Cover From royal kitchens to ancient battlefields, time travel stories like ‘Mr Queen’ bring a touch of modern expertise to historical intrigue for the perfect binge-watching experience.
From royal kitchens to ancient battlefields, time travel stories like ‘Mr Queen’ bring a touch of modern expertise to historical intrigue for the perfect binge-watching experience.
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If you’ve devoured every episode of Netflix’s culinary time travel hit, these curated recommendations will satisfy your craving for more cross-temporal romance and adventure
If you’ve just finished the final episode of Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, you’re likely experiencing a very specific kind of craving. It’s not just hunger for the show’s gorgeously shot culinary masterpieces—it’s desire for that perfect blend of time travel fantasy, competent protagonists and cross-temporal romance. The series’s runaway success lies in the modern pro whose everyday skills turn into superpowers in the past—an irresistible fantasy of competence, influence and maybe even a better ending than history ever wrote. If you need to scratch the same itch, dive into these perfect follow-ups.
In case you missed it: 8 unforgettable Korean-French fusion dishes at the heart of ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’
‘Mr Queen’ (2020)
Above In ‘Mr Queen’, a Blue House chef awakens in the body of Joseon Queen So-yong.
Mr Queen just may be the ultimate follow-up for any Bon Appétit, Your Majesty fan. Jang Bong-hwan (Choi Jin-hyuk), a cocky Blue House chef, awakens in the body of Joseon Queen So-yong after a politically charged accident. Trapped in the wrong century and gender, he must use his encyclopedic culinary knowledge to navigate treacherous palace politics while married to the cunning King Cheoljong (Kim Jung-hyun). This gender-bending time travel comedy delivers the same delightful fish-out-of-water premise with even more slapstick humour and political intrigue.
‘Outlander’ (2014–present)
Above The sweeping ‘Outlander’ captures the story of a modern woman thriving in a brutal historical world.
Combat nurse Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) touches ancient Scottish stones in 1945 and awakens in 1743, where her 20th-century medical training makes her both invaluable healer and suspected witch. Forced into marriage with Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) for protection, what begins as necessity blossoms into an epic love story. Outlander is a sweeing saga that perfectly captures the fantasy of a skilled modern woman using her expertise to survive and thrive in a brutal historical world.
‘Live Up to Your Name’ (2017)
Above This two-way time travel story ‘Live Up to Your Name’ creates a dialogue between medical philosophies.
In Live Up to Your Name, Joseon acupuncturist Heo Im (Kim Nam-gil) and modern cardiothoracic surgeon Choi Yeon-kyung (Kim Ah-joong) find themselves travelling between their respective timelines, forcing them to merge traditional Eastern medicine with contemporary surgical techniques. This unique two-way time travel creates fascinating dialogue between medical philosophies while exploring how professional expertise transcends centuries.
‘About Time’ (2013)
Above The heartwarming British rom-com explores the fantasy of perfecting life with time travel.
About Time is a charming genre-bender, equal parts comedy and drama, and science fiction, fantasy and romance. In this Richard Curtis film, Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) learns on his 21st birthday that men in his family can travel back in time within their own lives. Using this ability to pursue awkward romantic encounters and fix daily mistakes, he courts the beautiful Mary (Rachel McAdams) through multiple timeline adjustments. This heartwarming film explores the fantasy of perfecting life through temporal do-overs, asking what happiness really means when you can change the past.
‘Time Slip Dr Jin’ (2012)
Above Modern knowledge becomes life-saving power in a pre-modern world in ‘Time Slip Dr Jin’.
Top neurosurgeon Jin Hyuk (Song Seung-heon), the titular Time Slip Dr Jin, is transported to 1860s Joseon after a mysterious brain tumour operation goes wrong. Armed only with modern medical knowledge and primitive tools, he must perform surgical miracles while navigating political upheaval and forbidden romance with nobleman’s daughter Hong Young-rae (Park Min-young). This drama intensifies the medical expertise angle, creating high-stakes scenarios where modern knowledge literally becomes life-saving power in a pre-modern world.
‘Kate & Leopold’ (2001)
Above Old-world chivalry clashes with modern pragmatism in this time travel romance.
Kate & Leopold , starring Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan, the former as a duke who is also a 19th century inventor, and the latter as a cynical turn-of-the-millennium market researcher. Duke Leopold’s old-world chivalry and ingenuity clash delightfully with Kate’s modern pragmatism in this classic fish-out-of-water romance. The film flips the usual premise, showing how historical expertise and values can be equally powerful when transplanted to contemporary settings.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
