Busan tonkatsu restaurant for bar-seat dining: Hets Jeonpo

I've been going to Jeonpo a lot lately. A little while ago, on my way back from a café, I passed Hets Jeonpo Branch, which had such a clean, stylish exterior—and was already packed even at opening time, haha. It immediately became somewhere I had to try. I finally went this time, and it was even tastier than I expected, so I was really pleased. From the moist, tender hire katsu to the premium loin katsu with its rich flavor from the very first bite, I'll honestly introduce the YBD premium loin katsu and hire katsu I enjoyed at Hets Jeonpo Branch, a great tonkatsu spot in Jeonpo :)”

Getting to Hets Jeonpo Branch from Jeonpo Station and parking

Hets Jeonpo Branch is about a four-minute walk from Exit 7 of Jeonpo Station, making it easy to visit by public transit. There isn't dedicated parking, so if you're driving, use a public parking lot near Jeonpo Station. They said they offer ₩1,000 toward parking when you show your parking receipt.

From the waitlist to the bar seats: the atmosphere

We waited briefly before going in, haha. We placed our order when we registered for the waitlist, too.

As soon as we entered, the neat open kitchen caught my eye.

While waiting, I looked over the guide on how to best enjoy Hets katsu, and it made me even more excited, haha.

All the seating is at the bar, so it felt comfortable even for dining alone. There were actually lots of people eating solo, too.

The Wi-Fi password was posted in front of each seat, and there were pens so you could write down a song request, too.

There were posters on the wall along with a note asking guests to let them know comfortably if anything applied. I liked how even these small details made guests feel at ease. I also thought it was lovely that they offer benefits as a thank-you to people who work hard for the country.

Coat hangers and high chairs were available for a comfortable visit, and they also had merchandise for sale.

Hets Jeonpo Branch YBD katsu menu and our order

At Hets, you can enjoy Jeju black pork katsu and YBD katsu. YBD is pork that harmoniously combines the characteristics of three breeds: Y for Yorkshire, B for Berkshire, and D for Duroc. There are premium loin katsu with gabrisal (pork collar meat) attached, loin katsu, hire katsu, and loin and hire sando sandwiches. Beef curry is available as a side, along with Kirin draft beer that pairs nicely with katsu.

• Jeju black pork assorted katsu ₩18,000
• YBD assorted katsu ₩17,000
• Jeju black pork premium loin katsu ₩17,000
• Jeju black pork loin katsu ₩14,000
• YBD premium loin katsu ₩16,000
• YBD hire katsu ₩15,000
• YBD loin katsu ₩13,000
• Loin sando ₩12,000
• Hire sando ₩7,000
• Kirin draft beer (430 ml) ₩7,000
• Kirin small draft beer (130 ml) ₩2,500

We ordered the YBD premium loin katsu, which is limited and may be limited to one per table, along with the YBD hire katsu :) 🥩 YBD premium loin katsu ₩16,000, 🍽️ YBD hire katsu ₩15,000.

YBD hire katsu that surprised me with its moisture

The YBD hire katsu arrived first. At first glance, I thought it had been brushed with oil, haha. It was so moist and glossy 🤭 I already love hire katsu and tend to order it whenever I go to a tonkatsu restaurant, but this was the moistest one I've ever had. The outside was crisp while the inside was incredibly soft and juicy, so I thought it was delicious from the first bite.

YBD premium loin katsu with a rich flavor

What can I even say about the YBD premium loin katsu, haha? After the first piece, I asked, “How is it?”

“It just melts,” they said, hahaha. “It's different from other places,” they said, hahaha.

Maybe because it had gabrisal attached, it was tender with a really nice depth of flavor. I was happy with both the premium loin katsu and hire katsu, and since they had different textures and charms, I was glad we ordered both.

How I enjoyed it, from salt and wasabi to truffle oil

First, I tried the katsu plain to taste it on its own.

Then I tried it with Himalayan salt and wasabi, too.

I'm usually a wasabi person, but even with just a little salt, the meat's flavor came through beautifully and it was delicious. I also tried it with pepper and truffle oil, and I loved the subtle truffle aroma. The cabbage salad dressing wasn't overpowering and tasted clean, so it went well alongside the katsu without getting in its way.

What about the soup and refillable items?

Food other than katsu, along with side dishes, soup, and rice, can be refilled. We asked for a cabbage salad refill and enjoyed it 😆 Silbi kimchi is available on request; it was pleasantly spicy and went nicely with the katsu. It was spicy kimchi that even someone with a low spice tolerance could eat, haha.

And I'm not usually someone who likes soup, so I tend to leave most of the soup served at tonkatsu restaurants. But Hets' soup had a pleasantly spicy finish and was quite rich, so it was a treat even mixed with rice, haha. It was only later that I realized I hadn't ordered the Zero Coke I usually drink because of the soup 🤭

Final thoughts after a meal near Jeonpo Café Street

There are so many delicious tonkatsu restaurants in Busan these days. But after trying Hets Jeonpo Branch myself, I immediately understood why it had so many customers from opening time. Next time, I'm curious to try the Jeju black pork premium loin katsu, too, haha. If you're looking for somewhere to eat around Jeonpo Café Street, a good tonkatsu restaurant for dining alone, or a Jeonpo date-meal spot, Hets Jeonpo Branch could be well worth a visit :)