Netflix's Best 2025 K-Drama Is A Historical Epic With A Time Travel Twist

There were many eagerly anticipated K-dramas going into 2025, but the South Korean show that has caught us by surprise the most this year is "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty." The story's protagonist is Yeon Ji-yeong (Im Yoon-ah), a young Korean chef who has become an award-winning specialist in French cuisine. During a mysterious lunar event, Ji-yeong is magically transported over 500 years in the past in Korea's medieval Joseon era. Through her cooking skills, Ji-yeong earns a place as the esteemed royal chef to King Yi Heon (Lee Chae-min), who is in the midst of his own bloody power struggle.

Yi Heon is an actual historical figure from Korea's medieval era, who earned a reputation as one of the Joseon period's most tyrannical rulers. Working in the palace, Ji-yeong not only directly serves the vengeance-obsessed monarch but also becomes a key figure in the deadly intrigue around him. With Yi Heon revealed to be a gourmand in the series, an unlikely romance forms between him and Ji-yeong as the story unfolds. This is complicated by not only the enemies Yi Heon has accrued, along with his violent nature, but also Ji-yeong's concerns about altering history.

Here's why "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" stands as one of 2025's best K-dramas and more than just because of its time-bending premise.

On a superficial level, "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" feels like a cultural transposition of "Outlander," swapping out 18th-century Scotland for 16th-century Korea. But our time-displaced protagonist isn't falling in love with a dashing and heroic revolutionary, but rather a despotic ruler, complicating matters. That said, this romantic drama isn't interested in delving into Yi Heon's problematic legacy, but instead uses it as a springboard into a fantasy tale unconcerned with historical accuracy. That distinction helps with the subtle charm Lee Chae-min brings to his role as Yi Heon and the electric chemistry that he shares on-screen with Im Yoon-ah.

The other key element is the show's genre blend, something that many of the best K-dramas of all time do, but is prominently pronounced here. Just like Ji-yeong's culinary strengths, the appeal is in the fusion, with medieval intrigue and action blending with fantasy romance, even a dash of fish-out-of-water comedy. All of these elements are well-balanced and complementary to each other, weaving an intriguing story with a sumptuously romanticized backdrop of Joseon-era Korea. And speaking of culinary fusion, the emphasis on food is mouth-wateringly effective throughout the show, so be careful when watching this series while hungry.

A hit with audiences worldwide, "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" takes familiar tropes and bakes them together into a time-traveling romantic epic that's among Netflix's best K-dramas.