Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
2025 South Korean television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (Korean: 폭군의 셰프 lit: 'Tyrant's Chef') is a 2025 South Korean fantasy romantic television series with elements of time travel and historical fiction. Written by fGRD and directed by Jang Tae-yoo, it stars Lim Yoona, Lee Chae-min, Kang Han-na, and Choi Gwi-hwa. The series follows the story of a South Korean French cuisine chef who, upon reaching the pinnacle of her profession, time-slips to the past and encounters the king, who is regarded as both the best gourmet and the worst tyrant. It aired on tvN from August 23, to September 28, 2025, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Netflix.
| Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 폭군의 셰프 |
| Lit. | The Tyrant's Chef |
| RR | Pokgunui syepeu |
| MR | P'okkunŭi syep'ŭ |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
|
| Based on | Surviving as Yeonsangun's Chef by Park Kook-jae |
| Developed by | Studio Dragon |
| Written by | fGRD |
| Directed by | Jang Tae-yoo |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jeon Chang-yeop[3] |
| Opening theme | "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" by
|
| Ending theme | "Food Story" by
|
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producers | |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | tvN |
| Release | August 23 – September 28, 2025 |
Synopsis
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty follows Yeon Ji-yeong, a modern-day chef who just won a grand prize for Michelin chefs in Paris, in her flight back to Seoul, and unexpectedly travels back in time to the Joseon dynasty during a solar eclipse. She arrives in the royal court of King Lee Heon, a young monarch burdened by trauma from his mother's death and consumed by revenge against corrupt officials. Mistaken for a suspicious gwinyeo (귀녀, female monster), Ji-yeong is eventually appointed as a Chief Royal Cook after impressing Lee Heon with her innovative cooking, blending modern techniques with traditional ingredients.
As Ji-yeong navigates palace politics, she encounters rivalry from the evil consort Kang Mok-ju and the schemes of Prince Je Seon, who plots to overthrow Lee Heon so he can become the king. Through her dishes, Ji-yeong gradually earns Lee Heon's trust and affection, awakening memories of warmth and comfort from his childhood and challenging his reputation as a cold and tyrannical ruler. The series intertwines romance, comedy, and political intrigue as Ji-yeong struggles to survive, protect those around her, and decide whether to alter history by changing Lee Heon's personality, stopping the Gapsin Purge (when the king executes officials related to his mother's death, followed by a coup d'état and the king getting deposed) or find her way back to 2025, where her father and career await.
Cast and characters
Main
- A South Korean French cuisine chef with a positive but assertive character. She unexpectedly finds herself in the Joseon period on the day she wins the greatest French cooking competition because of her Mangunrok book.
- The King of Joseon, who is regarded as both the best gourmet and the worst tyrant, later finds himself attracted to Ji-yeong.
- A cruel and scheming woman who has gained Lee Heon's approval and become a long-term concubine. She disposes of other women after taking advantage of them, becomes loyal to Prince Je-Seon for setting her free from jail, and is considered one of the most villainous women in Joseon's history.
- Choi Gwi-hwa as Prince Je Seon[1]
- A cunning and manipulative Joseon grand prince. He acts like a bandit to save his life after his father died, but he never stops searching for an opportunity to overthrow Lee Heon and ascend the throne.
Supporting
Royal Kitchen
- Yoon Seo-ah as Seo Gil-geum (Joseon era) / Seo Sun-geum (2025)[4]
- A woman whose house Ji-yeong enters without consent, later becomes palace maid who befriends Ji-yeong.
- Kim Kwang-kyu as Uhm Bong-shik[5]
- Hong Jin-ki as Maeng Man-soo[6]
- Ji-yeong's rival in the royal cooks competition later becomes her acquaintance. He initially works for Kang Mok-ju to disrupt and harass Ji-yeong, and eventually stops after Ji-yeong knows about consort Kang being behind his schemes.
- Kim Hyun-mok as Min Gae-duk[7]
- Ji-yeong's rival in the royal cooks competition later becomes her acquaintance.
- Joo Kwang-hyun as Shim Mak-jin[8]
People around Lee Heon
- Lee Joo-ahn as Gong Gil
- King Lee Heon's mysterious jester. He attracts everyone's attention as soon as he appears on stage with his handsome appearance and strong physique. He also saves Gil-geum when she is nearly assassinated by Kang Mok-ju's court lady and protects Yeon Ji-yeong. He used to secretly assassinate King Lee Heon because of the allegations that he caused Gong Gil's sister's death, but the actual culprit is Kang Mok-ju.
- Seo Yi-sook as Grand Queen Dowager Inju[9]
- The Grand Queen Dowager, who is Lee Heon's paternal grandmother, is responsible for the death of his mother.
- Shin Eun-jung as Queen Dowager Jahyeon[10]
- The Queen Dowager. Lee Heon's stepmother.
- Oh Eui-shik as Im Song-jae (Joseon era) / Steve Im (2025)[11]
- Grand Royal Secretary, King Lee Heon's loyal minister and acquaintance from childhood. He initially enforces chaehong to force women to enter the palace to serve the king. After King Lee Heon abolishes chaehong, Im Song-jae becomes Ji-yeong's supporter.
- Park Young-woon as Shin Soo-hyuk[12]
- Jang Gwang as Chang Sun[13]
- Park Joon-myun as Choi Mal-im[14]
- Lee Eun-jae as Deposed Queen Yun[15]
Ming Envoy
- Kim Hyung-mook as envoy Yu Kun[16]
- Jo Jae-yoon as cook Tang Bai Long[17]
- Moon Seung-yoo as cook Ya Fei Xiu[18]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Course Nº 1 Gochujang Butter Bibimbap" | August 23, 2025 | |
|
After winning La Poêle d'Or 2025, chef Yeon Ji Yeong plans to return to Korea. During a total solar eclipse, she reads a Joseon-era cookbook on her flight and is mysteriously transported back in time to the royal hunting grounds. There, she encounters King Lee Heon, who mistakes her for a gwinyeo, while she assumes he is an actor. Following an attack on the king, Ji-yeong treats his injuries and takes shelter with him in a house later revealed to belong to Seo Gil Geum. She prepares a dish called “Gochujang Butter Bibimbap,” which reminds the king of his late mother. After Ji-yeong and Gil-geum leave to retrieve her belongings, the king is rescued by his soldiers. | |||
| 2 | "Course N° 2 Sous Vide Cuisine" | August 24, 2025 | |
|
As Ji-yeong and Gil-geum head towards the cliff where she lost her bag, they are captured by soldiers collecting women for the chaehong and taken to the Governor's house. Ji-yeong makes a deal with the Governor's son to release all captives if she manages to cook a meal that satisfies the Grand Royal Secretary, Im Song Jae who will arrive later. Finding the meat too tough, Ji-yeong uses the "Sous Vide" method to cook the meat and creates a dish garnished with local ingredients. However, Im Song Jae, refuses to even taste the dish until Ji-yeong bets her life on his satisfaction. Song Jae finds the dish delicious, but declares that he is not satisfied and orders Ji-yeong's execution. She is saved when King Lee Heon arrives and tastes the dish himself. He declares that he is satisfied with the dish and orders Ji-yeong and Gil-geum to be taken to the palace with him. It is later revealed that the actual purpose of the chaehong was to punish officials who had a hand in King Lee Heon's mother's death. Ji-yeong and Gil-geum are taken to the palace in chains where they meet Kang Mok-ju. | |||
| 3 | "Course N° 3 Haute Cuisine" | August 30, 2025 | |
| 4 | "Course N° 4 **** and Spinach Doenjang Soup" | August 31, 2025 | |
| 5 | "Course N° 5 Snowflake Schnitzel" | September 6, 2025 | |
| 6 | "Course N° 6 Black Sesame Macaron" | September 7, 2025 | |
| 7 | "Course N° 7 Dongnae Pajeon on a Rainy Day" | September 13, 2025 | |
| 8 | "Course N° 8 Rice Wine Beef Bourguignon" | September 14, 2025 | |
| 9 | "Course N° 9 Pressure-Cooked Ogyetang" | September 20, 2025 | |
| 10 | "Course N° 10 Joseon Restaurant" | September 21, 2025 | |
| 11 | "Course N° 11 Soy Meat Gujeolpan & Eggplant Pie" | September 27, 2025 | |
| 12 | "Course N° 12 Hwanseban" | September 28, 2025 | |
Production
Development
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is directed by Jang Tae-yoo, written by fGRD, planned by Studio Dragon, and Film Grida and Jung Universe co-managed the production. The series is based on the novel '연산군의 셰프로 살아남기' (Surviving as Yeonsangun's Chef) by Park Kook-jae, which draws inspiration from the end of King Yeonsangun of Joseon's reign and the Kapja Sahwa (second purge of the literati) in 1504.[19][20][21][22][23]
Casting
On September 24, 2024, Lim Yoona was reported to be under consideration for the female lead, marking her first collaboration with director Jang Tae-yoo.[24] On January 2, 2025, Kang Han-na finalized negotiations to appear in the drama.[25]
Park Sung-hoon was in talks for the male main role,[26] but tvN reported that his script-reading was cancelled due to a controversial social media post. On January 13, The Korea Times reported that Park had officially stepped down from the series. At the same time, Lee Chae-min was considered as his replacement.[27][28] On January 21, Choi Gwi-hwa was added to the cast,[29] and the principal lineup of actors, including Lim, Lee, Kang, and Choi, was finalized and confirmed on January 24.[1][30]
On June 25, 2025, 9ato Entertainment announced that Yoon Seo-ah would appear as Seo Gil-geum, a palace maid who befriends Yeon Ji-yeong.[31][4]
Filming
According to IZE, filming began on January 23, 2025.[32]
Release
Original soundtrack
| Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Language |
|
| Label |
|
| Producer | LuckyClover |
The Bon Appétit, Your Majesty original soundtrack produced by LuckyClover was released gradually from August 24, 2025 to Sepetember 28, 2025, by Studio Jung Universe and Studio Dragon.[35]
Part 1
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Find You" |
| LuckyClover | Doyoung | 3:29 |
| 2. | "I Find You" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 3:29 | ||
| Total length: | 6:58 | ||||
Part 2
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stay with Me" |
| LuckyClover | Huh Gak | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Stay with Me" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 3:55 | ||
| Total length: | 7:50 | ||||
Part 3
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "By Chance, By Fate" |
| LuckyClover | Kim Young-woo | 3:09 |
| 2. | "By Chance, By Fate" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 3:09 | ||
| Total length: | 6:18 | ||||
Part 4
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kung" |
| LuckyClover | Seo Da-hyun | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Kung" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 3:57 | ||
| Total length: | 7:54 | ||||
Part 5
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Land of the Morning" |
| LuckyClover | La Poem | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Land of the Morning" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 3:07 | ||
| Total length: | 6:14 | ||||
Part 6
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Falling Night" |
| LuckyClover | Seung Hee | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Falling Night" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 4:20 | ||
| Total length: | 8:40 | ||||
Part 7
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Will Let Go" |
| LuckyClover | Jang Min-ho | 4:35 |
| 2. | "I Will Let Go" (Instrumental) | LuckyClover | 4:35 | ||
| Total length: | 9:10 | ||||
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 5 reviews by critics are positive.[36] According to FlixPatrol, a global OTT ranking site, the series ranked third worldwide and reached the top position on Netflix in 23 countries.[37]
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty ranked fourth in Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category two days after its release and entered the top 10 in 93 countries and regions, with 9.4 million hours watched by 3.5 million viewers in its first week.[38] It remained on the chart as No. 2 for its second and third week, respectively. It recored 43 million hours watched by 8.1 million viewers for its second week.[39] On its fourth and fifth week, the series ranked topped the chart for 2 consecutive weeks.[40]
On October 21, 2025, Netflix identified the series as one of its hit titles in its third-quarter 2025 earnings report.[41] In the same day, the cast and crew had a vacation to Da Nang, Vietnam to celebrate the drama's widespread success.[42]
On November 6, 2025, Studio Dragon cited the series as one of the works that contributed to its return to profitability in the third quarter of 2025.[43]
Viewership
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 1 | 1.173 | 1.656 | 1.946 | 2.873 | 2.662 | 3.260 | 3.104 | 3.865 | 3.297 | 3.813 | 2.950 | 4.213 | 2.901 | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[44] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | August 23, 2025 | 4.856% (1st) | 5.101% (1st) |
| 2 | August 24, 2025 | 6.642% (1st) | 6.506% (1st) |
| 3 | August 30, 2025 | 7.589% (1st) | 7.172% (1st) |
| 4 | August 31, 2025 | 11.063% (1st) | 11.419% (1st) |
| 5 | September 6, 2025 | 10.818% (1st) | 11.646% (1st) |
| 6 | September 7, 2025 | 12.742% (1st) | 13.135% (1st) |
| 7 | September 13, 2025 | 12.647% (1st) | 12.828% (1st) |
| 8 | September 14, 2025 | 15.405% (1st) | 15.815% (1st) |
| 9 | September 20, 2025 | 13.463% (1st) | 14.222% (1st) |
| 10 | September 21, 2025 | 15.750% (1st) | 15.942% (1st) |
| 11 | September 27, 2025 | 12.393% (1st) | 11.848% (1st) |
| 12 | September 28, 2025 | 17.107% (1st) | 17.407% (1st) |
| Average | 11.706% | 12.253% | |
| Special | August 16, 2025 | 1.562% (6th) | 1.862% (2nd) |
| October 4, 2025 | 2.087% (2nd) | 1.874% (2nd) | |
Accolades
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Star Awards | 2025 | Drama of the Year | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Nominated | [45] [46] |
| Best Director | Jang Tae-yoo | Nominated | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Lim Yoona | Nominated | |||
| Popularity Star Award – Actress | Nominated | ||||
| Global Star Award | Nominated | ||||
| Lee Chae-min | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Actor | Won | ||||
| Popularity Star Award – Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Actress | Yoon Seo-ah | Nominated | |||
| Best Couple Award | Lim Yoona and Lee Chae-min | Nominated | |||
| Asia Artist Awards | 2025 | Actress of The Year – TV | Lim Yoona | Won | [47] |
| Best Artist – Actor | Won | ||||
| Asia Star Awards | Won | ||||
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2025 | Best OST | Doyoung (for "I Found You") | Nominated | [48] |
| C21 International Drama Awards | 2025 | Best Comedy-Drama Series | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Nominated | [49] |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2026 | Best Drama | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Pending | [50] [51] [52] |
| Best Actress | Lim Yoona | Pending | |||
| Naver Popularity Award – Female | Pending | ||||
| Best New Actor | Lee Chae-min | Pending | |||
| Naver Popularity Award – Male | Pending | ||||
| Banff Rockie Awards | 2026 | Drama Series: Non-English Language | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Pending | [53] |
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2026 | Best Actress – TV Drama | Lim Yoona | Won | [54] |
| Fundex Awards | 2025 | Best TV Drama | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Won | [55] |
| Best Actor – TV Drama | Lee Chae-min | Nominated | |||
| Popular Star Prize – K-Drama Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actress – TV Drama | Lim Yoona | Nominated | |||
| Popular Star Prize – K-Drama Actress | Won | ||||
| Hanteo Music Awards | 2026 | Special Award – OST | Doyoung (for "I Found You") | Nominated | [56] |
| Institute of National Brand Promotion[a] | 2025 | National Brand Award Grand Prize – Culture Sector | Lim Yoona | Won | [57] |
| Korea Cable TV Awards | 2026 | Grand Prize – Drama | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Won | [58] |
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2026 | Best Actress – Drama | Lim Yoona | Won | [59] |
| Best Actress (Indonesia's Choice) | Won | ||||
| Best Actress (Vietnam's Choice) | Won | ||||
| 2026 | Actor – Hot Trend | Lee Chae-min | Won | [60] | |
| Actor – Rising Star (Indonesia) | Won | ||||
| SEC Awards | 2026 | Best Asia Series | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty | Pending | [61] |
| Visionary Awards[b] | 2026 | 2026 Visionary | Jang Tae-yoo, Lim Yoona, and Lee Chae-min | Won | [63] |
Notes
- Honors are given at the National Brand Awards, to acknowledge individuals and businesses who make an exceptional contribution to raising South Korea's brand image.
- Visionary Awards, which started in 2020, selects and awards people who lead roles in the Korean entertainment industry. It highlights the meaning and achievements of a person whose chosen trend keywords penetrated the entertainment industry, including broadcasting, movies, music, and performances, and presents the next vision of the cultural sector with outstanding achievements and influence.[62]
