Jeonpo, Busan tonkatsu with a deconstructed loin sando and rice: Hets

Today I'm bringing you a Jeonpo tonkatsu spot I just barged into while walking around because the exterior looked so clean. Jeonpo-dong has tons of cafés and bars, but finding somewhere to eat a proper meal, whether solo or with your partner, is oddly tricky. Hets Jeonpo Branch turned out to be comfortable for eating alone, and the vibe was nice for a Jeonpo date too, haha.

Hets Jeonpo Branch: exterior and opening hours

Hets Jeonpo Branch is a tonkatsu restaurant on the 2nd floor of 225 Jeonpo-daero, Busanjin-gu, Busan, open daily from 11:10am to 8:30pm. From outside, the floor-to-ceiling windows let you see the bright interior, and the whole place felt clean and uncluttered. My partner and I were walking by and went "oh, this looks clean, let's try it!" — remembered it, and finally visited.

It has a kind of modern(?) Japanese tonkatsu restaurant feel, so it felt promising from the start as a Jeonpo-dong tonkatsu spot. Break time runs from 3:30pm to 5pm. Lunch last order is 3pm and dinner last order is 8pm, so keep that in mind if you're visiting late!

Is there a waitlist kiosk at Hets Jeonpo?

There was a waitlist registration kiosk right at the entrance of Hets Jeonpo Branch. We visited around 7pm, so luckily we got seated right away without waiting. But having a separate waitlist kiosk suggests there's quite a bit of waiting at lunch or on weekends.

If you're planning to visit this popular tonkatsu spot near Jeonpo Station, it might be worth avoiding peak hours a bit.

Ordering the Jeju black pork combo katsu and loin sando

We ordered two things: the Jeju black pork combo katsu for ₩18,000 and the loin sando for ₩12,000. +) Drinks, of course, couldn't be skipped.

I'd originally wanted to try the Jeju black pork top loin katsu, but it was sold out that day, so I couldn't order it, ㅠㅠ. Some menu items can sell out depending on what's prepared or available that day, so if there's something you really want to eat, it's better to visit a bit earlier.

Seating for solo dining and dates

Inside Hets Jeonpo Branch there were about 10+ seats, and like a Japanese tonkatsu restaurant, plenty of seats where people sit side by side, one at a time.

The layout lets you eat comfortably without worrying about other people's eyes even if you're solo, so it seemed like a good spot for solo dining in Jeonpo too. And sitting side by side with my partner gave a different kind of fun from the usual face-to-face date setup, lol. There was even space under the chairs for bags or luggage. It was nice to feel that they'd thought about even these small details!

What's on the table at Hets Jeonpo

Once seated, whole black pepper, salad dressing, truffle oil, and wasabi were already set out. It was nice being able to switch up combinations to taste while eating the katsu. And the water wasn't just plain water — it was chilled, iced barley tea.

Coming in from walking outside in the hot summer, having ice floating right in the drink really hit the spot, haha. You could also check the wifi password, and there was merchandise by the window that was fun to look at while waiting. They seemed to take song requests too — you just write down the song you want and hand it over. First time seeing a tonkatsu place take song requests. So novel!

Free menu items for police, soldiers and more

Make sure to check the poster on the wall too! It said that police officers, national merit recipients, soldiers, firefighters, 12th-grade exam students, and pregnant women get a choice of meat curry, boneless karaage (2pc), or a drink.

Seeing a notice like this made the place feel warm, not just for the food but in its overall atmosphere.

Thoughtful touches at the Hets entrance

At the entrance, along with the waiting area, there was a hanger for coats, an umbrella stand, and even aprons.

Getting sauce on your clothes while eating tonkatsu is such a sad moment, but the apron was right there in plain sight so it was easy to grab and use. It made me think this was a Jeonpo-dong tonkatsu spot that pays attention to every small detail.

Side dishes and hot miso soup

Tonkatsu sauce and kkakdugi come as standard, and miso soup is also served alongside the food. They seemed to start cooking right after the order went in, so we waited a bit, but it was worth it knowing freshly fried tonkatsu was coming!!

The miso soup came out piping hot, and it was savory without being salty, so it was nice to sip between bites of tonkatsu.

The 2,500 won sip-size draft beer to try next time

Looking through the Hets Jeonpo Branch menu, I noticed a sip-size draft beer. The sip-size draft is ₩2,500, and a regular draft beer is ₩7,000. Tonkatsu with draft beer is a combination that never fails, but I had a cold that day so unfortunately couldn't drink, ㅠㅠ.

Next time I'm definitely ordering the sip-size draft first thing. It's a small enough amount that it'd work well as a light pairing with tonkatsu even during the day!

The Jeju black pork combo katsu arrives

The Jeju black pork combo katsu finally arrived! Overall the breading wasn't thick or greasy, and the meat was tender and easy to eat. One of the round-cut pieces in particular was really tender — moist enough that you barely had to chew hard.

My partner, on the other hand, said the loin piece with a bit of fat attached was the savory one, and ate that part the most happily, lol. The salad dressing had a subtle corn flavor — different from a plain sesame dressing — so I kept picking at the salad on its own.

How the loin sando tastes

The loin sando looked great too, with a thick slice of katsu sandwiched between the bread. The bread was soft, and the katsu inside had rich meaty flavor — it felt more like a main dish than a simple side item!

That said, eating the tonkatsu and the sando together can feel a bit heavy toward the end. So we came up with our own weird way of eating, lol.

Eating tip #1: tonkatsu with salt and truffle oil

At Hets Jeonpo Branch, don't just dip everything in tonkatsu sauce — definitely try the salt and truffle oil combination. I put just a tiny bit of salt on the katsu, then a small drop of truffle oil, and the meat's savoriness and the truffle aroma really came through — genuinely delicious.

I immediately understood why truffle oil was sitting on the table after one bite, haha. Adding a bit of wasabi too cut through the richness, giving yet another flavor to enjoy. Honestly, it's because of this combination that I wanted to recommend Hets Jeonpo Branch as a Jeonpo tonkatsu spot!

Can you get extra rice and kkakdugi?

Apparently at Hets Jeonpo Branch, you can ask for extra rice and kkakdugi. We also got a rice refill once.

If you're eating a good amount of tonkatsu, the initial rice portion can feel a bit short, but when we asked for more, they happily brought it out.

Eating tip #2: deconstructing the loin sando with corn salad

Toward the end, we tried eating the loin sando a bit differently. We pulled the katsu out from between the bread and ate it with rice, then put corn-flavored salad into the remaining bread, lol. Eating it this way switched up the flavor partway through, so it was less monotonous than eating just katsu the whole time.

No matter how good a tonkatsu spot near Jeonpo Station is, eating tonkatsu continuously can start to feel a little greasy toward the end, so I'd recommend alternating between salt and truffle oil, wasabi, and salad!

Verdict on Hets Jeonpo Branch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hets Jeonpo Branch stood out for thoughtful details, from the clean floor-to-ceiling window front, to seats comfortable for solo diners, to storage space under the chairs. The Jeju black pork combo katsu had different textures cut by cut, which made it fun to pick through, and the salt-and-truffle-oil combo especially stuck with me. The loin sando was also flavorful with a thick slice of katsu inside, and being able to add rice and kkakdugi was a nice touch too.

If you're looking for a Jeonpo tonkatsu spot to eat comfortably alone, or a Jeonpo-dong tonkatsu spot for a clean meal date with your partner, I recommend Hets Jeonpo Branch. I'll be coming back next time for the Jeju black pork top loin katsu and the sip-size draft beer, haha.

• 📍 Hets Jeonpo Branch · 225 Jeonpo-daero, 2nd floor, Unit 201, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:10–20:30
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 15:00 / 20:00