Royal Feast

"Royal Feast" it's a historical drama about people working in the palace, their lives and loves.

Like most people, I also started watching because of "Story of Yanxi Palace", hoping to finally see Wu Jin Yan and Xu Kai as a couple, but the drama disappoints so much and that in all aspects. The romance is very weak, the relationship between Zi Jin and Zhan Ji doesn't captivate attention, so I thought that at least the cooking part would be good... but no.

At first, it seems like there is an intention to focus more on the day-to-day lives of the women who work in the palace and make the dishes, there are even some competitions between the characters, so I thought the drama would be something like "Chef Hua" or "Dating In The Kitchen", with scenes that make your mouth water and make you want to eat, but the food itself took a backseat.

I thought Zi Jin wanted to be a cook, but from the beginning she came to the palace with the intention of seducing the prince and taking back her place. She may say no, but no one forced her to become a concubine, if it was really her dream, Zi Jin wouldn't have given up so easily.

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To watch for the cast, the costumes and the (relative) historical reality

History & Culinary series with Xu Kai as ML, and lots of excellent actors.

PLOT: The FL becomes a cook at Court. There she encounters the difficulties of a kitchen team, court intrigues, etc. and the ML, imperial grandson. We then follow the FL's progression in the kitchen and the ascension of the ML to the throne.

+++ The point of view is centered on the FL, therefore the Inner Courtyard, particularly the Courtyard seen from the kitchens.
+++ The characters are human, complex, well developed.
+ The embroidered costumes are MAGNIFICENT. Bravo to the designer!
+ I really like the credits and the OSTs, not memorable, but well suited.
+ The narration is slow, but detailed. This gives a realistic impression of the era, the customs, the protocols,... (except that if we look at the chinese emperor'portraits, there is none as young and handsome as Xu Kai :)

# Start of the series a little sluggish, the rest is better.
# I don't find FL pretty. I'm not talking about the actress, but her very severe hairstyle doesn't suit her.

=> In the end, I liked this series, but I don't think I will watch it again because it is slow and long.

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Série Historique & Culinaire avec Xu Kai as ML, et bcp d'excellents acteurs.

PLOT: La FL devient cuisinière à la Cour. Elle y rencontre les difficultés d'1 équipe de cuisine, les intrigues de Cour, etc. et le ML, petit-fils impérial. On suit alors la progression en cuisine de la FL et l'ascension du ML au trône.

+++ Le point de vue est centré sur la FL, donc la Cour Intérieure, particulièrement la Cour vue des cuisines.
+++ Les personnages sont humains, complexes, bien développés.
+ Les costumes brodés sont MAGNIFIQUES. Bravo au designer !
+ J'aime beaucoup le générique et les OST, non mémorables, mais bien adaptées.
+ La narration est lente, mais détaillée. Cela donne une impression réaliste de l'époque, des usages, des protocoles,... (sauf que si on regarde les portraits des empereurs, il n'y en a aucun aussi jeune et beau que Xu Kai :)

# Débuts de la série un peu poussifs, la suite est mieux.
# Je ne trouve pas la FL jolie. Je ne parle pas de l'actrice, mais sa coiffure, très sévère, ne lui sied pas.

=> Au final, j'ai bien aimé cette série, mais je ne crois pas que je la regarderai à nouveau car elle est lente et longue.

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I came for Xu Kai. I stayed for the imperial cuisine that became the real star of the drama.

Sometimes, a drama doesn't need grand battles, heartbreaking sacrifices, or earth-shattering plot twists to be enjoyable.

Sometimes...

it simply needs to know exactly what kind of story it wants to tell.

That was Royal Feast for me.

I started this drama knowing it had mixed reviews. Many viewers compared it to Story of Yanxi Palace simply because it reunited Xu Kai and Wu Jinyan. Others criticized the slow pacing, limited romance, and heavy focus on palace life rather than the relationship between the leads.

So I adjusted my expectations before pressing play.

And I'm glad I did.

From the very beginning, Royal Feast made it clear that this wasn't a romance disguised as a palace drama.

It was a palace drama told through food.
As someone who genuinely enjoys cooking, I found myself paying as much attention to every dish as I did to the dialogue.

Each banquet wasn't simply about beautiful presentation.

Every ingredient, cooking technique, and imperial meal carried purpose—whether to celebrate, heal, persuade, or reflect the emotions of the people eating it.

I honestly found myself looking forward to every cooking sequence.

The food cinematography alone deserves recognition.

Every dish looked like a work of art.

The preparation, the colors, the close-up shots, and the attention to historical detail made every imperial banquet feel immersive.

There were moments when I forgot I was watching a historical drama because I became completely invested in the cooking itself.

Visually, Royal Feast is elegant.
The costumes beautifully captured the refinement of the Ming Dynasty without feeling excessively extravagant.

The palace interiors, lighting, and cinematography created an atmosphere that felt calm rather than overwhelming.

The soundtrack complemented the story well.
It never stood out as unforgettable, but it quietly supported the emotions without distracting from them.

Xu Kai once again reminded me why I enjoy watching his dramas.

This role couldn't be more different from characters like Li Chenlan or Mo Qing.

There were no battlefields.

No world-ending enemies.

No dramatic sacrifices every few episodes.

Instead, he portrayed Zhu Zhanji with remarkable restraint.

What impressed me most was the layered progression of his performance.

As the story moved from Grand Imperial Grandson, to Crown Prince, and eventually to Emperor, Xu Kai subtly adjusted the character's demeanor.

Without relying on exaggerated emotional scenes, you could gradually feel the increasing weight of responsibility resting on his shoulders.
His expressions became more restrained.

His decisions became more calculated.

His quiet moments carried more emotional weight than many dramatic speeches could have.

It wasn't an explosive performance.

It was a controlled one.

And I appreciated that.

Wu Jinyan also fit Yao Zijin perfectly.

Rather than portraying another loud or overly ambitious heroine, she gave us someone calm, patient, intelligent, and deeply devoted to her craft.

Her greatest strength wasn't political manipulation.

It was her ability to communicate through food.

Together, Xu Kai and Wu Jinyan shared a gentle chemistry.

However...

I completely understand why many viewers felt disappointed with the romance.

Personally, I never watched Royal Feast expecting an intense love story.

Even so, I couldn't help wishing the leads had been given more time together.

There were long stretches where palace affairs, imperial succession, kitchen rivalries, and political conflicts dominated the narrative while the romance quietly waited in the background.
If you're looking for constant romantic progression, this drama will probably feel lacking. That was one of the most common criticisms I came across from other viewers as well.

The palace intrigue itself was enjoyable without becoming overly exhausting.

Rather than relying entirely on endless betrayals or harem warfare, the story focused more on imperial succession, family responsibilities, court politics, and the burden of leadership.
It wasn't as intense as Story of Yanxi Palace.

It also wasn't trying to be.

That worked in its favor.

One thing I appreciated was that the drama never rushed to become something it wasn't.
It remained consistent with its identity from beginning to end.

If I had one criticism, it would be the pacing.
At forty episodes, there were moments when the story lingered longer than necessary.
Some political conflicts and kitchen rivalries could have been tightened, and I do agree with many viewers that the romance deserved more development.

Still...

I never found myself wanting to drop the drama.

Perhaps because I entered it with the right expectations.

I wasn't waiting for epic battlefields.

I wasn't waiting for tragic sacrifices.

I wasn't waiting for passionate romance every episode.

I was simply enjoying the experience.

One thing about me is that I'm still relatively new to C-dramas.
Only a few months ago, my free time was spent outdoors—cycling, hiking, and chasing adventures.
Now, after watching more than forty historical dramas, I've realized something.

Not every drama needs to emotionally destroy me to leave a good impression.

Sometimes...

watching beautifully prepared imperial cuisine while palace politics quietly unfold is exactly the kind of experience I need.

Royal Feast may never become one of my all-time favorites.

But it became one of my most relaxing watches.
And as someone who genuinely enjoys cooking...
I probably appreciated it far more than I expected.

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Do not watch this drama when you are hungry

As the title suggests, Royal Feast showcases a lot of food, the preparation and the eating of it. I liked watching how the food was prepared and it added to the visual feast of this drama. This drama was one of my anticipated dramas partly because I wanted to see a cdrama set in the kitchen and also because I wanted to witness the reunion of the Xu Kai x Wu Jinyan cp from Yanxi Palace.

The Good:
The costumes, aesthetics and song choices used in the drama were really good.
I loved the friendship between Ziping and Yao Zijin. It was probably my favourite part of the drama.


The Bad:
The storyline was not well developed, This could be due to some very obvious editing and cutting , there were points where I felt confused with the characters actions. I enjoyed the drama up to the point where the leads get together. Afterwards it felt rather flat.

The sml just seemed to be constantly plotting and there was no character development for him. There also seemed to be no character development for the sfl as well. In fact I actually would have liked to see a romance bloom between the sfl and sml as there seemed to be potential there, rather than letting the sml just pine for the fl. I liked both Wang Yizhe and Wang Churan's acting but after seeing them in better works, I think this was not their strongest performance.
The same goes for Xu Kai and Wu Jinyan . Wu Jinyan's performance felt stiff at times. It could be also due to her character seeming like such a Mary Sue. She is perfect in everything. Xu Kai performance felt alright but even his character didn't seem to experience much development.

Final thoughts:
I also thought the drama might show the story of Empress Sun more ( Yao Zijin character) and her struggles with dealing with her son. So I am disappointed that we did not get to see more of Yao Zijin as Empress. Overall giving the drama 7.5 because I liked the pretty aesthetics and the food.

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Royal Feast in Yanxi Palace!

I am pretty sure that many People will watch this Drama after being disappointed by Leads "romanticus interruptus" in Story of Yanxi Palace.

So I will start my Review with exactly that.

- the Romance between the Leads:
If you expect to get satisfaction for the disappointment in Yanxi Palace, you MIGHT, but only to some degree. Yes the Leads are romantically engaged to each other but it is slooooooooooow and takes ages to take off. It had some moments but overall it did not satisfy or engage me enough to consider it worthwhile on its own. It also turns into planned/forced Relationship later on. The Romance is there but it could have been done better.

- the Story in general
this series is basically an Advertisement for Chinese Food that is disguised as a Drama (not necessarily a bad thing). Neither Actors are the "main Leads" but in fact Food is the "main Lead". Do not watch this Drama on an empty Stomach.
Overall the Story is ok but nothing to write Home about. Besides, it makes the same mistake as Yanxi Palace did and later foregoes the main Story centered around the Kitchen and Food and turns it into "Yanxi Palace light" with again female Lead ending up as the Consort of Emperor!
I didnt like it in Yanxi Palace, I didnt like it here (thats why I dropped it around Ep. 30). This might be my personal Bias but I find Romances on the highest level of Human "Status" completely unbelievable and have a hard time to suspend my disbelief. Believing that an Emperor, who basically has nearly unrestricted access to ALL the best and most beautiful women in China, would simply settle for what is the historical equivalent of "high school love" is something I leave to Teenage Girls.

- the Music
nothing Noteworthy but also nothing really disturbing. The Intro overall is great though.

Conclusion: as far as Dramas go, its nothing really bad but its nothing really good either. If its unique premise (the presentation of lots and lots of food) strikes your fancy, you might get a lot more out of it.

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I love the cooking Theme

As always my favorite Character was the FL and I did enjoyed the ML also, I think overall the show was amazing, looking at the cooking skills China 🇨🇳 bring to the table makes me wonder if I am missing out on the experience of the world greatest cooking nation, They do not just cook for taste but mostly importantly showing how food can also be used for health in many different ways. The show really brought some amazing food skills to life, comfort foods, healing foods, art food, literature foods, food themes, timeless food, food display with colors and energy positioning of food, many aspects of food that we do not think about as much. I really did enjoyed the meaning, also the writers ✍️ done a very well job on balancing out the schemes, food, and storyline intended. The culture of china’s food is simply amazing and the actors, directors, and writers brought it to life to celebrate the different traditions and styles of Chinese cuisine. A show worth watching especially if you like the different complexities of food, schemes, and cultures 😇

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Because Xu Kai watched drama till end

As drama was based on royal feast ,so most of the times preparing of the food had been shown in the drama . Inorder not to get drama bored ,so story had some spices to it means some fights in order to snatch the power ,conspiracies among family member and a romantic story
had been added which also got bored. Female lead looked little elder to male lead so I didn't like the pairing .
I liked one scene in which female lead slept outside the door of prince while waiting for him . When his meeting got over . He came out of the room and saw her sleeping and carried her into his arm and very nicely laid her on bed and kissed her . Wao so romantic.
Story was confusing especially story of female's lead. What actually she wanted not cleared properly.

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Worth a watch for the politics and foooddd

LIKE

Zhu Gao Chi keep on eating he must have volunteered to be in this drama. He eats the most!

Wu Cai Ren so funny always being avoided by Zhu Zhan Ji

Wow Zi Jin's confession so direct bold and courageous very genuine

When Wu Cai Ren ate the flower lol

Wow the politics involving You Yi Fan

What Zhu Zhan Ji did to his uncle and dad

When the three princes fighting to “drink” the wine lol

One simple delicacies drama with so many political wow internal external

Did not expect so much tears woww this is not a cooking drama this is so emotional

The Royal Kitchen what have they been doing to the ingredients such a kind move

When Meng Shang Shi drank that wine omg soso touching

DISLIKE

When an Emperor passed away, the Palace rules omg disgusting

This Hong Xi should not even be an Emperor so easily believes in everyone backfires himself next time

MUSIC - personal fav

滋味 Zi Wei - 王一哲 Wang Yi Zhe

REWATCH VALUE

Will re-watch some day when I have the time

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Absolutely captivating. Totally underrated

This drama is, in my opinion, underrated.

The plot of this particular drama revolves around the mystical world of food and the intricate relationship between cooks and their creations. The way the food was prepared and presented in this show was nothing short of an art form, and it was truly captivating to watch. The maids who worked tirelessly in the kitchen seemed to operate like a well-oiled machine, moving with precision and care to ensure that every dish was perfect. Overall, this show was a feast for the senses and a testament to the power of food in our lives.

I adored both male leads! The Prince's character development was on point, from becoming the Prince to crown prince to the Emperor, he never wavered in his love for her and gave his heart completely. His unwavering love for the female lead, regardless of her actions, was truly admirable. As for the guard, he was enigmatic and ruthless, yet still managed to be highly likable. Despite his cruel nature, he fell in love, and that made him all the more intriguing. However, I must admit that the female lead's character left me conflicted. I failed to understand how she could so easily love to hate someone who never did her any wrong.

I loved this drama, but I was disappointed by the lack of explanation for the main character's sudden change of heart from a woman in love to a hateful woman. The fact that one concubine was forced to hang herself as per the ancestral laws did not justify her extreme behavior towards others. The transition was not clear, and it made it difficult for me to understand and appreciate her character. In my opinion, she appeared like a bitch, and her later change did not make up for it.

Despite enjoying this drama, I must say that the edits were subpar and failed to ensure a smooth-watching experience. At times, the production team neglected to provide proper explanations for certain actions or decisions made by the characters, leading me to search for reasons or justifications on my own. This is unacceptable; I should have been able to comprehend everything from the get-go. While I wouldn't necessarily call it a complete disaster, it did give me pause. There was a major problem with either the scriptwriters or editors, director, or production. Perhaps they made cuts in the wrong places, but regardless, it's a shame.

I found the pace of this drama slow, but it didn't bother me as I thoroughly enjoyed the intricate character development. The absence of physical action allowed the story to delve deep into the lives of the food maids, the harem, the guards, the eunuchs, and the Royal family. I was completely engrossed in the drama and watched it in a single marathon session.

I have to point out that there were several confusing parts in the story due to poor editing, and it bothered me that the female lead never reciprocated the same love shown by the male lead throughout the drama. Although the epilogue was predictable with the villains dying, I was disappointed to miss out on the final embrace, which was only shown as a camera zoom-out. Overall, I found the ending to be average and not entirely satisfying.

Despite any setbacks or disappointments, my desire to watch and fully immerse myself in this drama has never diminished. I find great enjoyment in being swept up in the storylines, characters, and emotions portrayed on screen, and I was always eager to experience the next twist and turn.

I recently watched a few stories that revolved around the inner workings of a palace. This particular genre has always managed to captivate my attention, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. From the intriguing plot of 'Moon Lovers' to the heartwarming narrative of 'Life Begins Anew,' and the juicy gossip of 'Palace Rumors,' each story had its unique charm and kept me engaged till the end. I do understand that not everyone may share my enthusiasm for this genre, but I relish every bit of it and eagerly await more such stories to indulge in.

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Worth Watching!

Honestly the reviews about the drama were very negative but my mum and I loved it. Yes its long but its because they actually developed the story at the right pace and did not rush it. I read a comment where they also complained about the main actress acting but honestly there was nothing wrong with it zijin has been someone who is used to holding her pain and smiling through it all...the trauma of what she went through before she entered the palace made her like that that's why she always has the same expression. And can we talk about how handsome the male lead was in the drama, he left no crumbs.

Any way....ignore the negative reviews and watch it yourself and judge for yourself. I am very glad i watched it and I don't regret it one bit, I laughed, cried and loved the twist in the story.

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