Vassilios Holiasmenos

The Climb

A close association with The Blockman in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, South Africa, was built early, when Vassilios Holiasmenos worked there as chef. That first period gave him more than time in the kitchen; it gave him working knowledge of the restaurant’s rhythm and standards, the kind that only comes from being inside a place’s daily discipline. He is now Head Chef and owner of The Blockman, leading the kitchen from the position of someone who first learned its pace from within. The progression reads plainly: from chef to owner, from participant to the person setting the tempo.

Today

At The Blockman, the work centers on meat handled with control from the first cut onward: in-house butchery, premium beef sourcing, charcoal cooking, open-flame grilling, and both wet-and-dry ageing. Each step serves the same aim, keeping the ingredient front and center and choosing technique only where it supports that. The choreography starts well before the grill, in the trimming, selection, and ageing that determine what reaches the fire. “There's something raw and authentic about open-flame cooking.” In Parkhurst, that means the grill is a working tool, not a display, and it sits alongside the butchery and ageing that come before it. The flame gives the kitchen its pulse, but the control behind it shapes the final cut. At The Blockman, fire is one part of a tightly managed chain of practices, all aimed at bringing out the best in the meat.

In Their Words “There's something raw and authentic about open-flame cooking.” “At the heart of it all, it's always about the meat.”

Recognition

Vassilios's honors include World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants, 97th place.