Bon Appetit Your Majesty- Episodes 5-6

Episode 5 Recap: Bon Appétit, Your Majesty

Episode 5 picks up right after that shocking kiss from last night, and Ji-young is fuming. She takes her frustration out in the kitchen, pounding a dried pollack into crumbs before turning it into soup for the king. Yi Heon instantly knows she’s mad, but he’s completely clueless as to why, until Chang-seon quietly reminds him that he kissed her.

Meanwhile, Gong-gil checks in on Ji-young and Gil-geum, and we learn more about his past. It turns out his sister, Ok-dan, died in Jahongwon, the place Consort Kang oversees, and she was found clutching a hairpin just like the one Chu-wol tried to use against Gil-geum. Gong-gil clearly hasn’t forgotten.

At court, Song-jae informs Yi Heon that an envoy from Ming is on the way, led by a eunuch named Yu Kun, someone the king doesn’t seem too fond of. When the ministers later suggest spending lavishly to welcome the envoy, Yi Heon surprises everyone by telling them to keep it simple. Despite his calm exterior, he’s distracted, clearly thinking about Ji-young.

Consort Kang, on the other hand, is plotting to win the king back. She decides to cook for him herself and secretly gives Chef Maeng arsenic to poison Ji-young. Meanwhile, Ji-young can’t stop wondering why Yi Heon’s refusing to eat any of her meals lately. Eventually, he gives in and lets her serve him something light, chicken soup and soft side dishes. The simple meal hits the spot, and both of them end up feeling a little too pleased about it.

Elsewhere, Prince Jesan accuses Minister Kim Yong-san of trying to assassinate the king. His men even go after the mysterious assassin, none other than Gong-gil, but he manages to slip away.

The day of the king’s physical examination finally arrives. Consort Kang orders that her dish be served to Yi Heon after the exam, but Ji-young refuses to back down. She decides to make fried pork cutlets, basically a Korean-style schnitzel, while Kang sticks to her cold chicken soup. When both dishes are served, Ji-young’s creation steals the show. Even Prince Jesan joins Yi Heon in cleaning his plate. As a reward, Ji-young only asks for one thing...fresh ingredients to cook with.

Later that night, Yi Heon sketches Ji-young’s dishes in his Mangunrok diary. Meanwhile, Song-jae and his father discuss their secret plan to bring Ji-young and the king closer together. Song-jae reveals he found Ji-young’s missing bag and convinces Yi Heon to give it to her as a gift.

Yi Heon later takes Ji-young to a greenhouse filled with fruits and vegetables. She lights up when she spots chili peppers, though they’re hilariously labeled as poison. Then comes the real surprise: Yi Heon returns her bag and apologizes for the kiss. When Ji-young asks why he’s being so kind, he almost admits he sees her as a woman now, but instead, he covers it up by saying it’s because she’s a great cook. Of course, his attempt to play it cool backfires when he trips, she catches him, and the two end up tumbling to the ground together, ending the episode on a flustered but sweet note.

Episode 6 Recap: Bon Appétit, Your Majesty

Episode 6 picks up right where we left off, with Yi Heon and Ji-young tumbling over each other in the greenhouse. Once they recover from that rather awkward fall, Ji-young suddenly realizes that the Mangunrok, her precious book, is missing from her bag. Yi Heon promises to find it, but only after the Ming envoy’s visit is over.

Back in the kitchen, Ji-young finds the cooks drinking and decides to join them. One thing leads to another, and before long, everyone’s singing, dancing, and passing out in a hilarious display of camaraderie. The next morning, things get serious again when news spreads that Yu Kun, the chief envoy from Ming, refuses to eat any Joseon food.

When the Ming envoy finally arrives, Yu Kun makes it clear he’s not here to make friends. He demands more women and ginseng for his emperor but offers nothing in return. Not one to give up, Ji-young gets creative in the kitchen. She shows off the butter she’s made from milk and whips up something sweet, a colorful tower of macarons. To everyone’s surprise, even Yu Kun and his elite cooks are impressed by the taste and presentation.

But the celebration doesn’t last long. Yu Kun proposes a cooking competition between the Ming cooks and Joseon’s chefs, with the outcome deciding the terms of the tribute. Yi Heon accepts, despite Ji-young’s frantic attempts to stop him. She quickly realizes she’s trapped, if she refuses to compete, she’ll die, and if she loses, she’ll die anyway.

Meanwhile, Dowager Queen In-ju hears about the situation and starts drafting a letter to the Ming royal family, hinting at her supposed connections there. Prince Jesan, on the other hand, sees this as the perfect chance to bring Yi Heon down. He’s so confident that Joseon will lose that he openly discusses the king’s downfall with Consort Kang.

Over in the Ming camp, a minister named Lord Sung meets with Yu Kun. He reveals that the Joseon king’s position is unstable and promises the Ming cooks will win. He even encourages Yu Kun to raise the stakes and demand all of Joseon’s ginseng. Gong-gil witnesses the meeting and reports everything to Yi Heon.

Back in the kitchen, Ji-young prepares her secret weapon, chili powder. When Yi Heon learns she needs to go to a nearby town to get the chilies ground, he insists on accompanying her in disguise. Cue a delightful montage of them sneaking out in plain clothes and exploring the marketplace. Ji-young gets her chillies processed while Yi Heon secretly buys her a charm she’d been admiring, one she recognizes as identical to the one from the Mangunrok.

While the two share a playful moment flicking mud at each other and laughing over irises Ji-young plans to gift him, things back at the palace get tense. One of the Ming chefs, Ya Feixiu, drops by the royal kitchen just to mock the Joseon cooks’ skills. A chopping competition breaks out, and though the local cooks lose, Ji-young boosts their confidence with a fiery pep talk.

Soon, it’s time to decide on the themes for the big cooking showdown. Round one will be about creating a brand-new meat or fish dish. Round two revolves around the words “know” and “change,” which Yi Heon interprets as a chance for both sides to try each other’s cuisines. The third round focuses on a soup made with ginseng, the ultimate test of skill.

Yu Kun raises the stakes even higher, demanding 100 more women and all of Joseon’s ginseng if he wins. In return, Yi Heon asks for large quantities of sugarcane and flour if Ji-young comes out on top. They’re given five days to prepare, and the tension couldn’t be higher.

The episode closes on Ji-young studying a diagram of a pressure cooker and sharpening her knife, looking every bit like a warrior ready for battle.

DramaZen's Opinion

Episodes 5 and 6 turned up both the heat in the kitchen and the tension in the palace.

The chemistry between Ji-young and Yi Heon keeps getting stronger, and their little moments together, especially the disguise trip to the market, were adorable. But things are definitely getting serious now with the Ming envoy’s arrival and the high-stakes cooking competition on the line. Ji-young’s determination, creativity, and sass really shine through, and Yi Heon’s growing protectiveness adds just the right amount of swoon.

These episodes perfectly balance humor, heart, and suspense...I can’t wait to see how their teamwork holds up under the pressure!