'Variety Of Flavors': Pop-Up Brings Hawaiian-Inspired Smashburgers To The South Bay

TORRANCE, CA — Kalae DeOcampo never envisioned he'd follow in his father's footsteps and start his own catering company.

The 22-year-old grew up in the South Bay, helping his dad on occasion operate a catering company that served Hawaiian food.

"I've been doing Hawaiian food ever since he could remember," DeOcampo told Patch. "I feel like I just spawned one day and I was already helping (my dad) out."

One day in 2024, DeOcampo visited Easy Street Burgers in Hollywood, a restaurant that sold smashburgers — a burger that has been smashed into a thin patty to create a caramelized crust. The burger, DeOcampo said, changed his life.

That day, went home feeling inspired, DeOcampo said. He cooked some smashburgers at home for his family, who told him it was "the best burger ever," DeOcampo said.

DeOcampo recalled his dad enjoying the burger so much that he asked him to join him at the next festival he was catering to sell some.

The day of the festival, DeOcampo's burgers sold out within the first two hours. From that moment on, knew he had created something special, and 808 Smashburger, named after the Hawaii area code, was born, DeOcampo said.

"It just kept taking off from there," DeOcampo said. "From what I envisioned it to be to what it is now, I think it's extremely successful."

DeOcampo says he likes to experiment with different ingredients, but is mostly inspired by his Hawaiian culture. His first item on the menu was a teriyaki burger, which he says is a popular flavor in a lot of Hawaiian food.

"If you look at every corner, I feel like everyone and their mom is opening up a smash burger joint," DeOcampo said. "I needed something to set myself apart."

He experimented until he made his own unique marinade recipe and decided on using Korean-style pickles instead of regular ones. Unlike a regular smashburger, which usually includes smashing onions into the patty, DeOcampo likes for his onions to stand out, caramelizing on the side to create golden little bite-sized pieces bursting with flavor.

"I think, on a technical side, I have a lot of little techniques that I like to implement in cooking my burger to make it have a different taste," DeOcampo said. "I'm really keyed in on every little detail of the process."

Most weekends, DeOcampo spends his time catering at events or festivals. When he's not working, he tries to improve on his craft, using his friends and family as test groups.

Aside from the teriyaki smashburger, DeOcampo has added a spicy jalapeño smashburger and a regular one for those who may not want to experiment too far outside their comfort zone.

"What sets me apart is the variety of flavors you get," 808 Smashburger owner Kalae DeOcampo said. "You can't experience it anywhere else."

For now, the only way to try an 808 Smashburger is by hiring them for an event, attending one of DeOcampo's pop-up events, or filling out an intake form in advance. But that could change one day, DeOcampo said, if the right opportunity to open a brick-and-mortar pops up.

"I honestly have a lot of faith in it," DeOcampo said. "Some people will say it's their favorite burger."

To inquire about trying DeOcampo's smashburgers, click here.