Bon Appetit Your Majesty Episode 4 Review
Episode 4 picks up immediately after episode 3, centering on a high-stakes cooking competition organized by Queen Daajer. The theme is “filial piety,” and all chefs must incorporate tofu and dunjang into dishes that express the love between children and parents.
Yan, the protagonist, recalls her father feeding her dong pasta and decides to prepare the same dish to embody the theme. Despite fierce competition and limited ingredients, Yan finds creative solutions, using spinach for its health benefits and securing a rare aged dunjang with help from an unexpected ally, the unic.
The competition is tense, with political intrigue unfolding simultaneously. Ministers suspect the queen’s motives are to eliminate Yan, and there are secret machinations involving assassination plots and power struggles. Yan’s cooking style is unconventional, drawing skepticism and mockery from other chefs and consorts, but King Leian is intrigued by her originality. Yan’s dish evokes a deep nostalgia in Queen Daajer, reminding her of her mother’s cooking and stirring emotional memories.
As the judges sample the dishes, Yan’s soup impresses everyone, especially the queen, who acknowledges its authenticity and healthful additions. Yan is declared the winner and appointed royal head chef, saving her life, but the king insists on harsh punishment for the losers, which only the queen’s intervention and Yan’s pleas manage to prevent. The political tension escalates as King Leian confronts Kongju, a scheming noblewoman who has been spreading rumors and orchestrating attacks against Yan.
Further developments reveal that Yan’s bag contains a mysterious book called Manganrock, linked to her time travel from the future. King Leian is shown writing in the same book, suggesting an intertwined fate. The episode closes with a surprisingly tender moment as King Leian, vulnerable and intoxicated, shares a kiss with Yan, signaling a deepening personal connection amidst the palace turmoil.
Conclusion
Episode 4 masterfully blends culinary artistry with political intrigue, emotional depth, and supernatural elements like time travel. Yan’s journey through the competition showcases her ingenuity and emotional intelligence, winning over skeptical nobles and the queen herself.
Meanwhile, the court’s dangerous scheming and the mystery of the Manganrock book add suspense and complexity to the narrative. The episode ends on a poignant note of romance, setting the stage for further developments in both the palace drama and Yan’s mysterious connection to the future. This episode highlights themes of tradition versus innovation, the power of memory and food, and the intricate interplay of fate and free will.
