Of the countless number of mouth-watering dishes featured in the recently ended tvN drama "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty," lead actor Lim Yoon-a said her favorite was doenjang (soybean paste) pasta, of which she personally wants to ask for the recipe.

And just like the viewers, Lim herself couldn't resist many of the plates shown in the drama — though most were prepared for the king on screen, she was able to try some of the leftovers on set.


“I was curious, so I tried a bite of everything,” said Lim to reporters in a roundtable interview at The Ambassador Seoul – A Pullman Hotel last week. “I often tried them when they were being cleared after shooting and really everything was so delicious.”

“But the dish I remember the most is the doenjang pasta,” she revealed, describing it as tasting somewhat like jjajang (black bean sauce) ramyeon, but with a doenjang kick and a satisfying texture thanks to its thick, chewy noodles.

The series is a time-travel story where a modern-day French cuisine chef, Yeon Ji-young, played by Lim, gets transported to the Joseon era (1392-1910). There, she encounters King Yi Heon, portrayed by Lee Chae-min, who is known to be a gourmet and who was historically recorded as a tyrant. She wins over the king by satisfying his picky palate with her modern fusion dishes, but as her fame grows, more royal challenges await.

An adaptation of Park Guk-jae’s web novel “Surviving as Yeonsagun’s Chef” (2022-25), the series was directed by Chang Tae-you.

Lim shared that even thinking about the project makes her feel emotional.

"It really feels like I’ve spent this past year living as Yeon Ji-young, so it’s bittersweet to think that it’s all coming to an end after just 12 episodes," said Lim. "I prepared for this show longer than any other project and was able to show a wide range of sides of myself."

Lim prepared for three months before filming started, a time she spent practicing cooking techniques such as knife skills and studying both Korean and Western cuisines to sell her performance as a skilled chef.

“Whenever I think back on it, I think this is the one that makes me the most emotional.”

She added that even listening to the show’s soundtrack makes her tear up. “A big part of me really doesn’t want to let it go just yet,” she said.

The fantasy period TV series “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” ended on a high note on Sunday, with a 17.1 percent viewership rating, according to Nielsen Korea on Monday. This marks the highest viewership rating for a tvN drama series since "Queen of Tears" (2024), which peaked at 24.9 percent.

Although the series wrapped up to a positive reception, the show started off on a rocky path as actor Park Sung-hoon, who was initially planned to play Yi Heon, stepped down from his role after uploading an inappropriate post on Instagram late last year.

Lim addressed this issue and praised Lee’s thorough preparation in such a short time.

“Having good chemistry with a partner is very important, but in this case, I wouldn’t say it was particularly difficult for me,” she said. “Since we were still in the pre-shoot stage, the most important thing was building that chemistry once filming began. I think Lee would have felt more pressure in this case as he had to quickly and fully prepare as Yi Heon and come to the set ready to start filming.”

She thanked Lee, adding, “Even though there wasn’t much time to prepare, I really think it’s amazing how he learned so many skills, from horseback riding to brush calligraphy and more, and came to the set fully equipped as Yi Heon, ready to take on the role.”

The show topped Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English shows chart for two consecutive weeks, remaining on the chart for a total of five weeks — a testament to its international popularity. Lim was also ranked No. 1 as the most buzzed-about actor on TV and streaming platforms, according to FUNdex, a popularity aggregator by GoodData Corporation.

Lim said that she still “hasn’t sunk in yet,” though she notices people calling her by her character name, Yeon Ji-young, both in Korea and abroad.

Her recent projects, including “King the Land” (2023), “Big Mouth” (2022) and the recently concluded “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” all surpassed 10 percent viewership — a notable achievement in today’s saturated content landscape.

While humbly giving credit to her colleagues and crews she has worked with, she shared one thing she feels great about.

“I recently said in a YouTube video with critic Beck Una that I want to become an actor whose performances can make people nod along, and I feel happy because I think I’m getting a step closer to that,” Lim said.

While many are eager to see her next project, Lim said she currently has no plans.

“I really want to try a wide variety of projects,” she said. “It’s nice to do what I’m good at, but I also think it would be great to take on roles that show unexpected sides of me. I’m open to various options.”


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]