Korean Food in Perfect Crown: IU’s K-Drama 2026

Perfect Crown, the must-watch new IU K-drama of 2026, is already captivating audiences across Korea and beyond! Also known as the 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife (21세기 대군부인), this MBC romantic comedy is set in a modern South Korea under a constitutional monarchy, where chaebol heiress Seong Hui-ju (IU) enters a contract marriage with Prince I-an (Byeon Woo-seok).

But beyond the palace politics and slow-burn romance, what I noticed most is the Korean food. From traditional royal snacks inside the palace to the totally relatable scene of stress-eating Korean fried chicken late at night, this K-drama is already delivering some seriously delicious food moments.

This post will be updated every week as new episodes air every Friday and Saturday on MBC! Bookmark this page and come back for more. Now, let’s take a closer look at all the Korean food that appears in Perfect Crown!

Perfect Crown Episode 1 – Every Korean Food & Drink

Lotus Root Tea (연근차)

When Seong Hui-ju is visibly frustrated, her secretary Do Hye-jeong offers her a calming cup of lotus root tea, known in Korean as yeongeun-cha or yeonnaemul-cha. To make it, lotus root is dried unpeeled, sliced into rounds, briefly blanched, then roasted in a dehydrator or pan. The dried lotus root is then steeped in boiling water.

Lotus root tea is known for its calming and soothing effects, helping to clear the blood, relieve fatigue, and ease an unsettled mind which is exactly why Do Hye-jeong chose this tea for the flustered Hui-ju in episode 1 of ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’.

Royal Snack Table (주안상) – Yakgwa & Hwajeon

When Prince I-an tells his aide Choi Hyeon to stop nagging and just eat, the snack table he presents features two classic Korean treats: yakgwa and hwajeon.

• Yakgwa is a traditional Korean confection made by mixing wheat flour with sesame oil, honey, and rice wine, deep-frying the dough, then soaking it in sweet syrup. It has a chewy, rich, and sweet flavor that is completely addictive. Enjoyed since the Goryeo Dynasty, yakgwa was considered a luxury treat, often served at ancestral rites and celebratory feasts. The yakgwa in the drama appears thick and beautifully flower-shaped, likely mo-yakgwa, a style originating from the Gaeseong region, known for its crispy exterior and moist, tender inside.

• Hwajeon is a traditional Korean pan-fried rice cake made by kneading glutinous rice flour into a dough, pan-frying it in oil, and topping it with seasonal edible flowers. In spring, azalea flowers are used; in autumn, chrysanthemums. It’s a dish that captures the beauty of each season on a plate, and has been enjoyed since the Goryeo Dynasty.

Puradak Gochu Mayo Chicken (고추마요 치킨)

After being denied an audience with the prince, a furious Seong Hui-ju sits down to eat her feelings and the chicken she’s eating is the Gochu Mayo from Korean fried chicken brand Puradak. This chicken combines a creamy, nutty mayonnaise sauce with the tangy kick of jalapeño, perfectly balancing the richness of the mayo so you just can’t stop eating it.

Don’t worry about the spice level. It’s mild enough for most people. The Gochu Mayo is one of Puradak’s signature menus and one of the most beloved Korean fried chickens in Korea. As of 2026, it’s priced at ₩21,900 for bone-in, with an additional ₩3,000 for boneless. If you’re visiting Korea, this is a chicken I wholeheartedly recommend.

Episode 2

Tangyak (탕약) – Traditional Korean Herbal Decoction

One of the most culturally loaded moments in Perfect Crown Episode 2 is when Prince I-an is reminded to take his tangyak on time. If you’ve never heard of tangyak before, it’s a traditional Korean herbal medicine made by slowly simmering medicinal herbs in water for hours. The result is a deeply dark brown liquid that you drink warm, and yes, it is intensely bitter.

Because it’s consumed warm, tangyak absorbs into the body quickly, and it’s always individually prescribed based on each patient’s constitution and symptoms at a hanuiwon (traditional Korean medicine clinic). You can still get it prescribed today, and since it’s made from 100% natural herbs, the risk of side effects is minimal.

Honestly, watching this scene in the 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife brought back a wave of childhood memories for me. Whenever I was run-down as a kid, my grandmother would go to the hanuiwon and bring home tangyak specially brewed for me. I hated it back then, way too bitter for a child. But now I know it was her love in a cup.

Traditional Korean Royal Table (전통 한상)

One of the most visually stunning scenes in Perfect Crown Episode 2 is the royal lunch between Prince I-an and aide Choi Hyeon. The spread on that table is enormous and that’s because it’s royal cuisine. In real life, most Koreans eat simply: a bowl of rice, a couple of banchan, done. That table in the 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife looks more like a full Chuseok feast!

On the far left, there’s a beautiful Korean pancake set (modeum jeon). The green ones are kkaennip-jeon (perilla leaf pancakes), the round ones in the middle are dongeurangtaeng (Korean-style meatballs), and the ones on the right are saengseon-jeon (fish pancakes). If you want to make this whole set at home, follow my Modeum Jeon recipe, it’s way easier than it looks!

In the center of the table is the showstopper: sogalbi-jjim (braised beef short ribs). The beef ribs are marinated in a sweet-salty soy sauce base, then slowly braised with radish, carrots, and chestnuts until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender. It’s outrageously good, but the one catch is that you need to soak the bones in cold water for at least 3 hours to draw out the blood before cooking. If you’re outside Korea and can’t find the right cut, my boneless galbi-jjim recipe is the perfect solution, all the flavor, none of the fuss.

And the dish Choi Hyeon is passing over? That’s kkomak-muchim, spicy seasoned cockles tossed in a bold, punchy Korean sauce. Of the three, which one would you most want to try?

Subway Sandwich (서브웨이 샌드위치)

Here’s a food moment in Perfect Crown that might surprise you: Seong Hui-ju grabbing a Subway sandwich. Yes, Subway, not Korean at all, but absolutely part of everyday Korean life. A lot of Koreans grab a Subway for a quick lunch on a busy day, and it’s also a total go-to among Koreans who are counting calories.

Don’t assume every Korean eats rice at every single meal! Seeing Hui-ju with a Subway sandwich in this IU K-drama actually felt super real and relatable. And since we’re here, here’s exactly how Koreans order Subway when they’re dieting:

• Choose a low-calorie filling: Veggie (209 kcal) or Shrimp (241 kcal)
• Go for the 15cm wholegrain wheat bread
• Pick American cheese, the lowest calorie option at just 35 kcal
• Load up on all 5 fresh veggies; skip the pickles and jalapeños. Olives are fine at 3.9 kcal
• Best diet sauce combo: salt & pepper (0 kcal) + red wine vinegar (0.7 kcal) + extra virgin olive oil (29 kcal)

If eating like this resonates with you, you’ll love my -20kg diet cookbook. It’s basically the full system I used to lose 20kg eating Korean food.

Hwagwaja (화과자) – Japanese Wagashi

The prettiest food scene in Perfect Crown Episode 2, and honestly one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole drama so far, is the stunning tea table presented when I-an and Hui-ju make their marriage decision. Those gorgeous little confections on the table? They’re hwagwaja, the Korean name for Japanese wagashi.

Hwagwaja are traditional Japanese sweets made primarily from red bean paste (anko), rice flour, and sugar. The thing about hwagwaja is that they’re more about beauty than taste, each one is hand-crafted to look like a delicate flower, seasonal fruit, or a scene from nature. They’re basically edible art.

In Korea, hwagwaja are a refined and meaningful gift. You’ll often see them brought when visiting your in-laws for the first time, given as upscale holiday presents, or offered to respected elders when you’re paying your respects. It’s not something most Koreans eat casually at home which is exactly why the 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife uses them here. They signal elegance, formality, and the weight of the moment. A perfect fit for a scene where a chaebol heiress and a prince are sealing a contract marriage.

Episode 3

Korean Ramyun (라면)

What the young king, Prince I-an’s nephew, is slurping down in this scene of Perfect Crown is something you probably already know and love: Korean ramyun. Unlike Japanese ramen, Korean ramyun is instantly recognizable by its curly, springy noodles and its signature spicy, bold broth. It’s the ultimate Korean comfort food, and seeing a literal king eat it in the 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife is exactly the kind of playful detail that makes this IU K-drama so fun to watch.

Korean ramyun is also deeply nostalgic for most Koreans. We eat it late at night, after a long day at work. If you want to level up your instant ramyun at home, add a slice of American cheese, an egg and chopped green onion

Korean Corn Dog (핫도그)

The skewered snack the young king is munching on is a Korean corn dog. A chewy, stretchy batter wraps around a long frankfurter sausage, and that white powder on the outside? It’s sugar. The classic Korean corn dog is always coated in sugar and then drizzled with ketchup and yellow mustard. Sweet, salty, savory, and crunchy all at once, it’s a combination that sounds strange the first time you hear it but makes complete sense the moment you take a bite.

🌭 Korean Cheese Corn Dog Recipe Making corn dog batter from scratch is genuinely difficult, sticky, tricky, and hard to shape. But with this recipe, all you need is a few slices of sandwich bread. No batter required. Crispier than the ones sold at street stalls, and honestly better too. CHECK OUT THIS RECIPE ↗️

Jjinppang (찐빵): Korean Steamed Red Bean Bun

The food the palace servant tries to feed Seong Hui-ju is called jjinppang, a beloved Korean steamed bun. Jjinppang is made from fermented wheat flour dough filled with sweet red bean paste (pat-anggeum), then steamed until it turns soft, moist, and beautifully chewy. That tender, pillowy texture is what makes jjinppang so addictive.

These days, jjinppang has evolved well beyond the traditional red bean version. You’ll find pizza jjinppang filled with melty cheese and pizza sauce, and vegetable jjinppang packed with seasoned veggies and minced meat. If you’re visiting Korea in the colder months, keep an eye out for steaming jjinppang carts on the street, that first warm bite on a cold day is pure magic.

Episode 4

Chimaek (치맥) – Korean Fried Chicken & Beer

What Seong Hui-ju brings back from the baseball stadium in Perfect Crown Episode 4 is the most iconic Korean pairing of all time: chimaek. The word chimaek is a mash-up of chikin (chicken) and maekju (beer), and it’s basically a way of life in Korea. We love eating fried chicken with ice-cold, highly carbonated Korean beer, the fizz cuts right through the richness of the chicken in the most satisfying way.

Chimaek at a baseball game is its own sacred ritual in Korea. Koreans flock to the stadium not just for the game but for the chicken and beer combo that comes with it. So when we see Hui-ju carrying chimaek into the palace in Perfect Crown, it instantly feels like the most relatable thing a chaebol heiress has ever done in this IU K-drama.

🍗 Korean Fried Chicken Recipe (Banban Style) Missing that shatteringly crispy, sweet-and-spicy Korean fried chicken you had in Seoul? You can make it at home with this recipe. I’ve included both plain fried chicken and yangnyeom (sweet-spicy glazed) chicken. In Korea, we call this combo banban, half-and-half. Half fried, half yangnyeom, with an ice-cold beer or Coke on the side. That’s peak Korean comfort food right there. CHECK OUT THIS RECIPE ↗️

Modeum Hoe (모듬회): Assorted Korean Sashimi

The lavish dish Seong Hui-ju, Prince I-an, and the Prime Minister are sharing is modeum hoe, an assorted platter of fresh Korean sashimi. Modeum hoe always features a variety of seasonal fish, and here’s where Korean hoe differs from Japanese sashimi: Japanese sashimi is typically aged (sukseong-hoe) to develop umami, while Koreans prefer hwaleo-hoe, sliced from live fish for that signature bouncy, chewy texture. On this platter, you can spot salmon, tuna, and sea bream among the colorful fish.

Hangwa (한과): Traditional Korean Sweets

Those pretty little treats on the tray are hangwa and tteok, traditional Korean confections. By the color, you can tell the brown ones are kkae-gangjeong, made by toasting sesame or perilla seeds and binding them with jocheong (Korean rice syrup). The white ones are ssal-gangjeong, made by puffing rice grains with heat and pressure, then coating and pressing them with jocheong until they hold together in those neat little squares.

In the drama, hangwa is served at a royal funeral, but in real Korean life, hangwa is more commonly placed on the jesa-sang (ancestral rite table) or the charye-sang during major holidays like Chuseok and Lunar New Year. You’ll see them everywhere during Korean holidays, and they’re one of the most traditional Korean snacks still enjoyed today. Watching hangwa appear in Perfect Crown was such a beautiful nod to real Korean tradition.

Episode 5

IU Chicken (아이유 치킨)

Were you searching for “IU fried chicken”? The chicken making a comeback in Perfect Crown Episode 5 is the same one that stole the show in Episode 1, the Gochu Mayo Chicken from Puradak, Korea’s beloved Korean fried chicken brand.

If you’re visiting Korea, this one is a genuine must-try. It’s one of Puradak’s signature menus and one of the most loved Korean fried chickens in the country. (Full disclosure: I have zero sponsorship from Puradak but it genuinely is one of my all-time favorite chicken menus.

Yugwa & Yakgwa (유과 & 약과)

On the traditional Korean snack tray at the ladies’ tea table inside the palace in Perfect Crown Episode 5, two classic Korean confections make a beautiful appearance: yugwa and yakgwa.

The long white pieces are yugwa, and the round brown ones are yakgwa, which we already covered back in Episode 1! But let’s give yugwa its moment. Yugwa is a traditional Korean hangwa made by kneading glutinous rice flour with rice wine, steaming and drying the dough, then deep-frying it and coating it in jocheong (Korean rice syrup) and crispy puffed rice grains. Its most distinctive feature is that it’s completely hollow inside, producing a texture that’s at once airy, crispy, and melt-in-your-mouth. Like most hangwa, yugwa is traditionally enjoyed during Korean holidays like Chuseok and Lunar New Year, and seeing it presented alongside yakgwa on a palace tea tray in this IU K-drama feels utterly fitting.

Episode 6

Gyeran-mari (계란말이): Korean Egg Roll

In Perfect Crown Episode 6, Seong Hui-ju’s secretary and Prince I-an’s aide sit down for dinner together at a naengsamgyeopsal restaurant, a Korean BBQ spot that specializes in thin-sliced frozen pork belly, which Koreans love for its extra crispiness on the grill. The earthenware pot bubbling away on the table is a jjigae (a Korean stew).

The banchan the secretary is eating? That’s gyeran-mari, a classic Korean egg roll. There are so many versions of gyeran-mari to love: yachae gyeran-mari made with green onion and carrot, and the endlessly popular cheese gyeran-mari stuffed with melted cheese.

But the one I want to share with you is gim gyeran-mari, a seaweed egg roll that my mom used to make on busy weekday mornings. It’s one of the easiest things you can make, and it pairs perfectly with a bowl of warm rice.

Royal Surasang (궁중 수라상): Traditional Royal Dining Table

One of the most visually stunning scenes in Perfect Crown Episode 6 is the formal royal dinner shared by the Queen Dowager, Seong Hui-ju, and Prince I-an. The table is enormous and elaborate and two dishes in particular are guaranteed to stop you mid-scroll.

Gujeolpan (구절판)

The dish at the center of the table with multiple compartments filled with colorful ingredients is gujeolpan, one of the most beautiful and refined dishes in all of Korean royal cuisine. Gujeolpan is served in a special octagonal lacquerware container divided into 9 sections: 8 outer compartments hold an array of colorful vegetables, meat, and other ingredients, while the center compartment holds thin wheat crepes called miljeонbyeong. The way you eat it is part of the experience, you pick up a small crepe, layer a little of each filling onto it, and wrap it up like a tiny bundle. It’s elegant, interactive, and completely unlike anything you’d find on an ordinary Korean dinner table.

Sinseollo (신선로)

The tall, striking vessel rising up beside the gujeolpan is sinseollo, arguably the crown jewel of Korean royal cuisine, and one of the most dramatic dishes you’ll ever see on a table. Sinseollo is prepared in a specially designed pot with a central charcoal chimney built right into the middle of it. The pot is filled with premium ingredients arranged by color, beef, seafood, various vegetables, and pan-fried jeon and a rich, clear broth is poured in before the whole thing is brought to a rolling boil right at the table.

Episode 7

Iced Americano (아이스 아메리카노)

Koreans are famously devoted to iced Americano, and Perfect Crown Episode 7 captures that love perfectly. Grabbing an Americano on the way to work is just part of the daily routine for most Koreans and here’s the thing that surprises people: a huge number of Koreans order it iced, even in the winter.

Korean BBQ at Hanam Pig (하남돼지집)

The company dinner Seong Hui-ju attends in Perfect Crown Episode 7 takes place at a Korean BBQ restaurant and not just any spot. The chain is Hanam Pig (하남돼지집), one of Korea’s most recognizable Korean BBQ brands. You’ll find a Hanam Pig almost anywhere you go in Korea, and the food consistently delivers above-average quality. It’s the kind of place that’s reliable whether you’re on a first date or a rowdy company outing which is exactly why it’s such a popular choice for hoesik (Korean work dinners).

Yenal Dosirak (옛날 도시락): Old-School Korean Lunchbox

Now, the dish sitting in front of Seong Hui-ju is something truly nostalgic: a yenal dosirak, which translates literally as “old-fashioned lunchbox.” It’s served in a classic rectangular metal tin, the kind that generations of Korean kids carried to school, and what’s inside is pure Korean comfort food. Kimchi fried rice forms the base, topped with a perfectly fried egg and a generous sprinkle of gim-garu (dried seaweed flakes). Simple, satisfying, and packed with flavor.

New episodes of Perfect Crown air every Friday and Saturday on MBC and stream on Disney+, and this post will be updated every week with all the new Korean food moments. So bookmark this page and check back soon, you won’t want to miss a single dish!

Spotted a food we missed? Drop it in the comments below! 👇