Girl, if you thought Bon Appétit, Your Majesty was going to slow down after episode 6, think again! Episodes 7 and 8 kicked the heat up to a full boil. And no, I’m not just talking about the samgyetang pressure cooker situation (although… that too).
We’re now smack in the middle of the Culinary Nation Wars, and the stakes? HIGHER THAN EVER. We’ve got sabotage, espionage, slow-burn romance, and shirtless Gong-gil, and a storyline that had me literally screaming “YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH MY CHEF!” at the screen. Let’s break it all down by episode.
Our modern chef Yeon Ji-young keeps dazzling Joseon with techniques from the future, while King Yi Heon tries to balance national pride with an increasingly obvious crush. Court snakes keep slithering, the Ming envoys keep testing everyone’s patience, and every meal somehow nudges the romance forward.
Episode 7 Review
What went down: Our heroine, Ji-yeong, needs a pressure cooker to prepare the samgyetang for the upcoming Culinary Nation Wars round. However, in Joseon, that invention didn’t exist yet.
So, she embarks on a quasi-quest to find Jang Chun-saeng, nephew of the famous inventor Jang Yeong-sil. He’s eccentric, distant, and carries a grudge: his uncle was used by the royal court and then discarded.
Ji-yeong’s task is to persuade him. But first, she has to deal with his stubbornness and hurt.
Meanwhile, King Yi Heon’s jealousy flares when Seong-jae (his royal aide) is assigned to accompany Ji-yeong. He ends up going himself, partly because he can’t stand seeing them together, partly because he knows Ji-yeong’s mission hinges on securing this cooker. Along for the ride are Gong-gil and the royal guard, and soon enough, trouble follows.
Prince Jesan sees the trip as a chance to sabotage Ji-yeong. There’s an assassination plot, Ji-yeong’s hand gets injured, and worst of all, the pressure cooker lid gets damaged just when things seem to be falling into place.
Episode 8 Review
At last, the first round of the competition begins. The theme: a “never-seen-before meat dish.” But righteousness doesn’t come easy. Ji-yeong discovers their chili powder (gochugaru) is missing.
The sabotage seems calculated. Without it, her initial dish choice (spicy short ribs) becomes impossible. So she improvises with beef bourguignon using wild grape rice wine.
In contrast, Ming’s chef, Ya Feixiu, uses chili stolen from Joseon’s supplies to create a “new” flavor. Yu Kun and the Ming envoy are impressed.
Ji-yeong calls out the misused ingredients, leading to a heated confrontation. Bailong, the Ming chef leader, shows moral backbone, admitting that Ya Feixiu misused Joseon’s chili. But Prince Jesan tries to defend himself with flimsy excuses.
The second round raises the stakes even higher. Ji-yeong must prepare Peking duck. With her wrist still injured, she entrusts slicing to Maeng, but Mok-ju’s sabotage threatens everything. Thankfully, Maeng’s conscience is stronger than threats.
He trains Gil-geum in secret so she can step in. The results of Ji-yeong’s duck rolls blow the judges away. Even Yu Kun and King Heon, mouths full, are visibly moved.
The way Ji-yeong doesn’t crumble when her ingredient is stolen. Her creativity under pressure is queen-level.
Maeng’s redemption, Gil-geum stepping up, and Bailong’s emotional story (temple, wandering, finding food, nearly dying, learning in Joseon) all hit deep. The tension and eventual triumph with the duck dish are gloriously satisfying.
Romance-wise, the tension between Heon and Ji-young is finally reaching a boiling point. The way he looked at her in this episode? The jealousy? The protectiveness? Girl, he is head over heels.
And don’t even get me started on that preview hinting Ming might want Ji-young as a “tribute woman.” My jaw hit the floor.
What To Expect On The Next Episodes of Bon Appétit, Your Majesty?
Get ready, because things are about to boil over on Bon Appétit, Your Majesty. The Ming envoy eyeing Ji-young as a possible “tribute woman” is bound to push Heon into full-on protective (and maybe even possessive) mode.
We’re also inching closer to the final round of the Culinary Nation Wars, which means higher stakes, bolder flavors, and, let’s be real, probably even more sabotage.
The coup plot bubbling in the background is also coming to light, so we might finally see Heon take action against Prince Jesan. And besties, let’s not forget the romance. The way Heon keeps looking at Ji-young? A confession feels closer than ever.
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