The K-drama “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” emerged in 2025 as more than just an entertainment hit with a renewed global interest in Korean cuisine. With its elegant visuals of fusion cooking, royal dining, and inventive takes on tradition, the series has encouraged viewers to explore Korean food from “Bon Appétit Your Majesty”. Viewers start to try the recipe variants, and even order instant versions of its dishes.
Let’s examine the show’s viewership success, its ripple effects in global Korean food trends, and online shops selling instant versions of dishes featured in the drama.
“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty”: The K-Drama That Made Korean Food Go Global
The K-drama’s central hook lies in its fusion of Joseon-era ingredients with French techniques, creating imaginative dishes that feel both plausible and luxurious. Food historian consultants ensured that the ingredients would have been available in 19th‑century Korea, while French cooking methods or plating styles were added for dramatic time-traveling effect.
However, before diving into culinary impact, it’s worth noting the audience reception that provides context for influence:
- The drama ended with an average nationwide share of ~11.71% and 12.25% in Seoul over its run.
- Its final episode peaked at 17.10% nationwide and 17.41% in Seoul (the highest of the series).
- Despite airing on a cable/pay TV channel—which typically draws smaller audiences compared to free-to-air networks—these ratings are exceptional.
- Critics and industry observers often cite this performance as a signal that Bon Appétit, Your Majesty has “stirred a global K-food craze.”
These numbers suggest the drama’s reach and influence extend well beyond niche drama fandom into food and culture enthusiasts worldwide.
How Bon Appétit, Your Majesty Promotes Korean Cuisine
Visual Storytelling & Food as Narrative
One of the show’s key strengths is how food is woven into the narrative. Food is not just as a backdrop, but as a character, a memory, and an emotion. Reviews often describe cooking itself as the absolute protagonist. The drama meticulously presents each dish with cinematic attention, from the plating to ingredient transitions, enhancing desire and curiosity among viewers.
For instance, the dish gochujang butter bibimbap transforms a staple Korean dish by replacing sesame oil with hazelnut brown butter, elevating its richness and making it visually arresting. Not only that, scenes depict chefs preparing fusion haute cuisine with Joseon ingredients—such as yukhoe tartare with kelp chips or doenjang pasta. The detailshighlight the drama’s ambition to blend tradition and modern technique.
Such storytelling positions Korean ingredients (such as soybean paste, clams, seaweed, and beef tartare) as versatile, refined, and worthy of experimentation.
Media & Press Amplification
Coverage in outlets like The Korea Times explicitly links the show to a global K-food craze, noting that fusion dishes like sous vide steak, doenjang pasta, and Peking duck rolls (adapted) are captivating international attention.
Additionally, other industry reports emphasize how “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” enhances the prestige of K-food overseas, likening its influence to that of past culinary dramas.
Cultural & Culinary Tourism
While direct tourism data explicitly linked to the show is still emerging, the pattern is familiar: food-centered K-dramas often stimulate gastronomic tourism, with fans visiting filming locations, themed restaurants, or Korean food streets.
Given how “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” frames palace kitchens and royal feasts, it strengthens Korea’s soft power in gastronomy.
In broad strokes, the drama is part of Korea’s cultural export strategy—supporting the Hallyu (K-wave) in areas beyond music, fashion, and drama, extending into Korean food culture itself.
Business & Economic Impacts: Restaurant Menu, Packaged Korean Food, and Merchandise
Restaurant Trends & Menu Innovation
Globally, Korean restaurants often adapt to trends stirred by popular media. After “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” a few tendencies are emerging:
- Fusion Korean-French menus: Some upscale Korean restaurants and fine dining establishments are experimenting with buttered gochujang sauces, soy-based reductions, or melding classic French plating with Korean ingredients.
- Seasonal or limited “K-drama” menus: Restaurants may introduce promotional menus or special courses inspired by popular dishes, such as those featured in Bon Appétit or Your Majesty, to attract fans and media buzz.
- Court cuisine revival: The drama’s royal meal settings encourage reimagined Korean court cuisine—historical dishes elevated with modern techniques—becoming a niche luxury dining trend.
Such menu innovation encourages customers to try unfamiliar dishes (e.g., doenjang pasta, snowflake schnitzel) under the prestige branding of “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” dish experiences.
Growth in Packaged Korean Food & Exports
The media spotlight creates demand for accessible versions of the show’s flavors:
- Korean food e-commerce platforms are featuring products such as premium gochujang, craft doenjang, and fusion sauces that are explicitly tied to K-drama cooking trends. For example, Gochujar Global is a Korean online market that ships globally, offering artisan Korean food products and sauces.
- Within the packaged food industry, instant bibimbap kits, gochujang blends, or hybrid sauce packets may be marketed as inspired by Bon Appétit Your Majesty recipe styles.
- Such products help broaden the export reach: fans in regions without access to Korean groceries can purchase items that evoke the show’s dishes.
Online Shops & Instant Versions of Show Dishes
Because many “Bon Appétit Your Majesty” food dishes are elaborate, fully instant analogues are rare. However, here are existing online products and shops that approximate or cover related dishes, sauces, or kits, such as:
Gochujang Butter Bibimbap (or related gochujang bibimbap)
- CJ Instant Rice Gochujang Namul Bibimbap (5 packs) – Amazon
- Cupchelin Gochujang Bibimbap (instant) – HKTDC Sourcing
Gochujang, artisan sauces
- Gochujar Global (Korean Market) – Gochujar Global
- Q-Rapha (artisanal gochujang paste) – Q-Rapha
Licensing, Collaborations & Merchandise
While it’s early to report large-scale licensed food merchandise unique to Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, the model is ripe for:
- Mangunrok, the cookbooks branded with the series, offer Bon Appétit Your Majesty recipe collections.
- Collaborations between Korean food brands and the show, e.g., limited edition sauces or meal kits.
- Pop-up restaurants or themed cafés in key cities, offering tasting menus of “Bon Appétit Your Majesty” dishes.
As the show continues to solidify its reputation, such monetization paths may follow precedents set by other successful food dramas.
Join us on Kpoppost’s Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, Telegram channel, WhatsApp Channel and Discord server for discussions. And follow Kpoppost’s Google News for more Korean entertainment news and updates.
I want to eat bibimbap now!