In tvN’s weekend drama 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' (directed by Jang Tae-yu; written by fGRD), the Girls’ Generation star plays Yeon Ji-young, a French chef who time-slips into the past and crosses paths with Lee Heon, a notorious tyrant king with an impeccable palate.
Episode 8, which aired Sept. 14, put Ji-young through the wringer. Just before the first cook-off against Ming envoys, her secret weapon―chili powder―vanishes. After a brief moment of shock, she regroups, reimagines a flavor that doesn’t yet exist in that era, and unveils a clever riff on beef bourguignon built on rice wine, shaking the confidence of envoy Woo Gon.
Before scores are announced, Ji-young deduces that the Ming team’s head cook pilfered her chili powder at the behest of Prince Jesan. Still, she takes responsibility for failing to protect her ingredients, and the round ends in a draw.
In the second showdown, Ji-young chooses Peking duck as the main course. Working through an injured hand with help from Gil-geum―and even after learning that chef Maeng is being blackmailed by court official Kang Mok-ju―she stays laser-focused and delivers. Both King Lee Heon and Woo Gon praise the dish as “the finest under heaven,” with the episode cutting to black just before the final tally, dialling up the suspense.
Throughout, Yoona stitches together panic, resolve and decisive leadership with nuanced, grounded acting that deepens the drama’s pull. She also kept hand doubles to a minimum, performing much of the kitchen work herself―an on-set choice that makes her chef feel all the more convincing.
Riding that momentum, Episode 8 set new series highs with 15.4% nationwide and 15.8% in the Seoul capital region, according to Nielsen Korea.
[Photo: tvN]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)