tvN’s new weekend drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty aired its first episode on the 23rd. The story introduced Yeon Ji-young, played by Im Yoon-ah, who time-slips into the Joseon Dynasty. There she meets King Lee Heon, played by Lee Chae-min, a ruler remembered in history as a tyrant. The opening already mixed food, history, and danger in a way that felt both dramatic and unusual.
At the start, Ji-young was seen competing in a French cooking contest. Her dish was venison, which won her first prize. She was proud and shared the news with her father. But her father quickly shifted the mood. He asked her to bring back an old book to Korea. Ji-young agreed, unaware of what would happen next.
On the plane, a solar eclipse began. Someone spilled coffee on the book, and while cleaning it, Ji-young noticed strange writing inside. She read the words aloud. The plane shook violently. In that moment, she was pulled into another time. This sudden switch took her directly into the Joseon era.
In the forest, Ji-young met King Lee Heon. She had no idea he was a real king. To her, he looked like a man in costume. To him, she looked like something unnatural. He asked if she was a ghost or a fox. Their meeting turned into a chase and ended with both falling from a cliff.
Ji-young survived and dragged the unconscious king to safety. She was then mistaken for a thief by a woman named Seo Gil-geum. The comedy of errors added a lighter tone, though the danger was still present. Ji-young, still in denial, asked for a supermarket or convenience store. Her words highlighted the absurdity of her situation.
Food and Fear in Joseon
Hunger drove Ji-young to cook with the ingredients she had. Using gochujang and butter from her airplane meal, she made a bibimbap. This simple dish carried emotional weight. When Lee Heon ate it, he broke down. The taste reminded him of his mother. That scene stood out. A modern recipe in the wrong century carried both comfort and pain.
The episode also showed the king’s cruelty. He ignored rituals for his late mother and instead went hunting. He forced people from their homes to build hunting grounds. Ji-young mentioned this history without realizing she was speaking directly to the man responsible. The irony was heavy. It added an edge to the story that made the situation more tense.
As the plot moved forward, Ji-young finally began to understand that this was not a dream. She was not on a film set. She was really in Joseon. Her disbelief slowly faded as she heard villagers talk about hiding from the king’s men.
Still, she treated the experience with a strange casualness. That created contrast. She joked and smiled while the people around her lived in fear.
Bon Appetit, Your Majesty episode 1 recap and review shows how the drama balances tones. It jumps between humor and menace, often in the same scene. The bibimbap moment brought warmth, but it also triggered painful memories for the king.
The cliff chase was frightening but also absurd, with Ji-young calling him an actor. This shifting tone can feel messy, yet it also keeps the story unpredictable.
By the end of the episode, tension rose again. Soldiers appeared, and Lee Heon burned down Seo Gil-geum’s house. Ji-young, still not cautious enough, revealed her location by waving and smiling. That closing moment was telling. She might be skilled in cooking, but survival in Joseon will not be easy for her.
The drama sets up a clash of worlds. Ji-young represents modern values, freedom, and creativity. Lee Heon represents absolute power, cruelty, but also hidden grief. Their relationship will likely test both of them. The question is whether food can become a bridge between tyranny and humanity.
From an analytical view, the premiere showed promise but also risk. The time-slip idea is familiar in K-drama, but mixing it with a tyrant king and a chef adds a twist. At the same time, some scenes leaned too much on comedy, which may not sit well with viewers who want historical depth. The episode asks the audience to suspend disbelief heavily. That could divide opinions.
Still, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty episode 1 recap and review makes it clear this drama is aiming for both entertainment and commentary. Food becomes more than taste. It becomes a way to connect past and present, power and ordinary life. Whether the show can balance that across the series remains uncertain. Episode one leaves open many questions, but it sets the stage for a dramatic clash ahead.
Which scene in The Tyrant's Chef episode 1 hit you the hardest?
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Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
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