Top of the Line at the Viking Designer Series Launch Party New York

By: Patrick Chang

Nothing says top of the line kitchen equipment like Viking. As someone who grew up in a home fully equipped with all Viking Professional appliances, the slick shine of the stainless steel and the durability of appliances bring comfort to my heart!

Viking threw an amazing launch party for their new Designer Series line at the Food Network studio last Wednesday. The Viking Designer series perfectly kicked off their line by furnishing the set of Ten Dollar Dinners, Melissa d’Arabian’s (winner of season five’s“The Next Food Network Star”’) new show which premiers January 3rd. [Ed Note: pictures were not allowed on the tour of their brand new set]

Does the designer series sacrifice quality for design? Luckily, no. These bad boys are just as powerful and convenient to clean as the professional series. The contemporary and sleek exterior design blends well with modern designs of New York condos. Whether you’re just upgrading a single item or an entire kitchen, the designer series product complements any kitchen style and drastically upgrades the look and feel.
To continue with the fun, there were 3 different rounds of giveaways for Viking kitchen appliances. Each round consisted of a different prize: first was the Viking Digital 9 Speed Hand Mixer , second was the new Professional Hand Blender, and last was a Viking apron. Sadly, as these raffles numbers were called, my ticket was not announced. Bummer…
Luckily, with the plethora of food, I was never left hungry. As I enter the test kitchen, an assortment of cured meats and cheese were available. However, as a true glutton, I had my eyes locked on the wonderful and delectable food being prepared in the kitchen. My impatience had my mouth watering as I thought “when are they going to hurry and plate the food! I’m starving!!!”
First up were prosciutto and cheese sandwiches- these bite size treats were a burst of flavor. The cheese was baked right into the bread and the prosciutto was perfect – a very nice twist on a classic dish.
The next offering was a cod and potato fritter - this was quite odd. I was very mixed on whether I was just starving, if this dish was actually good, or if this dish was oddly paired… Little did I know, but the highlight of the evening (besides the AMAZING Viking products) was yet to come…
The seared tuna with ginger glaze (and I think I detected a hint of miso and sesame oil) with an enoki mushroom topper was PHENOMENAL. Simply W.O.W. I always loved tasting dishes served in Chinese soup spoons – plus I don’t have to get my hands dirty! This was definitely the highlight of the night.
I felt sorry for the next dish following the seared tuna – which was one tough act to follow - but how did I forget I was at the freaking FOOD NETWORK KITCHEN? Of course they weren’t going to let me down! The next item was a bbq pulled turkey slider, which was extremely juicy and filling!
Along with the sliders was a succulent lamb, cooked so perfectly at medium rare I wished I could have requested the entire piece from which it was carved. I have always found lamb difficult to cook in mass quantities, especially when served as a tasting, but this lamb had no gamey stench at all. The lamb was so tender it was literally “like buttah.” These two dishes, however, were not a great complements, as one was incredibly satisfying and substantial (the slider) and the other vivacious and leaving me yearning for more (the lamb)!
The final tasting was a vegetarian dish… not much to say about this. It was good but I didn’t love it. I’m definitely a meat guy and all vegetables leave are room for imagination.
Another great surprise of the evening was running into Ted Allen again. After all these months between the Food and Wine festival and the thousands of adoring fans that he meets, I was very touched and surprised he still remembered who I was [Ed Note: he also remembered financefoodie.com!].

I have to say, he’s one of the coolest, most down to earth celebrities I have met. I hope we meet again at some other event!