Im Yoon-a, 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' Feels the Success... "On the Street, I'm Not Called 'Yoon-a', But 'Chef Dae-ryeong', 'Miss Yeon-ji-young'"

Actress Im Yoon-a, who is feeling the popularity of the tvN weekend drama 〈Bon Appétit, Your Majesty〉, recently revealed the factors behind the drama's success and filming anecdotes.

On the 24th, at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Im Yoon-a said, "These days, when I pass by on the street or go to a restaurant, people call me 'Miss Yeon-ji-young' or 'Chef Dae-ryeong' instead of 'Yoon-a'. I felt at that moment that many people are really watching this drama."

〈Bon Appétit, Your Majesty〉 is a fantasy historical drama where Michelin 3-star chef Yeon-ji-young (played by Im Yoon-a) falls into the Joseon Dynasty and presents new dishes to the gourmet tyrant Lee Heon (played by Lee Chae-min) every day. Based on a web novel, this work recorded a final episode viewership rating of 17.1% on the 28th, achieving the best performance among tvN dramas since 〈Queen of Tears〉.

In particular, it rose to the top of the global rankings in the non-English TV category on Netflix for two consecutive weeks, becoming the biggest topic of the second half of this year. Im Yoon-a expressed her gratitude, saying, "I checked the ratings on my phone every morning as soon as I woke up. I am really thankful to be able to enjoy the joy of ranking first in non-English Netflix again, following my previous work 〈King the Land〉."

He analyzed that the biggest factor in this work receiving great love from global viewers was the theme of 'cooking'. "This work features fusion Korean cuisine that resembles French cuisine while incorporating Korean royal court dishes," he said, adding, "With the recent K-food craze, it seems that many people around the world found the theme of this work, which deals with our country's royal court cuisine, interesting."

To perfectly embody the role of the best chef in Joseon, Im Yoon-a underwent an intensive preparation process for over three months. "I attended a cooking academy for three months before filming, learning the basics like knife skills, and I learned French cooking directly from the chef here at this hotel where we are having the interview," he explained.

"Every time a cooking scene appears in the drama, I think it might be considered a success to see the viewers looking at me as Chef Dae-ryeong without any doubt," he added.

Among the dishes actually used in filming, the most impressive dish was the 'Doenjang Pasta' that Yeon-ji-young made to comfort Lee Heon. "I was curious, so I tried a bite of everything after filming, but the most memorable was the Doenjang Pasta," he said, adding, "Later, I want to learn the recipe for one of the dishes from the drama, like Doenjang Pasta or Beef Bourguignon, and try making it again."

He expressed gratitude, saying that the passionate performances of his fellow actors also played a significant role in the drama's success. Im Yoon-a reflected, "I was the one who made the food, but I think the reactions of the people eating express how great this person's ability is. I am really thankful to the actors who ate deliciously and reacted well so that I could become a chef who made amazing dishes that I have never tasted in the world."

In particular, he recalled, "The scene where Lee Heon unravels his clothes in the reed field, the scene where Im Song-jae first tastes MSG (monosodium glutamate) while shrimp and shiitake mushrooms fly around behind him, and the scene where the Ming Dynasty envoy dances with Lee Heon are all very memorable."

Im Yoon-a did not hold back on praising Lee Chae-min, who joined the project just before filming. "Even though there was no time to spare (before filming), he learned everything from horseback riding to calligraphy and appeared on set as 'Lee Heon' itself, which I thought was really amazing," he said, adding, "When we filmed the reaction scenes, I thought he did really well as he expressed himself confidently without any shyness."

Regarding the hot response to the age-gap couple chemistry, he explained, "This was my first time with a younger partner, but fortunately, Lee Chae-min has many mature aspects, so I didn't feel the age difference much. He has a tendency to want to act perfectly, which is similar to me, so there were many points of connection while acting together."

The drama particularly showcased many scenes that highlighted the charm of Im Yoon-a, the 'master of romantic comedy'. One of the most talked-about scenes in the drama was when the drunken Yeon-ji-young dances with the chefs in the royal kitchen to the song 'Come Back Home' by Seo Taiji and Boys. This scene was born from Im Yoon-a's ad-lib.

He said, "I was thinking about how to express the script that said Yeon-ji-young was drunk while singing 'Come Back Home', so I changed the last part of the lyrics to 'I didn't even have my destiny record'. The director was very receptive to ideas and ad-libs, so it was possible to create this scene."

"The scene where we dance together with the chefs felt very cartoonish, but I was glad that many people liked it," he added.

Im Yoon-a expressed that she achieved acting growth through this work and lamented that the ending was more regrettable than any other work. "This work had many viewers who watched from Yeon-ji-young's perspective, so I felt a great sense of responsibility as a narrator," she reflected, adding, "When viewers say they are waiting for Yeon-ji-young to appear or that part is the most fun, I felt very proud."

"I prepared for this work longer than any other, and the filming period was long, so it felt like the 12 episodes ended too quickly, and I felt a lump in my throat," she said, adding, "There were many bright and happy scenes, but thinking about the emotional scenes with Lee Heon towards the end still makes my heart ache."

Regarding her future endeavors, she expressed her ambition to become an actress that more people can relate to. "I once said in a YouTube video that I would like to be an actress who can give a nod to the audience, and these days I feel like I am getting closer to that nod," she said, adding, "Next, I want to try an unexpected work where people can say, 'Oh, Yoon-a has this side to her.'"