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Today, we’re doing a special episode on Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Lee Chae Min as King Yi Heon and Im Yoon A as Yeon Ji Yeong. We are joined by the amazing Ernabel Demillo to discuss:

• The featured song during the recap: I Find You by Do Young.
• How Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is a light-hearted, romantic, and food-filled drama inspired by the dark reign of King Yeonsangun.
• The show’s unique blend of historical fiction, time travel, romance, and culinary arts — with food as a central character and storytelling device.
• The story of King Yeonsangun, the real tyrant who inspired the fictional King Yi Heon, and how the drama reimagines his story.
• A comparison to Mr. Queen and why this show, though similar on the surface, is more about food, love, and redemption than gender-bending comedy.
• Im Yoon A and Lee Chae Min’s incredible chemistry, with Lee Chae Min’s breakout performance being especially notable given his short preparation time.
• The standout supporting characters, including Gil Geum, Gong Gil, Kang Mok Ju, and the Chinese chefs — each representing different cultural and culinary dynamics.
• The symbolic power of food in the drama, showing how it connects people, heals trauma, and even saves nations.
• The use of the Mangunrok as the show’s MacGuffin — both a literal time travel portal and a symbolic love letter from the king.
• The drama’s conclusion, including how the king travels to the modern day, and the emotional payoff of their reunion through food.
• A discussion of Michelin-starred restaurants in Asia, the rise of Korean cuisine globally, and personal dining experiences from Ernabel.
• Gong Gil’s deeper role and edited-out storyline — including a potential love triangle that was ultimately minimized.
• The theme of finding your destined love across time, emphasized through the OST lyrics and repeated motifs of reunion and promise.
• What we’re watching now — from Because This Is My First Life to Would You Marry Me and The Uncanny Counter — and a preview of Season 13 of K Drama Chat, where we will recap and analyze Startup.

References

• From The Tatler: The true story about the fictional king in ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’
• From TIME: The Real History Behind the Time Travel K-Drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty
• From Reddit: Summary of the ending of the book “Surviving as Yeonsangun’s Cher”
• Asian American Life website 

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