Toph

I agree it's a time loop. Honestly, I was waiting for the crème brûlée 😅 (spelled differently in the Mangunrok). i was rewatching episode 1 while cook Yeon was flipping the pages, I think, the pressure cooker was also there. I just hope they could explain how it became a time loop, or else, it's something that would bother me for a long time. Haha.

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Huh? Are we watching the same drama? Haha.

- she was subtly dancing when she was able to see again the king when he skipped so many meals
- the king always compliments her cooking and she felt proud of it (some girls would fall in love when they felt acknowledged for what they do best)
- they discuss about the food, something they are both passionate about, some of which in a private setting where they can also talk about anything
- she was gifted by the king with a greenhouse and gave her bag (she was so happy about it)
- the king fought the bandits to save her and she thought that the king was cool showcasing his swordsmanship
- she bought flowers thinking of the king's well being (not part of her job description as the chief royal cook)

I think she was only in denial. It was actually slow burn romance.

Hmmm... "It's all so silly yet the show desperately wants to be taken seriously." Who says the show "desperately" wants to be taken seriously when it's a rom-com? Romcoms are not really to be taken seriously. ✌️

Yay!

Cook Yeon was given 3 days to investigate and prove her innocence, but it's more like 3 days of "how do we move past flirting?" 😅 they really are multi-tasking. Haha.

Now i miss the chief royal secretary being the wingman. 😆

Flashbacks are used if the character needs to recall something and to convey to the viewers that they are thinking about specific scenarios in their heads.

And, flashbacks are also useful for non-binge watchers to remind what happened.

What if Cook Maeng and Gilgeum are really the end game? 😅

My first time to see a court lady who knows how to fight like that, i was surprised!

Lol! Same here 😁

I'm amazed by Cook Yeon's brain. Aside from cooking, she is well-versed in the history and science behind cooking. She knows when the food came to exist, and how to adapt to Joseon's available resources and current technology at the time. I can't even remember any of my country's history in chronological order. Haha.

After the cooking competition, I guess, the drama now focuses more on the political arena. I'm just sad that it will soon end next week.

I originally rated this as 9/10 back in 2022, but changed it to 9.5/10 in 2025. Binge-watching this again made me realize that the drama has a great deal of depth, even though it tackles the usual power struggles within the royal family/court during the Joseon era. It's a fresh take on focusing on a strong-minded queen without taking lives. She really is born to be a queen. The loyalty between the queen's sons is unusual compared to the portrayal in other sageuk dramas, where full-blood brothers would attempt to kill each other for the throne. It says a lot about how she raised them.

thanks for this!

Yup, glad he didnt betray the royal kitchen squad :) he made a workaround about his situation and i was happy it worked!

For me, Yoona's acting is good so far. Most of the time, her character is thinking about her next steps or planning the next best course of action inside her head. In order to convey what she's thinking, her expressions should serve her well. She is from a different era, so she is always processing her thoughts within herself so facial expressions should be more visible and obvious. Otherwise, watching her will be bland. I cant think of other ways she could have done her expressions. Her voice/tone was also very well executed for a leader who is calm despite the pressure. Her stature as a cook is also convincing.

I really like Jinmu here. Haha. It's still fun to watch. The only complaint I have is that there are no independent judges for the food. Both the king and the envoy lead have their own political agenda so how is this going to be settled in the end? One could give a low score on the opposite nation despite of the excellent food for the sake of achieving their goals. 🤔

Yup, both shows derived inspiration from the same king. Gong gil there was feminine unlike in this drama, he's very masculine.

Yes, but definitely not happening in this drama since there's cook Yeon in the mix.

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Its the proof he/she is fast forwarding, thinking Manbok is also here. 😅

Yup, but I guess, the overall winner will be the cliffhanger since they are having 3 dishes this time. Haha. But yeah, i hope they wrap it all up in ep8. 😊