to be surrounded by good people. How can a king rule when his consort, his best friend who also once betrayed him, and most of his subjects all manipulate him, pushing him toward rage and madness? His second biggest mistake was asking the royal cooks to compete against the Mings, which he later admitted, but that competition also showed how grounded Joseon was in its cuisine and the skill of its chefs.

Beyond being a king, he had a refined talent for describing and analyzing food, making him a true gourmet. I loved all his reactions. Lee Cha Min portrayed him brilliantly the comedy never felt forced, and considering he had only a month to prepare for the archery, horse riding, dance, and fight scenes, the directing supported him well. It’s not wrong to give credit when it’s due, I didn’t expect him to perform this well, but he surprised me. His subtle gazes at Chef Ji Yeong and the slow build of his feelings were natural. At first, he disliked her, but her food and presence softened him.

When he said he didn’t see her as a woman, it backfired as he began seeing her as one and that softened his heart but he still had his temper around others.
I don’t support killing, but he had the right to crash out during his grandmother's birthday because she was two faced, his mother’s death was unfair and brutal. Their bond was strong, she was the light in his life, and Ji Yeong later became that same light. Lee Cha Min embodied the king’s rage, sorrow, and love perfectly. King Yi Heon ruled because he was appointed to, but his revenge ruined his name. Still, he fought to secure a better future for his brother, even when fate led him to another world.

Lim Yoona As Chef Yeon Ji yeong 👩‍🍳🛎️♨️

Lim Yoona portrayed her character, Chef Yeon Ji Yeong, effortlessly. I liked her a lot because she was bubbly, friendly, and full of energy. I never saw her as a two-dimensional character just because her role stayed true to being a chef. As a chef, she wasn’t just cooking and serving food; each dish she made had meaning and purpose across all twelve episodes courses . Yeon Ji Yeong is a woman in her late twenties who had just won a competition that could make her a Michelin chef in modern Korea, suddenly found herself in the old Joseon era because of the king’s yearning. I liked that she refused to accept she was in another world at first it made her reactions realistic and valid.

Her character may seem simple but her skills are not simple and it’s not easy to please everyone, especially a king. She worked hard to prove her worth, even spending days in prison after giving her best. I initially thought she remembered everything about the king’s history, but she didn’t. She only knew about the consort’s schemes, not the main villain, which made sense if she did, she wouldn’t have let him take her pepper and use her as bait Yeon Ji Yeong’s food made a real impact. It changed people’s perspectives, even the villains couldn’t deny her skill.

Her dishes brought back memories for those who tasted the food, grandmother, the king, and even the Ming chef Kong Wen Li. Eating food is not only about satisfying one's hunger but how it nourishes the body,comforts the mind and connects people together and Yeon Ji Yeong captured that perfectly. She was also good with words, made friends easily, and was well known in the palace because of her cooking skills. I liked her ending, even though I wished it was longer. She had a lonely life except for her father, and it would have been nice to see more of her modern day adventures and the food designs she recreated that was inspired by the king's journal.

Yoona portrayed her role naturally, from taking food classes for three months to designing 95% of the dishes herself. She had no body double, and that effort showed in the drama. Her emotional and comedic scenes were natural to me and didn't come out forced . Some might say Ji Yeong didn’t love the king, but I saw her feelings as subtle and sincere. She cared deeply for him. It was sad knowing she had to leave one day so how could she be fully happy being in a relationship , yet she wished she could stay because of how much he loved her.

The supporting characters all played their roles well. I liked each of their portrayals. They fit perfectly as chefs, subjects, and even villains. The villains made me annoyed and rolled my eyes every time they appeared, which just shows how well they acted their parts. Out of all the characters, I related most to Gil Geum ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ . She reminded me of myself, shy at first but expressive once I’m comfortable. I loved her friendship with Yeon Ji Yeong and how determined she was to improve her cooking skills.

Short explanation on the romance between the king and chef ji yeong ﮩـﮩﮩ٨ـ🫀ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

The romance between the King and Chef Yeon Ji Yeong in BAYM is more of a subplot, as the drama mainly focuses on its central theme. Their love didn’t feel sudden or based on infatuation; it flowed well through understanding and mutual respect between each character. Even within twelve episodes, their scenes together were not limited even though it's not lovey dovey , through conversations, trust, and support Yeon Ji Yeong changed the King, helping him become a different person , while she also saw beyond his flaws. Their interactions made me smile, their banter was fun, their bond genuine, and the book symbolized the promise that both kept to each other. Their hugs and kisses made me swoon, especially the hug scenes.

OST/ CINEMATOGRAPHY 🎵📹
The OST and cinematography were also well done. Although there weren’t many songs, I really liked the two main ones that played throughout the main scenes . The cinematography was chef’s kiss and well done . I also liked that the animations were made with CGI and not the use of AI. The production team is already known for their creative work even before AI became common.

FAV SCENES 👀✿˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚
★ The leads first meet
★ All gil geum and ji yeong scenes
★ The hug scenes between the leads
★ First cooking competition
★ Almost everything about the drama tbh
★ The dance scene with ji yeong and the king
★ All the food reactions and the leads scenes together

OVERALL IMPRESSION 🌟⚜(✽´ཫ`✽)

My overall impression of BAYM is simple: I ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF IT. Watching it felt like receiving a dish I didn’t order but was gifted and it tasted incredible. That’s exactly how the drama felt for me, which is why it took me a whole week to process and finally write this review (also, a bit busy and catching up on sleep whenever I could). It’s a drama I would normally gatekeep for myself, but for anyone reading this who hasn’t watched it yet, I say: just give it a try even if it’s long.

BAYM is straightforward and easy to follow. It feels refreshing and different, not a recycled storyline or a copy of Mr. Queen. I watched all 12 episodes and couldn’t find any real similarities beyond both involving chefs and time travel. The culinary aspect here was more in-depth, and I loved how the drama incorporated science into some of the food scenes. The chemistry between the leads was good and the director did well for their scenes.

Some scenes may seem silly at first, but they make sense in context. For example, I never knew chocolate could help with memory, but after seeing it in the drama, I researched it myself. This drama made me interact with so many people and brought me out of my second half of 2025 kdrama slump. I liked how much importance the drama placed on food, and watching Chef Ji-yeong improvise without modern ingredients was inspiring. The drama had me drooling nonstop, making me wish I could taste every single dish myself.

The drama has serious and unserious parts and funny scenes had me laughing out loud, overall, it’s a show I will rewatch and remember . Everyone involved clearly worked hard on this drama. I avoid calling a show “overhyped” because tastes vary, but I do wish TVN wouldn’t cut out important scenes because it's becoming frustrating. I might add more words to my review later because i have more to say.

FAV QUOTES 📜𝜗𝜚˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
“ They say act mute for three years and blind for another three “ - King Yi heon

“ When it comes to taste, you can only sense the five basic types, which are bitter, Sour sweet, spicy and salty,but aromas are countless and diverse - Chef Yeon ji yeong

“Don’t forget this,one who bears a sword with a grin will eventually be struck by it “ - King Yi Heon

“ Even if the sky falls in, there is always a way out we should stay strong “ - Gil Geum

Thanks For Reading my long review ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆💗⃝🌕 Goodbye my Suragan family -`♡´-