Busan tonkatsu restaurant with tender YBD loin: Hets Jeonpo

Today, I’m sharing Hets in Jeonpo-dong, Busan—my all-time, top-tier pork cutlet spot after living for 3n years. I gasped from the very first bite here! Let’s get started~

Hets Jeonpo Branch, close to Jeonpo Station

Hets Jeonpo Branch was a three-minute walk from Jeonpo Station. You could feel how hip it was from the exterior alone ★★★★★ We deliberately came for a late lunch to avoid the wait.

Every seat at Hets Jeonpo Branch was arranged around a gray, U-shaped bar table.

Best of all, it has an open kitchen, so I could watch everything right in front of me—from the cutlets frying up crisp to each dish being finished one by one.

The interior was modern yet hip, with that distinctly current Jeonpo-dong vibe~ A clean atmosphere plus an open kitchen ♥ It was exactly my style from the moment I walked in!

There was a range of Japanese tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets), including limited-quantity Jeju black pork and YBD premium loin cutlets. Hets Jeonpo Branch prepares its YBD pork and Jeju black pork in-house, so I was excited ♥

• YBD premium loin cutlet ₩16,000
• YBD loin cutlet ₩13,000
• Kirin draft beer 430 ml ₩7,000 × 2

Miso soup and rice came with unlimited refills. The soup was especially rich and peppery, so it would be just right for anyone who loves a warming, spicy broth!

Each table had whole black pepper, salad dressing, truffle oil, and wasabi to enjoy as you liked, while spicy Silbi kimchi was brought out on request.

Just how tender was the YBD premium loin cutlet?

The long-awaited YBD premium loin cutlet, unique to Hets Jeonpo Branch, arrived!

The premium loin cutlet, with tender gabrisal (pork collar) attached, let me taste its meaty aroma and soft richness. It simply melted in my mouth the moment I took a bite,,

For the first bite, I wanted to properly taste it on its own, so I dipped it very lightly in salt. The meat was tender, clean-tasting, and free of any off smell. My partner and I raved from the first bite that it was top-tier among every tonkatsu we’d ever had!!

I ate it with sharp wasabi, then with cool kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi)—could the distinctive flavor and texture of the YBD pork be why every combination was delicious?

And how many people could possibly resist Kirin draft beer with this~~~ I sure couldn’t~~ 🍺🤭

YBD loin cutlet with truffle oil

Can you see the ratio of fat to lean? The grain of the meat showed right through, so it looked exceptional from the start, and the thick layer of fat at the edge was perfectly balanced too. A grind of whole black pepper~~ with crunchy salad on the side~~

The fatty part was unbelievably tender, and the juices were insane,,♥ Above all, the crust was thin and crisply fried, so I never got tired of it—not even on the last bite.

This time, I added two or three drops of truffle oil. The subtle truffle aroma mingled with the crisp tonkatsu crust, creating such a different and deeply layered flavor.

If it’s delicious even cold? That’s a truly great restaurant!

Moist without becoming dry, even when cold! We ate slowly, so the pork cutlets cooled down, but the meat never became tough or dry—it stayed tender until the end. Delicious to the last bite ★★★★★

The first time in my life I finished a whole plate of pork cutlet!

I do love pork cutlets, but after finishing a whole plate, the fried coating usually starts to feel heavy at some point. At Hets Jeonpo Branch, though, I didn’t feel that at all; every last piece was so delicious that I cleared an entire plate by myself for the first time in my life. Even my partner was surprised!

From the thin, crisp crust to the moist, tender meat and abundant juices, the overall balance here was seriously excellent! If you’re looking for delicious Japanese tonkatsu in Jeonpo-dong, definitely visit Hets Jeonpo Branch. Go once and you’ll be a regular.