Bon Appétit, Your Majesty: Korean Drama Release Date Confirmed
Hottest summer release is almost here.
A high-profile casting shake-up, an 11-year age gap between leads, and fan chatter comparing it to Mr. Queen — Bon Appétit, Your Majesty hasn't even aired yet and it's already one of the most talked-about K-dramas of the summer. Netflix and tvN have now confirmed the period-romance-with-a-twist will premiere worldwide on August 23, 2025, airing weekends in the coveted 21:20 slot previously held by Law and the City.
Key details:
- Episodes: 12
- Air dates: August 23 – TBD, 2025
- Network: tvN (Netflix global distribution)
- Director: Jang Tae-Yoo (My Love from the Star)
- Writer: Park Kuk-Jae, adapting his own web novel (Yeonsankunui Chefro Salanamki)
Casting and controversy
The male lead role of King Lee Heon was originally filled by Park Sung-Hoon, but he stepped down after posting an explicit parody of Squid Game on Instagram Stories in December 2024. Studio Dragon quickly replaced him with Lee Chae-Min. Reaction was split:
"That would've been better — PSH would've been much better at playing a tyrant role. I don't trust LCM with this at all," one viewer said.
Another noted the last-minute recast forced the team "to scramble a bit."
The pairing also sparked debate over the 11-year age difference — Yoon-A is 35, Lee is 24 — with one commenter calling him a "boy king." Others were more optimistic: "Yoona and Hanna Kang? I'm so seated."
Why fans are making Mr. Queen comparisons
Much of the early buzz revolves around how closely the premise echoes the 2020 hit. "So, basically Mr. Queen?" one fan posted. Another predicted,
"Without the body-swapping element and the charismatic force that is Shin Hye-sun, I have a feeling this show is gonna be more drama and less comedy."
Food lovers, however, hope the new series leans harder into its culinary side.
"That was my one gripe with Mr. Queen," a commenter said. "The plot was more focused on comedy/romance/power struggle than it was about the food."
Others fondly recalled Mr. Queen's "Joseon McDonald's" and ramen sequences — scenes that even sent viewers running to their kitchens.
The official story
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty follows Yeon Ji-Young (Lim Yoon-A), a French-trained chef who wins a prestigious cooking competition in Paris, only to find herself transported to the Joseon era. When the feared King Lee Heon tastes her food, he installs her in the palace kitchen, diverting her from a Michelin-star career to create fusion royal cuisine. Kang Han-Na plays his ambitious concubine Kang Mok-Ju, while Choi Gwi-Hwa appears as Prince Jesan, the king's fiercest political rival.
Some viewers see "more transmigration into the past K-dramas" as a plus. Others are less convinced, with one blunt review: "This looks… not great." Still, fans of food-focused dramas are ready: "Two of the most important things in my life," one joked.