Busan tonkatsu restaurant with Jeju black pork: Hets Jeonpo

A tonkatsu spot worth waiting for in Jeonpo

I’d always seen a line whenever I passed by and wondered about this place—then I ate there and understood why people wait 🥩

While looking for somewhere to eat in Jeonpo, I finally went to Hets Jeonpo Branch, which I’d been curious about for ages. People were always waiting outside whenever I passed, so I kept thinking, just how good can it be?

I arrived right at opening time to avoid the wait! A line formed 30 minutes after opening. The limited daily menu sold out in just 30 minutes, too!

Hets Jeonpo Branch information

An open kitchen this spotless?

Inside, the seating is arranged as a U-shaped counter. And what surprised me as soon as I walked in was the open kitchen—it was seriously spotless.

Even though it’s a tonkatsu place that uses plenty of oil, the whole place was maintained so well it practically gleamed. The staff were kind, and there were separate spaces for waiting and hanging coats—such thoughtful attention even to the little things!

They even serve barley tea instead of plain water, and that somehow made me even more excited haha

Hets menu and pork

• 🐖 Jeju black pork premium loin katsu ₩17,000
• 🥩 YBD premium loin katsu ₩16,000
• 🍖 YBD hire katsu ₩15,000
• 🐷 YBD loin katsu ₩13,000
• 🥪 Hire sando ₩7,000
• 🍺 Kirin draft beer, 430 ml ₩7,000
• 🍻 Kirin mini draft beer, 130 ml ₩2,500

Hets says it uses YBD pork and Jeju black pork. YBD is pork from a cross of Yorkshire, Berkshire, and Duroc breeds, and with tonkatsu, the quality of the meat is what matters in the end, right? So I was even more excited.

The soup and rice were refillable! The rice came fluffy and neatly rounded, which made the whole setting feel so tidy.

I also ordered the meat curry for ₩3,000.

True to its name, it was packed with meat. Rather than a strong spice profile, the rich curry flavor and caramelized onion worked beautifully together.

Jeju black pork premium loin katsu

First of all, the thickness was no joke! Under the crisp breading, the pork neck and fat were attached in just the right balance, and one big bite filled my mouth with meatiness and savory richness.

I especially loved how the fatty part seemed to melt 🤤

There’s tonkatsu sauce too, but I vote for fresh wasabi plus salt. The meat itself was so good that I ended up dipping it only in salt over and over.

Hire katsu that was properly juicy

I stole a bite of the hire katsu my friend ordered too, haha. If the premium loin is all about deep meatiness and the savory richness of fat, the hire is much leaner and softer!

Tenderloin can easily turn dry if it’s fried badly, but here I could feel the juiciness from the moment I gently pressed it with my chopsticks.

A little drizzle of truffle oil with freshly ground whole black pepper was also a special combination.

If you go as two, I think it’s best to order one loin cut and one hire cut, then share 👌

The katsu was delicious, but personally I really loved the selection of accompaniments. From fresh wasabi and salt to truffle oil and whole black pepper, it was fun trying every bite differently.

And the corn dressing for the salad 🌽 I genuinely wanted to buy this separately haha. It was nutty with a subtle sweetness, and the salad disappeared in no time.

A Jeonpo tonkatsu restaurant that didn’t get its line for no reason!

From the meat and frying to the accompaniments, I was happy with everything overall. If the wait has made you hesitate, trying an awkward off-peak time on a weekday could be the way to go!

When I’m craving proper Japanese-style tonkatsu in Jeonpo, I think I’ll return to Hets 😊