A couple months ago The House of Simple Pleasures open the doors to it's brand new version of the classic Camperdown establishment, the Deus Bar and Kitchen.
In charge of keeping the Kitchen half running is chef, moto lover and all around nice guy, Zac Pauling. As a new member of the Deus family, we decided to grab one of his own home brewed Beers and find out what he's all about.
Q: So Zac, where do you come from?
A: I grew up in a small town just out of Newcastle call Kurri Kurri, I was as about as exciting as you thinks. Then when I was 15 I moved in with my dad, he lived in Cessnock and I finished high school there.
Q: How did you fall into cooking?
A: I didn't really fall into it as such, I knew exactly what I wanted to do since I was 12, that's why I moved in with dad, he was close to the vineyards and that's where the restaurants were, I was pretty lucky I guess, knowing what I wanted at such a young age and gunning for it.
Q: Was it always what you wanted to do or was it something in your life before cooking?
A: Nah man! Cooking was the game for me, my old man is in the mines, I could have went down that line and be earning 200k by now, but fuck I'd hate my life hahah
Q: What are some of your biggest inspirations when it comes to cooking?
A: The people around me mate, one of my best mates Josh deferred his law degree when we met to start an apprenticeship because he saw how passionate I was about what I did, he questioned his choice and now he is one of the best young chefs in Australia, he's kicked so many goals in the last 2 years its inspirational, he and many other chefs keep me keen and my game on point.
Q: Any hobbies outside of the kitchen?
A: I have so many hobbies man, kayaking, fishing, golf but brewing beer is definitely my biggest hobby, It's taken over my garage and quickly become an obsession.
Q: Tell us more about this beer lab in your garage?
A: I started brewing beer about 3 years ago but only got pretty serious about it over the last 18 month, I've got a few fridges, A fermentation fridge and a tapped beer fridge. My brewing system is what you call a HERMS system which stands for, heat exchange recirculating mash system, its a lot fun, I have several kegs and more than 1 garage worth of accessories
Q: describe your home brew?
A:Fresh, summery, new world and hoppy, uI guess I'm very much a chef when I create a beer, I like to use lots of citrus and herbs in my recipes, even fruit and veg in a few, but I also love banging out a great saison or sessionable pale ale, I have one on tap regularly, I like to have something for everyone when I have people around.
Q: Can we expect to see some Zac made brews on shelfs and taps any time soon?
A: That's the dream man, I love to do a batch with a local brewery one day and see it on tap in a few of my favourite bars, I even seriously toyed with the idea of leaving the kitchen behind and pursing brewing but almost 30 and starting from the bottom would have been a financial disaster
Q: Signature dish?
A: I don't really have one. my style changes constantly, how I cook, what I cook with. My food is heavily French influenced I guess, I also love using charcoal and fire and cooking whole animals.
Q: Favourite dish to make on your days off?
A: Anything to feed the masses, I like to have my mates over, or cook for my house mates, there are 2 chefs in the house so it's a bit of a "who can out do the other" situation on our days off. At the moment it's slow cooked meats and roast veg, soon it will be bbq's and epic salads.
Q: What about Motorcycles, have they always been around or this something new you’re just getting into?
A: I've always liked bikes, my step dad rode a Harley sportster and I loved it, but never had the urge to get on the road until my 2 best mates got their L's, then I suffered from serious FOMO, so I sold my 61 FB Holden (Ruby) and got myself 2 wheels, an 84 Yamaha xv 400
Q: Dream bike?
A: I love the Harley crossbones springer, but I think that 42 Harley WLA of Dares in the retail store would look great in my garage.
Q: Have your heard of Deus prior to stepping behind the stoves at the Deus Kitchen?
A: Yeah, a good mate of mine Nathan use to tighten bolts in the workshop years back, I've been a fan of the bikes and clothing for a while now.
Q: Favourite Deus bike ever?
A: There's a few man, the flaneur, the Derrick, the pegasus, the Moscow accord, the bobber sake v1, the sacred cow and the new blood oh and the Sr hard tail, so basically the bobbers and cruisers there's a theme there right.
Q: Best dish combo to get stuck into at the Deus Bar + Kitchen?
A: Chicken burger. Kimchi. Bacon. Forget about it.
If you happen to reside in the Harbour city and want to sample some of Zac's finger licking good creations, come by the House Of Simple pleasures. 98-104 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown.
Get your bookings in HERE.
